New Rules

[Icefreak88]

I was just wondering what people think of the new Vermont Fish and Wildlife regulations on buying baitfish. Below you will find a the rules i got from the fish and wildlife site...read them and post your thoughts on how you feel.



Where can I find sources for approved baitfish for personal use?
The Department maintains a list of baitshops around the state that are authorized to sell baitfish. You can view this list by clicking here.


Why can't I use baitfish in the same waters where I catch them?
We are still in the initial phases of understanding the VHS virus and how it may fully impact fish populations in the long term. Until more is known, it is important to be as conservative as possible with regulations that apply to baitfish use. When checking anglers, it is impossible for Vermont game wardens to determine if baitfish in their possession truly came from the water on which they are fishing, or may have been illegally caught and moved to that water from somewhere else. To eliminate that uncertainty at this time, wild baitfish cannot be harvested in Vermont. The only exception to this is yellow perch and rainbow smelt. Anglers may harvest these fish species by hook and line, and use them for bait on the same waterbody. These fish cannot be transported from those waters where caught.


Why do I need to carry a sales receipt for my baitfish purchase?
Your sales receipt proves that the baitfish in your possession were legally obtained from an Department-authorized baitshop and not from the wild.


Why is my baitfish sales receipt valid for only 48 hours?
A baitfish sales receipt is valid for 48 hours to reduce the risk of people using baitfish in multiple waters. Since we do not know with 100% certainty whether the VHS virus is already in Vermont or not, 48 hours was judged to be adequate to give people enough time to use purchased baitfish, providing the use of the bait is limited to the waterbody designated on the sales receipt.


Can I take my baitfish home with me at the end of my fishing day?
No. Once you have used your baitfish on any waterbody, it cannot be transported alive from that waterbody, and must be properly disposed of. The VHS virus may be in waters for one year or more before being detected, and baitfish used in one waterbody may be exposed to the VHS virus, if it is present. If those baitfish are then taken to another waterbody it may spread the virus to new waters.


What do I do with my unused left over baitfish?
Leftover baitfish should never be released or dumped (live or dead) into waterbodies. You should always dispose of your baitfish and bait bucket water on land or in the trash. This will help reduce not only the risk of fish diseases like VHS, but other aquatic invasive species such as zebra mussels, spiny waterflea, Eurasian watermilfoil etc..


Can I use frozen baitfish from the wild?
No. Wild baitfish cannot be collected and used as bait. The VHS virus is not always killed by freezing.

[Fish Farmer]

Some of these rules are still being tweeked. I was talking with a game warden yesterday about the laws regarding disposal. We both have the written 2008 lawbook.

We brought up, what to do with your dead bait at the end of the day? legally you can't dump it down the hole(2007 law book), can't dump it on the ice(considered trash?), can't dump it in the access area. Apparently on the receipt that anglers will get, says to bring the dead bait off the ice and dispose of it in the trash, which I guess would be legal if it is dead, but may still be considered illegal if you are transporting it off the waterbody.

We heard that Tom Jones(VT F&W Fish Health Biologist) has recently said that dumping it down the hole would be fine, considering it is CERTIFIED DISEASE FREE.

You CAN have live boxes for smelt and yellow perch provided they are caught in the same water and should be ok if you keep you bait for 48 hours in a live box/bucket on the ice where you will be using that bait.

[Bailbuster]

Dump it in the wardens front seat.

[TRT]

We may be fortunate that the state biologists have decided on a plan rather than
letting this virus kill off our lakes. yes the new regs are a hassle. Yes catching smelt
on one lake to use on another is now illegal but WE ARE PRESERVING THE FISHERY.
Lets face it we are lucky to have some real quality fishing. I will be abiding by
the new regs an hope the true sportsmen/sportswomen out there will see the big
picture. 

[Bailbuster]

I am sure we all can see the Big Picture and it is Lake Champlain it will have VHS sooner or later.That where the problem lies that is where they should focus the attention .Treat the lake and its tribs accordingly.Limit bait else where as certified only , but if I fish Seymour today let me take the same bait to Echo the next day.If I catch smelt up at the Twins let me drive to South bay and use it for bait.A little common sense should come into play.Nobody wants VHS.BB

[vttrapper]

These new bait regulations have to be one the worst things the fish and wildlife dept. has ever done. Now everyone will be using bait brought in from another place, probally from an out of state hatchery of some type. Not every bait fish is going to be tested, they are only making the problem worse. Eventually some "certified" bait is going to be the pandora's box. I say we all make a huge bait dump on the state house lawn in protest.

[whitetail05401]

Thats the part that really messes me up how the bait can be OK one day but not the next day or even at a diffrent place. I love to fish and do most weekend all weekend and to have to keep buying new bait every time i get off the ice is bullcrap. before I was all for this and the more I think about it the more it pisses me off. You know the 48 hour deal is a good way to go but dint limit locations. If the bait at the time I buy it is OK for the lake  then why the hell is it not OK for the ponds. If you are a champlain dealer your bait is good for the hole state so why cant we go from lake to pond??? So I buy  pike and perch bait and the fish are not biting so dump the bait and go buy more bait and try some other place. I mean come on. Lets just keep dumping bait like thats not going to spread anything. oh ya and the price of bait is gone way up to because of this crap......Jim s

[Fish Farmer]

Assume that Champlain already has VHS, it will probably take a couple of years for it to show up. That is one reason for having this reg. VHS may be in other inland waterbodies as well, therefore to limit the potential spread, certified bait only and no removal of bait from those waters.

Why? How many folks keep their minnows tempered/alive by adding lake water to their bucket? Did everyone raise their hand? Ok now take that water/bait to another pond to fish. What ever is in that water could get spread to that lake.

Has anyone ever seen that slimy "fungus" on Champlain smelt? Has anyone ever seen it on inland smelt? I have talked to many people who have fished Lake Dunmore over the years and everyone seems to believe that this "fungus" has shown up on Dunmore smelt because of folks taking Champlain smelt and using them on Dunmore, putting them in their bait boxes, releasing them, etc.

[Vt Piker]

Be careful with this, I spoke with Tom Jones twice last week by phone and one of the topics we touched upon was bait disposal, and as of thursday 12/27 dumping "certified" bait down the hole was unacceptable. Also, what someone heard from someone else doesn't mean squat to the Wardens. They will go by the reg to the letter. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
           Oh well, that's my $.02.
                                           Tight lines

[icebunny21]

I do not know what rules you might think are correct.  If you read the regs on the internet, it says to dump the bait on the shore.  If you have been fishing yet this year, you would see that according to the receipt, the bait can not be dumped on the shore.  Which is it?  I personally talked to Tom Jones, who in fact is one of the top people regarding the baitfish matter, and he told me to tell everyone to dump their bait on the ice and let the birds eat them.  If you would like to go into greater detail on the new regs, I would love to, because this affects every minute of my day.  I am not saying I am an expert, but my life revovles around the new rules, and I would like to think that I have a grasp on what is going on.  I have the game wardens in our area telling people to contact me for the regs because they do not know much about them.  I am from the Rutland area by the way.

[andy VT]

well spoken icebunny

[whitetail05401]

I was just reading another site for icefishing an a fellow fisherman email Col Rooks ( Head of State Game). there is an email from him and like the other guy said print this email and take it with you so there is no problem with used bait the final word was to put it on the ice not down the hole not on shore in a trash can. Diffrent wardens say diffrent things so if you have this there can be no problem I will have it thats for sure....Jim s

[Fish Farmer]

Then I must be misinformed. The game warden I talked with said he had talked to Tom Jones and it was acceptable to dump certified bait down the hole. So the real letter of the law is on the website and not in the published book. I hope there will be flexibility with the law since I know of many anglers who don't have access to the internet and will only go by what it says in the book or on the receipt.

[whitetail05401]

I understan Im just relaying what I saw thats all...jim s

[Pike Dude]

All I want to know is, If you can jig up smelt, and perch for use in the same lake from which you jigged them, then why can't you jig up golden shiners or a fricken blue gill for use as bait on that same lake, that same day? What's the difference? As far as I can see there is none.

[whitetail05401]

I agree but who am I. It all will be clear in Febuary. They dont want to spread crap in the lake but we can only use bait from out of state??jim s

[Bailbuster]

Joined: 24 Jan 2007
Posts: 47
Location: Vermont
 Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 11:23 am    Post subject: Legal baitfish disposal   

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I sent an email to Col Rooks who is the head of the State Game wardens on how to legally dispose of baitfish and here is his reply. I would reccommend that you print a copy of it and take it with you on the ice just in case another game warden interprets the law differently you will have proof in hand.

Dear Sir,

As you may be aware the bait fish regulation is an "Emergency Rule" that has been quickly implemented due to the urgency of the VHS disease threat. This rule will expire in Feb. and will be subject to revision and will likely change after public input this winter.

However, in the meantime you may dispose of your baitfish by leaving the bait fish on the ice, we prefer that you not throw them alive into the water but leave them on the ice.

I can assure you that nobody will be issued a ticket for disposing of baitfish in this manner while the emergency rule is in effect, the ticket you are referring to would have involved a fisherman leaving game fish on the ice not bait fish.


R.Rooks

Col. Robert J. Rooks
Vt. Fish & Wildlife
Director of Law enforcement
802-241-3727


This is the post from the other site ,It was not sent to me I just copied and posted it here for all to see.BB
 

[whitetail05401]

thank you I tried to post it here from there but could not its good you did.....jim s