Live gold fish for bait

Anyone use live gold fish for bait? Do they catch blues? I know gold and orange works well in my area for most anything.

I've used goldfish a lot on trot lines and throw lines. We've had good success on channel cat, blues and yellows but especially yellows.

I used to buy small Asian type carp for trotline bait and always did very well on the Guadalupe. Tried goldfish numerous times with lack luster results. I’m not sure why??? I seemed to catch more bass on them than cats. Obviously some folks do well with them but not my personal experience. Why switch from your time tested perch? You seem to do well with them. Try goldfish for yourself and report back.

Well, I don't have time to catch a bunch of live bream and catfish in one day. I figure buy a few goldfish or golden shiners for live bait, and use the bucket of bluegill for cut bait. Also I'm at my limit for bluegill, so, I'll have to fish my bucket of salted bluegill before I catch more and stay legal.

There's a limit on bluegill now?

Another plus for the goldfish is that he's tougher than the perch. It's been my experience that they'll stay alive longer on the trotlines. My preference is perch but we fished the Rio Grande a lot where there were no perch available so we would buy goldfish in the plastic bags with oxygen and take them with us. Worked well for us.

Another plus for the goldfish is that he's tougher than the perch. It's been my experience that they'll stay alive longer on the trotlines. My preference is perch but we fished the Rio Grande a lot where there were no perch available so we would buy goldfish in the plastic bags with oxygen and take them with us. Worked well for us.

I believe Willy lives in Alabama

WillieRip fishes in Alabama

Its amazing anglers are allowed to bring in Goldfish from pet stores to the lake for bait, the goldfish could have lord knows what disease that can be spread to our wild fish, but in the same day, the same angler can get fined for not draining a boat livewell.

Goldfish lobbyists dam you.

That is the very reason we have all the crazy things in our lakes and streams. Some of the baits will
get off the hook and live. Just my 2 cents.

Willie, my 2 cents ... is that if you have a perch problem, the baitshop goldfish will make a good substitute.

As 2018-2019 outdoor Annual by TPWD there is no limit on sunfish.
Texas for the most part has been clean water state from exotics.
Yes, there is carp in Texas; carp are also classified as a rough fish and are not truly goldfish and can be damaging as a naturalized exotic species, but some feel it has sporting qualities. Hybrid stripers, Tilapia are other customary exotic. If you are have trouble finding Live bait, change to other native types, if fish do not eat they tend to die, so there should be live bait around. So there is something to be said with running the risk of changing the environment just to caught of fish. I pretty sure when USDA brought exotic lovegrass, Johnson grass, Tallow tress and the Spanish brought horses and hogs they did look at what changes are be made for us today. If you like sunfish for bait use them and keep pets at home.

The goldfish (Carassius auratus) is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish.

A relatively small member of the carp family (which also includes the Prussian carp and the crucian carp), the goldfish is native to East Asia. It was first selectively bred in Ancient China more than a thousand years ago, and several distinct breeds have since been developed. Goldfish breeds vary greatly in size, body shape, fin configuration and colouration (various combinations of white, yellow, orange, red, brown, and black are known).

Goldfish may only grow to sexual maturity with enough water and the right nutrition. Most goldfish breed in captivity, particularly in pond settings. Breeding usually happens after a significant temperature change, often in spring. Males chase gravid female goldfish (females carrying eggs), and prompt them to release their eggs by bumping and nudging them.

Goldfish, like all cyprinids, are egg-layers. Their eggs are adhesive and attach to aquatic vegetation, typically dense plants such as Cabomba or Elodea or a spawning mop. The eggs hatch within 48 to 72 hours.

Within a week or so, the fry begins to assume its final shape, although a year may pass before they develop a mature goldfish colour; until then they are a metallic brown like their wild ancestors. In their first weeks of life, the fry grow quickly—an adaptation born of the high risk of getting devoured by the adult goldfish (or other fish and insects) in their environment.