Transporting bait question

[Huskie]

This has probably been answered before but..... Can you transport minnows from the bait dealer to the landing/lake in water in your minnow bucket or do you need to keep them in the oxygenated bag? Can the bucket then be in your boat or car legally? Or is it just illegal to leave the landing/lake with water in your minnow bucket?

[yonk]

This has probably been answered before but..... Can you transport minnows from the bait dealer to the landing/lake in water in your minnow bucket or do you need to keep them in the oxygenated bag? Can the bucket then be in your boat or car legally? Or is it just illegal to leave the landing/lake with water in your minnow bucket?

You can transport in minnow bucket from dealer or your own bait holding tank. Though when leaving the lake landing you must replace the water in your bait container with tap water or bottled water if you intend to save your bait.

I can see it now landings littered with plastic bottles and jugs

I sell bait water at a low affordable rate shipping fees may apply. I will throw in an AIS sticker at no charge.

[Hawg]

The water just can't be from another lake.

[Huskie]

We will be fishing on a well known walleye lake, usually pick up 4 or 5 dozen shiners for the afternoon. When we leave the lake, I'll have an old cooler with water and ice to switch the minnows into at the landing before we leave. We will be driving a mile to a private cabin, on the same lake, putting the minnows back in the minnow bucket and tie it to the dock overnight. (the water there is too shallow fot a boatlift or to leave the boat there overnight) In the morning can I transport the minnows in that bucket with water from the same lake back to the landing legally? Or do I need to use the cooler again?

[Lund79]

You would not be able to take the minnows in that bucket with the lake water since you will be removing the bait into your boat and then driving to the landing area.

Even though the water is from the same lake you would be hard pressed explaining that to a CO. Not worth the risk IMHO.

Personally, if it's from the same lake I do not see a problem with your scenario.

My .02 cents worth.

[Grum]

Huskie, if the water is deep enough for you to make it to the dock, I would stop there before you pull your boat out and drop off your bait and bucket so there is no bait or water with you at the landing. Then next day put the boat in first and then go pick up your bait at the dock. No bait, no water, no hassle.

[Huskie]

Lund and Grum: Sounds like a law firm, anyway I think you guys are both right, no sense in taking a chance. I'm sure the CO's have heard a lot of excuses over the years, even if they are true. It's too bad you can't use the honor system, but that's why we have all of these reg's in place, because it would open up a can of worms or in this case a bucket of shiners!!!!

[Huskie]

Just finished up reading one of the guides' newsletters and was wondering about transporting leeches. Do you need to transfer leeches into another container before you leave the landing? I would imagine you do, might have to search the garage for one of my old leech lockers!!