Maine Lobster and Crab Baits

Marine Approved

1. Any Species in NEFMC Groundfish Complex (Gulf of Maine or Georges Bank)

2. Atlantic Cod (US East Coast & Canada East Coast)

3. Atlantic Herring (US East Coast & Canada East Coast)

4. Balao ; must be frozen (Florida/FAO 31)

5. Ballyhoo ; must be frozen (Florida/FAO 31)

6. Blackbelly Rosefish must be frozen (Uruguay)

7. Croaker (US East Coast)

8. Halibut (Atlantic & Pacific Ocean)

9. Gulf Menhaden ; must be frozen (Gulf of Mexico)

10. Jamaican Weakfish ; wild caught, frozen, racks only (Suriname)

11. King Weakfish ; wild caught, frozen, racks only (Suriname)

12. Kinky, aka rockfish, long/short spinyhead, idiotfish ; must be frozen (US West Coast & Canada West Coast)

13. Lingcod (Atlantic & Pacific Ocean)

14. Mackerel ; must be frozen if from China (US East Coast, Japan, Portugal and China)

15. Mullet (US & Canada)

16. Orange Roughy (Australia & New Zealand)

17. Menhaden, aka pogie, bunker (US East Coast)

18. Patagonian toothfish, must be frozen (Australia and Argentina)

19. Pollock (Atlantic Ocean only)

20. Redfish (N. Atlantic Ocean & Pacific Ocean)

21. Red Alphonsino (NE Atlantic Ocean)

22. Roundnose Grenadier (NE Atlantic Ocean)

23. River herring, aka alewife, blueback herring (Maine)

24. Rockfish ; must be frozen (US West Coast & Canada West Coast)

25. Sablefish (Alaska & Western Canada)

26. Skate (US Northeast Coast)

27. Shad (Maine)

28. Sole (US West Coast)

29. Southern Kingfish ;wild caught, frozen, racks only (Suriname)

30. Tuna (North Pacific Ocean)

31. Any species that was legally caught in Maine coastal waters, except as otherwise prohibited in regulation

Herring is just one of a multitude of baits approved by the DMR for use in the lobster fishery. Photo courtesy of Ellsworth American.

Freshwater Approved

1. Carp (Maine)

2. Pickerel (Central Canada)

3. Suckerfish (Maine, Canadian provinces of Manitoba & Saskatchewan

4. Any freshwater species that was legally harvested in Maine

Marine Prohibited

1. Any salmonid fish species (prohibited pursuant to DMR Chapter 24.23)

2. Alphonsino (New Zealand) - Exotic pathogens

3. Atka Mackerel (North Pacific Ocean, Alaska) - Exotic pathogens

4. Bonito Panama (West Coast) - Exotic pathogens

5. Cobia (South Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea) - Unknown pathogen status

6. Cod (US West Coast & Canada West Coast)- Possibility of exotic agent

7. Eulachon Thaleichthys pacificus - Exotic pathogens

8. Flatfish (Pacific Ocean) - Possibility of exotic agent

9. Hake (US West Coast) - Exotic pathogens

10. Horseshoe Crab (Asia) - Possibility of invasives

11. Monkfish (FAO Major Fishing Area 27) - Exotic pathogens

12. Pacific Herring (Pacific Ocean) - Exotic pathogens

13. Pacific Sardine or South American Pilchard (US West Coast & Canada West Coast) - Exotic pathogens

14. Plaice (Netherlands, France, Germany) - Exotic pathogens

15. Pollock (Pacific Ocean) - Exotic pathogens

16. Red Gurnard (Netherlands, France, Germany) - Exotic pathogens

17. Snapper (Panama West Coast) - Exotic pathogens

18. Tilapia (Panama West Coast) - Exotic pathogens

19. Yellow Goosefish (FAO Major Fishing Area 61) - Exotic pathogens

Freshwater Prohibited

1. All Carp, including Asian Carp, grass carp, common carp, Amur carp, silver carp, largescale silver carp, bighead carp, black carp, goldfish, crucian carp, mud carp (Asia, US caught outside of Maine & Canada) – exotic pathogens. NOTE: Carp caught in Maine ARE approved.

2. Catfish (Asia) – Exotic pathogens

3. Mudshad (Central US & Virginia) - Unknown pathogen status

4. Sheepshead or Freshwater Drum (US & Canada) - Exotic pathogens

5. Farmed or Wild Tilapia (Africa, Asia, Florida, Latin America and Vietnam) – Exotic pathogens