New Bait bucket and boat sticker laws to take effect (AIS)

[Knoc]

We gonna have to start washing lures between lakes too? Im all for keeping the water clean and "unfested" but this bait this is going to cause more problems than good I think. If people actually do this, the landings are going to reak. You know dang well that alot of people are going to dump their buckets on the shores of the landings or in the lake. (even though your not suppose to).

[panfishpounder00]

here's the issue... the average weekend warrior/ joe angler doesnt read the fishing/boating reg book!! it's the law abiding self employed guides, resorts,bait stores,ect,ect... that really know the laws!! i see on a daily basis, plugs not pulled leaving ramps, bait buckets not drained/changed and bait released at the landing!the mindset now is" well, it's here, oh well.. i caught some fish anyways" with no thought of OUR future gens. whatever happened to the saying" we are merely borrowing this land from our kids and grandkids?" big deal on a simple sticker! if your actually worried bout that $30,000 Ranger,lund,or crestliner's "look" GET A LIFE! as far as the taxpayer money goes... again, big deal! look at this ridiculous war that has cost us over 300 billion dollars!! when there are bigger fish to fry sorta speak at home!! i get the "stuffed shirt" routine! is it a ridculus law.. yes, the CO'S will not be able to tell if the water has been changed, but if its law, why not just follow it, instead of biotch about it? we need to have a mindset of "it's here, let's try our best to contain it, and set some sort of laws to enforce the spread any further!" inconvenience? YES!, but oh well, life is full of those!! deal with it people! follow the dang laws and have fun in a hobby...or livlyhood like me, and shut the hell up!! my 2cents!! i would be more than willing to do whatever it is the DNR or "stuffed shirts" require and pay for it! but a vikings stadium?..... anyways, whole other issue! too many stupid things to rant about that is way less important than our natural resources!

[DTro]

Steve, I agree that we need to protect our waters and fishery, but at what cost?

I sure don't have a Ranger, and I would bet that my boat is worth less the electronics on most boats, but what people have to realize is that not everyone fishes the same way.

As a Catfisherman, good fresh live bait is my life blood. I don't have the option to use plastics, or crankbaits, or whatever....well I guess I do, but all efforts would be futile.

Sure, we make up a very small portion of the state fishermen and laws shouldn't be applied to a specific target species, but there is no way I'm going to sit back and watch laws reach the point of us not being able to use live bait at all...and that is the direction this whole thing is headed.

In the past several months a handful of us have been involved in a Catfish workshop with the DNR, and out of all the issues we could have went after, these bait restrictions by far was the BIGGEST issue we are faced with. We are well aware that we are probably psssing into the wind and most likely won't get anywhere with it...BUT at least we can say that we made a stand for what we believe in.

[reinhard1]

i agree with your post. We have enough laws on this [exotic species] as it is. i've been doing most of the things in the laws before they became laws [like pulling the plug for example]. just makes sense. this bait bucket law in my opinion will create less sales for bait shops who depend on fishermen for their livelyhood. what is realy left for this exotic species new law syndrome anyway?

let's get real here. if you want it stopped you can do two things. close all boat landings or install complete washing facilities at each boat landing and personel to observe and enforce and inspect each boat prior to landing and after cleaning. that is the only way.

we are now in a containment mode. there will be the people who disregard any law passed and very few CO's to patrol every boat landing in the state. this bait bucket rule was so blatently foolish in my opinion because it does nothing. will every person who decides to keep their bait take it home properly using fresh water from home [at a different temperature than what the bait is used to from the lake] or will some just not waste their time and dump them on the side of the landing instead of bringing them home for disposal?

this has been brought up before, but there still will be water in the boat regardless of pulling the plug. how many of us wash the boat out before heading out again? i do [i have a power washer] mainly because i want to keep it clean [attracts less bugs too]. anyway, most of us respect our waters and our laws. good luck.

[DTro]

Yes, and for me there is also the financial aspect to it as well. If I'm buying my bait at a bait store (which I will basically be forced to do now). When I get off the water and dump my bait, I'm not tossing a $4.00 scoop of fatheads, it's a cooler full of large sucker minnows or bullheads. At $2-$4/per bait....and fishing 5 nights a week.....do the math.

[jalberg]

What's the story behind the Christmas Lake "Public" boat launch? What I heard is that it's now gated and you have to go to Lake Minnewashta to get your boat inspected. Once inspected you get a code that will allow you to open the gate to the Christmas Lake launch. Is this the future?

[TruthWalleyes]

Did the state give up on the sticker?

[TonkaBass]

All the lakes will get invasive species. period... There is no way to stop it. Does anyone know how long a Zebra mussel Larvae can survive out of water??? They are about the size of a mosquito larvae and can survive 14 days out of water. They float freely through the water column before they turn into mussels. Good luck! Leave it to the birds, all lakes will be infested.