ND bans live bait transport into state

[Guest]

FYI - The State of North Dakota has banned the importation of live bait into the state unless you have a vendors license.

This means that you cannot bring in your own minnows, leeches, crawlers, frogs or whatever into the state. You must purchase all your live bait here.

The State outlawed most of the good minnow species a couple of years ago. Those golden and rainbow shiners have got to stay home, We can't use them here either, just fatheads and creekchubs.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

so how does this apply to those of us that fish the red river and buy our bait on the way to the river from MN?

as i usually buy my live bait in east grand forks and then drive across the river and fish the ND side of the red.

Monty

[Guest]

Technically that would be a violation. The law doesn't say how far from the border the transportation comes from. If you launch in ND, you'd have to buy your live bait in ND I would think. Do the Fish and Game cops make you have an ND license if you launch in ND to fish the Red? If so I would believe they would enforce it the same.

Part of the reason for the ban has to do with the introduction of exotic species both fish and plant-life into state waters along with diseases and other stuff.

This has nothing to do with the ban as far as I know but....Living in the Devils Lake drainage basin we deal with a flood on a daily basis and want to build a controlled outlet from the lake to stabilize the elevation. We get a lot of heat from Canada and Minnesota about ND releasing poor quality Devils Lake water and undesirable aquaitic life forms that are "foreign" to the Red River and the Hudson Bay. Releasing our water onto those downsteam folks in their eyes will cause severe damage to them and their resources. Folks from Grand Forks and Fargo can sympathize with our problem but our flood is not going away. If we do not get a controlled outlet those downstream interests will get our water one night as Devils Lake goes down 10 plus feet in big roar as the channel erodes to the Sheyenne River. More than likely it will be during an already high water event on the Red and Sheyenne Rivers.

I only offer this little tid bit to maybe enlighten some who visit this forum to our plight here and some of the politics involved. It doesn't have anything to do with the topic. I was just ranting since the topic brought up the point to me through the backdoor. I might start a topic on this soon.

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[This message has been edited by kevin neve (edited 05-08-2002).]

[fiskyknut]

That is a real messy can'o'worms, for sure.

Regards....Fisky

[Guest]

thank you Kevin for the heads up on this one...and thanx for your response. not what i wanted to hear, but that is life i guess.

i so agree with fisky though. this is definitely a messy can of worms.

i do not have a boat so i shore fish wherever i go. not that this is gonna make a difference in this. just clarifying things.

i guess i will have to see where in GF i can get bait from when i go fishin on the red. where we stopped in EGF was along the way. no need to go out of the way. the first one that comes to mind in GF is a little out of the way but not more than a mile or so. if this saves me a fine or loss of equipment then so be it.

thanx again
Monty

[Guest]

Not that I am saying it is OK to break a law, but one would think that some reason would be applied in situations like border waters.

What if you bought your bait on Friday in ND, returned to MN for the evening and went back to ND on Saturday with live bait purchased in ND. Should you keep your receipt?

I would be more concerned with possessing legal bait species while in ND.

How about this...I lived in ND but fished exclusively in SD. (Lake Oahe and Mobridge SD). I transported fish and bait across state lines hundreds of times and did not purchase a ND license. Was I in violation of ND laws because I possessed walleyes in ND without a valid license?

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Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND

[Guest]

i was thinkin the same thing Kevin in regards to border water.

i wonder....would it be possible to get ahold of someone to get some clarification on this?

Monty

[Guest]

It is perfectly legal to transport your catches from other states on the most direct route to your house. This means no stopping at any home town lakes or rivers.

[Guest]

Yer right Basshunter, as long as you don't mess around on the way home you should be OK.

But in the case of over zealous game officers and I also that I had to potentially deal with tribal game officers the situation could possibly become quit goofy in a hurry. I didn't posses a ND license or a tribal license, both of which I didn't need but...

How about transporting fish across state lines with different daily limits.

------------------
Kevin Neve's Devils Lake Guide Service
fishingminnesota.com/kevin-neve-guiding/
e-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 701-473-5411 or 701-351-4989
Minnewaukan ND