Draining bait bucket on leaving lake??

[BobT]

After all, finding ways to write up a citation is the CO's first priority. (sarcasm injected)

[LMITOUT]

I would still like some clarification on whether or not draining a bait container is required if fishing a lake that has invasive species other than spiny fleas or zebra mussels.

[paceman]

I know I am not going to take any chances. I am going to drain everything and I will change water after every outing if I have minnows or leeches. Not a big deal to me.

[Huskie]

Is there a list of which lakes are infested with the different invasive species? We are planning on hitting Winnie the 2nd week end, wondering if we have to dump the extra bait or bring additional water.

[MinDak Hunter]

"Is there a list of which lakes are infested with the different invasive species? We are planning on hitting Winnie the 2nd week end, wondering if we have to dump the extra bait or bring additional water."

Page 16 and 17 in the fishing regs...

[Rodbldr4fun]

Google search for MN DNR Infested Lakes. There is a downloadable PDF file you can link to. They also have it on their web site.

[TruthWalleyes]

When on lakes infested with something other than spiney or zebra, you do not have to drain bait containers. as i understood it when the law came out.

[Riprap]

Hi Guys/Gals,

Not to jump off of the bait bucket topic....

But my boat runs an I/O setup. What do I do with the engine block water? I usually flush when I get home, but the way I read I may need to drain before leaving the lake?? I also know that just by draining, not all of the water is out of the hoses.

[LMITOUT]

When on lakes infested with something other than spiney or zebra, you do not have to drain bait containers. as i understood it when the law came out.

Is that in the 2011 Fishing Regulations?

[fishgutz77]

I'm thinking about gulp, and other stuff alot lately. the ZX2050 has three livewells in it and now I have to carry a cooler with other water in it to keep my bait alive and convince the same agency that failed to protect our waters in the first place that my bait container is safe, Give me a break!

Next boat won't even have a plug or live wells just an auto bilge.

Sorry all you bait dealers, it's crawlers only from now on.

PS. where are the preventitive measures for bait companys that go from pond to stream, river to lake?

[kg2]

When on lakes infested with something other than spiney or zebra, you do not have to drain bait containers. as i understood it when the law came out.

My regulations booklet, and what I found online, do not differentiate between invasives. As I read it, you must swap water on your bait after leaving any lake with any invasive.

From page 12 of the regs:

"You must exchange water in bait buckets with tap or spring water prior to leaving any infested waterbody to prevent the spread of invasive or fish diseases."

What page does it refer to only spiny water fleas or zebra mussels? (I don't doubt that the regs would have contradictory information listed.)

[photocycle]

I'm assuming this rule only applies if you use the lake water for your bait fish? I usually leave the bait fish in the bucket with the water from the bait shop and keep it like that all day...

[LMITOUT]

What page does it refer to only spiny water fleas or zebra mussels?

That's the problem, it doesn't.

But the law does.

[TruthWalleyes]

Exactly...The law that will punish you with a fine states: draining only on zebra mussels and spiney water flee lakes... not on all infested waters.

The regulation book decided to change the law and put All Infested...insted of the two types of infested concerned by the actual law.

[BobT]

Quote:

keep my bait alive and convince the same agency that failed to protect our waters in the first place

You blame the DNR alone for this and at the same time complain about having to follow rules. What?

[Ed Carlson]

OK, we got the problem to deal with, it is here, and it bites...so...now what?

What would be a better answer to bait management systems in the field if we as anglers needed to redesign them to fit the new laws?

What would a new bait management and transport system require to be useful and effective, and compliant?

Water exchange is one, we got that, what else?

[PurpleFloyd]

The whole point of differentiating between infested waters, water brought from home or even a bait store is really moot IMHO.

Even if you brought a cooler filled with water from your homes tap you still can run the rick of cross contamination if you reach into the lake water with your hands to grab a fish and then reach into the bait bucket to grab another minnow unless there is some data that indicates spiny water fleas or zebra mussel larvae cannot be transferred on your hands from the water to the bait bucket it is a potential problem.

As a reference the Trochophore of a Zebra mussel is 80-100 microns which is in the ballpark of the diameter of a human hair. IMHO that is small enough to hitchhike on your hands.

[Shorelunch]

I was checked by the DNR on Lake Bemidji this weekend. I asked him a few questions on live bait on non-infested waters.

Per his response: I have a baitwell on my boat. I can keep the bait, but must take the minnows out of the baitwell and can transfer them to a pale of water. I can even take the water used for the pale out of the lake. This makes no sense to him either. However, per the law, he said, you can not keep water from a lake in your boat.

It was my understanding from him that if it was infested waters, I couldn't of used lake water in the pale I put the minnows.

[Rodbldr4fun]

It is easy to blame the big bad DNR. But, the simple fact is that zebra mussels and spiny water flees came into the state via the Great Lakes in ocean going ballast water quite a long time ago. That is an international issue, requiring vessels to clean their ballast before entering the Seaway.

The regulatory agency responsible for controlling something of this nature is the Pollution Control Agency. When the PCA adopted recent rules to control exotics in Lake Superior (the only lake they have authority over) they caught a bunch of legislative heat.

How do you propose to control all of the bait buckets in the state and from out of state? Do you propose to put an enforcement officer at each public landing? Given that they can't even fill all their positions that cover at least a county and often more, how do you propose to fund it? Remember, the Republicans have sworn no new taxes and they are attempting to dismantle regulatory agencies at this very moment.

Even if they have enough money to significantly increase enforcement (3, 4, 5 times more than now) how do you then handle all of the bait buckets and boats that are brought in at individual lake proprieties?

Have you considered that all of the boat trailers have openings that allow water to enter and stand? They aren't required to be cleaned because it is nearly impossible without major measures. The problem is larger than just fishermen; it is an issue of every boat that enters an infested lake and then go to another lake later without the trailer being decontaminated inside and out, including wheels and any other openings. The sad fact is that, without totally stopping use of our public waters or requiring decontamination of everything each time you enter a lake, exotics are going to be moved from one place to another. How do you propose to regulate, fund and gain political support to do something like that?