Question: Many lakes want people to catch and remove carp yet they cannot be disposed of on site, and many people do not eat them. I have used cut carp in the Imperial Valley for catfish and it has amazingly tough skin that sometimes has to be cut off the hook. I would like those properties for shark/ray bait when casting into the surf but do not know about the legality of using carp. Can carp be used as chum or bait in saltwater? Their tough skin may also be a plus as a lobster bait. Can carp be used as bait in freshwater? It they could be used as bait, this might encourage people to remove them from our lakes as they then would then have a viable use. (Jim G.)

Answer: There are no regulations that prohibit the use of dead carp as bait in saltwater. However, the use of fish as bait in freshwater is only allowed in certain locations. To find a complete description of where finfish may be used as bait, see CCR Title 14, sections 4.00 through 4.30 found at wildlife.ca.gov/Fishing/Inland/2017-Regulations#ch2art3.

Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at CalOutdoors@wildlife.ca.gov.