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The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has said the following as part of the fishing regulations:

Starting September 1, the Parks Highway streams and many other Mat-Su and West Cook Inlet waters go to no bait and single-hook only.

I'm new to fishing. What is meant by "no bait?" I'm assuming that doesn't mean that you must cast in an empty hook and hope a fish bites it, right?

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3 Answers 3

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Alaska Department of fish and Game: Statewide Definitions

Bait means any substance applied to fishing gear for the purpose of attracting fish by scent, including fish eggs in any form, natural or preserved animal, fish, fish oil, shellfish, or insect parts, natural or processed vegetable matter, and natural or synthetic chemicals.

Or, in layman's terms, anything with a smell; also commonly called "attractants".

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  • Oh haha, very nice. I suppose I should have kept reading :-P
    – Freedom_Ben
    Sep 28, 2016 at 0:38
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Yes it means no bait as in absence of bait.

Single as apposed to double, triple, ... hooks

Fish will strike at lures / spinners. Especially if they don't have much experience with fisherman.

What is not clear is if artificial bait is OK (a rubber worm).

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A triple hook below would not be in compliance
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  • So would something like a "Rooster Tail" be ok? smile.amazon.com/Yakima-Bait-Wordens-Original-Rooster/dp/…
    – Freedom_Ben
    Sep 28, 2016 at 0:37
  • @Freedom_Ben No as that has three hooks. I am from Yakima.
    – paparazzo
    Sep 28, 2016 at 0:39
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    I often cut two of the hooks off a triple (when I have run out of singles or can't be bothered changing the hook), as where I live triples are all that are sold. My personal belief is triples are preferred by the retailers because they snag much easier and you are always having to buy new ones. They are much better at catching fingers, weeds, grass, branches, stones than fish than singles, but make little difference to number of fish landed actually landed as you spend all day getting them out of places fish hooks don't belong.
    – user5330
    Sep 28, 2016 at 3:48
  • Double/triple hooks vary by jurisdiction. Some define a single hook to be a hook with a single point, while others will define a manufactured multi-point hook as still being a single hook and not define it as two hooks unless they are separated. In catch and release or selective harvest areas, it is much easier on the fish if you assume single hook means one point though. As for rubber, that again depends on jurisdiction so go to that state for definition. Yellowstone for instance outlaws any soft material, but many jurisdictions will call rubber OK.
    – dlb
    Sep 28, 2016 at 13:55
  • @mattnz They are also preferred by fishermen, because they snag the fish a lot easier. However, they're no good for when you're doing catch and release, because they can tear a fish's face apart when you extract them. In the river where I grew up you aren't allowed barbed hooks either. Single hook, no bait, no barb.
    – ShemSeger
    Sep 28, 2016 at 20:10
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Usually, this means that the area is designated for fly fishing with single hook flies. This type of regulation is usually found in streams where the goal is catch and release fishing.

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  • Please expand your answer with explanations (e.g. what are single hook flies or catch and release fishing.
    – imsodin
    Jun 21, 2017 at 13:24

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