It is state code so it is hard to say exactly why, but I bet that the following:
2. Persons independently harvesting and selling, trading, or bartering no more than three gallons of minnows per day who are not part of, hired by, or engaged in a continuing business enterprise.
Was put in to cover your basic teenager catching bait and selling it at the dock as a hobby.
Just get some "Made In China" Minnows, much cheaper $1.00 a dozen, but they have been know to be missing fins, eyes and some don't have heads :) At the outrageous price of $2.50, I bet they outsource all bait catching this yr to foreign countries,lol...