The baitfish primer

A guide to identifying and protecting Ontario's baitfishes

by Becky Cudmore and Nicolas E. Mandrak

Table of Contents

• Complete Text
• Introduction
• Acknowledgements
• Summary of legislation and regulations related to baitfishes
• Potential impacts of harvest and use of baitfishes
• Baitfish habitat
• Anatomical key
• Pictorial key of Ontario fish families
• Species accounts
  • Herrings
  • Carps and minnows
  • Suckers and redhorses
  • Mudminnows
  • Smelts
  • Salmon, trouts and whitefishes
  • New world silversides
  • Topminnows
  • Trout-perches
  • Sticklebacks
  • Sculpins
  • Perches and darters
  • Gobies
  • Crayfishes
• What you can do to minimize impacts to aquatic ecosystems
• Further reading
• Contacts

Further reading

• Boschung, H. T., J.D. Williams, D.W. Gotshall, D.K. Caldwell and M.C. Caldwell. 1989. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fishes, Whales, and Dolphins. Alfred A. Knopf, New York, NY
• Coad, B.W. 1995. Encyclopedia of Canadian Fishes. Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, ON and Canadian Sportfishing Productions Inc., Burlington, ON
• Holm, E., N. E. Mandrak and M. E. Burridge. 2010. The ROM Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Ontario. Royal Ontario Museum. 468 pp
• Lavett-Smith, C. 1994. Fish Watching: An Outdoor Guide to Freshwater Fishes. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, NY
• Lui, K., B. Butler, M. Allen, J. da Silva and B. Brownson. 2008. Field Guide to Aquatic Invasive Species. Queens Printer for Ontario. www.invadingspecies.com
• Moyle, P.B. 1993. Fish: An Enthusiast’s Guide. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA
• Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr. 2011. A Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes: North America North of Mexico. Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Co., New York, NY
• Scott, W.B. and E.J. Crossman. 1973. Freshwater Fishes of Canada. Bulletin of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 184. (1999 Reprint, Galt House Publications, Oakville, ON)
• DFO Publications: Projects Near Water, Measures to Avoid and Mitigate Harm, Information about Fish Species and Habitats and other DFO publications – www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca. Follow the links to Publications under “About Us”, Projects Near Water under “Ecosystems” and Fish Species Details under “Species”
• Bait Association of Ontario and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2005. The Comprehensive Bait Guide for Eastern Canada, the Great Lakes Region and Northeastern United States. University of Toronto Press. 437 pp
• Bait Association of Ontario and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. 2005. The Essential Bait Guide for Eastern Canada, the Great Lakes Region and Northeastern United States. University of Toronto Press. 193 pp