Fishing Forum

These are from Italy I believe, made from sturgeon skin. I thought they were pretty cool looking, I would like to see a swimbait version. Any thoughts?
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They are illegal in Utah. Can't use them.

From the Utah Code:

Quote:R657-13-12. Bait.
(4) Use or possession of artificial baits which are commercially imbedded or covered with fish or fish parts while fishing is unlawful.

Now, before you go off in a huff, remember why they are illegal. They pose a threat of causing serious harm to our fisheries. The skin from the fish could harbor Viral Hemoragic Septicemia, or VHS.

There's a guy in Finland that is making "Jigging Rapalas" and spoons that he uses several different types of skin. But if it's fish skin, it's illegal in Utah.
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As far as thoughts: I think they're cool.

I wondered why that law read that way. Seemed funny to allow bait from all over the world, but not lures with fish parts attached.

Still not sure I get it, but I am very much FOR not spreading disease...
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I think they look cool too. The ones from the guy in Finland are nothing short of artwork. But the threat of VHS is not worth the risk of using one of these lures.

And you can't use just any fish from all over the world. So far, there hasn't been too much of an issue with frozen Utah Chubs, or Redsided Shiners, or Sucker meat. But that could change. But bait from say, the Great Lakes, i.e. Emerald Shiners, must be preserved. And it must be preserved in a way that will kill pathogens.

Here's a few more quotes:

Quote:You may use commercially prepared and chemically treated baitfish or their parts as bait in any water where bait is permitted.

Quote:Commercially prepared and chemically treated baitfish means any fish species or fish parts which have been processed using a chemical or physical preservation technique other than freezing (including irradiation, salting, cooking, or oiling) and are marketed, sold or traded for financial gain as bait.

Quote: On any water declared infested by the Wildlife Board with an aquatic invasive species, or that is subject to a closure order or control plan under R657-60, it shall be unlawful to transport any species of baitfish (live or dead) from the infested water for use as bait in any other water of the State. Baitfish are defined as those species listed in sections (5)(b),(5)©,(5)(f) and (8).

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Is it only if the skin itself is exposed? It looks like, especially the bottom lure there is a kind of a coating over the lure.. Don't know if it matters or not they look really nice either way.
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Doesn't matter whether the skin is exposed or not. Doesn't matter whether the skin is covered with 12 layers of epoxy resin. If it's real fish skin or parts, it's illegal. A virus could be in the skin, it could be covered by 1/2" of plastic ... you lose the lure .. it sits for a year..... rubbing against a rock ... the skin comes in contact with the water ..... voila! (Yes, viruses can remain viable for long periods under certain circumstances.) We have a new infestation. Ask anybody that knows about Whirling Disease if they would be willing to lighten up, or relax the rules and quit worrying about the spread of it. Or would they wish that they could have done something in the past to have kept it from ever reaching our state, or even our hemisphere.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or in this case a ton of cure.
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They are illegal so I recommend you don't use them. However, Lucky craft makes them they are called real skin pointer series. Cabelas sells them in their store in utah and I think someone should stop them. I bought one before I knew it was illegal. Sportsmans Warehouse sells them too but you have to get them online.
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What if I wanna buy them before I go on a trip to someplace where they are legal to use? Should I have to buy them when I get there? Use them there and then leave them? I don't have a problem with them being for sale in Utah, but it wouldn't hurt to have a disclaimer pointing out that they are illegal to use in Utah.
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Well, old thread and today i just regonized it.

These lures are from my hands...from top:
-Siberian sturgeon
-Roach with real head
-Seasnake from thailand with "cats eye" quarts.

Im not from Italy

So i live at Finland and i specialized to make lures from parts of diffrent fishes.
Im not sure is it allowed to inform my website , but it easy tofind or you can find me from facebook wit my nameetri Muuttoranta.

Cheers
/Petri
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Can you show us what your lures look like??
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Whats the difference between that and using anchovies or shrimp ect for bait? Or catching a fish that has said viruses and that lure becomes contaminated and then you use it in another body of water, since there is the chance it survived on your lure?
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Greetings and welcome Petri. If those are your craftwork, highest compliments. They look so real I wanna eat 'em!

I've run across other fish-parts lures. And also puzzled that I could find and buy them from Utah's Cabelas. Sabiki Rigs is one. I have used them in Idaho where they are not illegal (to my knowledge) and through they'd be great for ice fishing. Very small hooks, stitch of skin, and beads. But they come in a stringer of 6 or 8, which is too many for Utah.

Used to use similar rigs for perch fishing in Florida. Had a great time with bluegill and crappie, doubles a plenty.

[inline "Sabiki Jigs.jpg"]

Thanks for chiming in, and no worries about reviving an old post. If you have a link you want to share (need to have 15 posts before posting links) you can send me a PM, and I've be glad to add it for you.

Anchovies are salt water and won't transmit any diseases. But it is possible for a virus to be contained in the skin of a fresh water fish. It's one of those things. Wyoming seems to be more aggressively battling Zebra Mussels, and Utah is more aggressive about VHS.
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Still not a valid answer, I can use sucker meat to fish for burbot at the gorge no matter where I caught it, it's all bs. Aids can't even survive being dried out, and epoxied, it's a stupid rule.
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I didn't make the rule. There are lots of viruses that can survive being dried out.

The process of epoxying the skin on a lure could also encase the virus in a moist environment, thereby prolonging its viability.
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Is this Jurassic park? The probability is seriously way, way lower than you are suggesting. It's a stupid rule imho.
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