Are you pulling my Leg!!!!

[Sybar]

so what is the deal with Shiners this year...went to the bait store yesterday and no shiners...was told no shiners for the rest of the season...whats the story or is my leg being pulled!!??

[CARVER_COUNTRY]

This happened last year too. I would also like to know the real reason behind this. Hear its along the lines of tranportaion of the bait. Most of the shinners used to come from out of state and now they declined that i believe

[BlueLundFishrman]

cannot import shiners from other states due to vhs

[mrfish1991]

I didnt kno you could ban bait because of old-school tapes?!

Sorry...just had to throw that in there

[pikedreams]

It seems to depend on where in the state your located and who the wholesaler is in that area. We went through this last year in the Metro too and now again this year. The fact is in previous years most of the shiners we got here in the Metro came from Arkansas, at least the large ones were. And apparently there's issues with transporting across state lines and such that it's just not worth the hassle or risk.

It really sucks that we have such a large market here for bait and yet we're limited to such a narrow selection. I'm jelous of the guys up north, I'd love to buy a bucket of redtails or creek chubs or any one of a number of baits they have availible that we'll never see.

Start using more artificials I guess.

[Sybar]

well we are at Blue Ray technology right now and believe it or not i just heard on the news a month or so ago that the last vhs tapes have been manufactured...not sure who the last company was but they shut down...

seriouly though it must be some kind of disease...that sucks...i love hunting down the pike and shiners are the bait i prefer to use!! oh well onto the suckers...

[Sybar]

It seems to depend on where in the state your located and who the wholesaler is in that area. We went through this last year in the Metro too and now again this year. The fact is in previous years most of the shiners we got here in the Metro came from Arkansas, at least the large ones were. And apparently there's issues with transporting across state lines and such that it's just not worth the hassle or risk.

It really sucks that we have such a large market here for bait and yet we're limited to such a narrow selection. I'm jelous of the guys up north, I'd love to buy a bucket of redtails or creek chubs or any one of a number of baits they have availible that we'll never see.

Start using more artificials I guess.

how far north are we talking about...like millacs north or LOW north?

theres a couple lakes up north that I wouldnt mind hitting but i aint traveling that far just to throw a chub on...imo

[croixflats]

I get them over here on the east side. Nice healthy ones too. Ofcourse I have to jump the river to Hudson Wisconsin.

[Sybar]

I get them over here on the east side. Nice healthy ones too. Ofcourse I have to jump the river to Hudson Wisconsin.

interesting...

if you get caught having them in mn by the dnr...would there be consequences?

[pikedreams]

Hey Croixflats,

I get over that way a few times, what's the name of the baitshop where you're getting them? Next time I'm over there I'll stop in and have some bagged up. Do they have mousies as well?

[fish with teeth]

i got shiners today in forest lake. dont think i can say the name but check hwy 8

[Fatboy216864]

Up in Alex we have them, they are looking nice but they don't last long once you try to keep them for a week or so

[goose89]

i got shiners today in forest lake. dont think i can say the name but check hwy 8

I get confused whether you can say a businesse's name here also, unless they are a sponsor,

of course. I know there's a baitshop in Alexandria Forum that still has shiner's and will

throughout the season according to the owner. He advertises the his business name and

directions to his place, oh, every couple of days or so and is not a sponsor that I know

of. Good Luck.

[MNice]

This is what is posted on Lundeens HSOforum.

...(1-15-09) Last week I said I'd write more about the "shiner shortage" soon - I'll try to shed some light on that situation here. Over the past few years, the bait business has changed drastically. The statewide supply of bait as we used to know it is no longer adequate to satisfy the jewel of Minnesota's tourism business - fishing. We can attribute the drop in supply to a number of sources including sprawling residential areas impacting and often eliminating the minnow ponds, loss of ponds due to special interests like the duck habitat restoration efforts in western Minnesota, access restrictions by landowners and the Mn. DNR, and to a certain extent the low water levels (climate) and significant snowfalls resulting in "freeze-out". The DNR has a "lock" on the borders of Minnesota that prevent bait from entering from other states - an alternative (importing) that isn't currently available. The shiner shortage is/was the first to hit, although the state's fathead/crappie minnow supply is close behind. Why are the borders closed? Good question. As I understand it, Minnesota fish growers (including the Mn. DNR) can import these same minnows to use as food for walleye stock. These walleye can then be commissioned by the local sportsman's club (or the DNR) and released into Minnesota waters for recreational angling. The origin of these shiners can be traced back to northwestern Minnesota, when they were exported to the southern United States where they enjoy a longer (and more rapid) growing season. These southern facilities face rigid testing criteria in order to keep their rating. There is no room for disease or exotic species to enter the equation... or the facility could be quarantined and loose their fish farm status and ability to export for up to 5 years... pretty good incentive to keep things on the up and up. The minnows can leave these facilities with the disease-free testing and documentation to satisfy the State where they will be delivered to. So why won't the Minnesota DNR allow these minnows in to the bait wholesalers to keep the fishing/recreation/tourism business alive? Is the economy not tough enough that we have to watch another industry struggle or maybe even collapse? I don't normally like to encourage political action - I think people should be able to tell on their own when a subject needs their action BUT... if you like to fish in Minnesota - Mille Lacs, Leech, Minnetonka, summer/winter, serious or recreational this needs your attention. Many folks around the state experienced empty shiner tanks when they went to their favorite bait shop last weekend - some haven't had any all season so far. The fishing industry needs the State to open the border to "tested, certified disease and exotic free minnows". What can you, as an angler do? You can help by IMMEDIATELY emailing or calling the following people: your State Senator and State Representative, Commissioner of Natural Resources Mark Holsten, Senator Satveer Chaudhary (head of the Environmental and Natural Resources Committee), Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson-Kelliher and Governor Pawlenty. Their contact info can be found on the State of Minnesota HSOforum . Tell them you like to fish. Then ask them, If we don't have an adequate indigenous supply of bait to service the hundreds of thousands of anglers that spend many millions of dollars in Minnesota, why don't we have reasonable access to allow the importation of certified baitfish? Finally, ask them for a response... you deserve it - they're supposed to work for you. Again - this isn't a "Lundeen's Tackle Castle" or a "Mille Lacs" problem... this is a "Minnesota" problem.

[ROOOOSTERFISH]

I called the bait store by Turtles and they have them as of last week.

I would try that before chub minnows. I have had no luck with chub minnows but I have had no luck with anything else either. Must be the fisherman!

Good Luck Fishing

[Sir_Jonny_Fishalot]

You can always run over to Wisconsin to get big shiners. No, it's not illegal for an individual to bring some over to fish with. They just can't be imported by the bait shops over here and sold.

Mike's Bait in Forest Lake has been getting some really nice shiners. He sells out quick though, so you might want to call ahead.

[Ed Carlson]

There are regulation in effect on interstate transport of bait for reasons of controlling diseases and ND, SD, and MN are slamming the borders shut to protect our fisheries.

So, check before bring in bait from another state, you may need documentation and proof of point of sale with you at all times or you may be in violation.

Added problems with deep snow has made in-state trapping difficult, so a shortage is the result.

[Jeremy airjer W]

If you have had a good experience with a business or product your are more than welcome to share it. If they are not a sponsor of this site than please do not include contact info for that business/ product. For example I get bait at Northwoods archery and bait in Newport all the time. They are not a sponsor so I won't list a phone number, address, or web link. It is perfectly o.k. to tell us where you get bait.

Real Fishing Outfitters (formerly known as Reel Fishing and Tackle) down in Madison Lake is a sponsor. So we can give out contact info including phone numbers, web link, etc. They are down in Madison Lake. I have stopped in there a few times and have never been disappointed. If you need bait or have bait questions down in south central MN than give them a call 507-243-3388.

[carpmanjake]

Up in Alex we have them, they are looking nice but they don't last long once you try to keep them for a week or so

i got mine from fleet farm early in december. i got a 10 dozen of em. i keep them in a big garbage container with an aerator.

i often catch my own shiners on lake le hommedieu during the summer. mainly in the passage between le hommedieu and geneva. i use a size 22 hook wrapped with read thread, on my fly rod. i often catch 100 golden, and common shiners a day. i sometimes get chubs and sucker minnows. after i catch them i put them into the garbage can for keeping. and since they are native to the lake the react naturally when i fish them in the summer and winter.

and i keep them through out the entire winter. in some cases even into the summer. if you take care of them they will last a while.

if some die i put them in a plastic bag filled with salt to preserve them for catching catfish and bowfin.

i have been doing this for years and i keep catching fish even when the bait shops run out of shinesr =D

[blackdog1101]

There is no "importing" of live minnows from other states due to VHS - Viral Hemorragic Septicemia. It is a water borne virus which can cause fish to bleed to death through internal and external lesions. It can wipe out entire fisheries. The muskie fishery on Lake St. Claire has crashed due to VHS.

Lundeens may be correct that there are laws in place about controlling disease and exotics, but we can all see from the Silver Carp now as far north as Lake Pepin and the Chicago River as to how well these risks have been managed by out-of-state fish farms. I hardly think that the reduced availability of shiners is a good reason to put our fisheries at risk. How good would the fishing tourism be if, for example, VHS got into LOW or Mille Lacs?

Here is a link for a .PDF file from the MN DNR HSOforum about VHS:

http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/animals/fish/vhs_brochure.pdf

Here is a walleye with a bad case of VHS.

[Sybar]

wow!

yes that would suck to spread that disease!

[Sybar]

There are regulation in effect on interstate transport of bait for reasons of controlling diseases and ND, SD, and MN are slamming the borders shut to protect our fisheries.

So, check before bring in bait from another state, you may need documentation and proof of point of sale with you at all times or you may be in violation.

I agree but where would you check?

[croixflats]

Hey Croixflats,

I get over that way a few times, what's the name of the baitshop where you're getting them? Next time I'm over there I'll stop in and have some bagged up. Do they have mousies as well?

Sorry I didnt get back to you last night,

The shinners and fatheads I get come from the Hudson Holliday gas station as you come in to downtown Hudson on the south side across from the Dairy Queen. Its self serve and they are priced really well. There bait last a long tim also. I dought they have mousies being its a small gas station.

[mn_bowhunter]

It says right in the regs that importing live minnows into MN for use as bait is illegal. It's on page 11.

[croixflats]

I fish the St.Croix, boarder water, so I' I'll be ok using them but I get where your going with that.