VHS: who's been checked?

[gair-z]

just curious if anybody has been checked by DEC for use of 'certified' minnows.  I just finished reading the thread titled, "what's everyones opinion on live bait rules" along with all the other threads in the past and it just seems odd, very odd that the DEC is throwing this around like a rag doll.  I could broaden my thoughts here but this post is to see how many fishermen have been checked and if they had their bait checked.   

please post if you've been checked AND if they've asked you about your bait!

thanks!
gairz
 

[oldken]

we were checked sunday on rollins pond. no mention of bait no checking.

[kayak2fish]

Sounds like a "don't ask, don't tell policy" as far as fishermen on the ice go.

[JJ]

There is no requirement for you to prove your bait has been certified, therefore there is no reason for an ECO to make sure you are using certified bait.  Bait shops are required to prove that they are selling certified bait.

[hali-man]

How could they prove that the minnows weren't tested?
It's one of those laws that can't be enforced on the ice, only in the bait shops.
And that's why it's going to spread...

[doctariAFC]

How could they prove that the minnows weren't tested?
It's one of those laws that can't be enforced on the ice, only in the bait shops.
And that's why it's going to spread...

That's about right.  Of course, if they do check your bait and you have a bucket of emerald shiners, and you're fishing an inland pond or lake that has no emeralds in it, you're screwed.

[Cook078]

I've been living under a rock for a while, and have no idea what VHS is or why they would check me!!  I know, I should look into it, but with what little I have heard, I went strait to my regulation book and found nothing in there, so I guess I'm ok!  Oh and I just bought the last 7 dozen fatheads at Gander Mtn. in Utica, and I did'nt see any "certified" signs anywhere!!

[JJ]

That's about right.  Of course, if they do check your bait and you have a bucket of emerald shiners, and you're fishing an inland pond or lake that has no emeralds in it, you're screwed.

No, you can still buy certified emeralds and fish with them in an inland lake or pond that doesn't contain them.

[doctariAFC]

You're on the Eastern side of NYS, right?  Here in WNY, the source of emeralds is Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.  I haven't been down to speak with Bill at Big Catch yet, but I will be heading to speak with him at some point this week.  Puts his costs out of whack (he is also a wholesaler) shuts down part of his revenue, and the 100 minnows per person limit will "not even cover his electric bill".

ENY has different conditions.  Gary Kozlowski of the NYS DEC mentioned that ENY and parts of CNY were already back in bait when I spoke to him on this issue in late December.  But, WNY will struggle (his words, not mine) for a while, until suppliers are lined up.  It just sucks because the bait shops around here also are wholesalers, and that is their bread and butter, allowing them to remain in business.  WNYers will be hurtiong for a while for bait.

[kirkwooders]

I spend a lot of time on the ice every year, and have never even seen an ECO.  I guess that I've just been lucky.   

I bought fat heads at Tell em Where Ya Got It Shop, in Wayland, this weekend and Shirley told me that I had better keep my receipt, with the bait shop stamp on it, with me on the ice because the DEC told her that they would be out checking.

And she told me that she wouldn't sell me more than a hundred at a time.  I usually buy them and keep them in a tank at home so that i don't have to stop at the bait shop on my way to the ice.  100 fat heads don't last long when the perch start to bite good.   

[doctariAFC]

I spend a lot of time on the ice every year, and have never even seen an ECO.  I guess that I've just been lucky.   

I bought fat heads at Tell em Where Ya Got It Shop, in Wayland, this weekend and Shirley told me that I had better keep my receipt, with the bait shop stamp on it, with me on the ice because the DEC told her that they would be out checking.

And she told me that she wouldn't sell me more than a hundred at a time.  I usually buy them and keep them in a tank at home so that i don't have to stop at the bait shop on my way to the ice.  100 fat heads don't last long when the perch start to bite good.   

Sounds about right.  Anglers can expect some serious enforcement efforts out on those lakes that are DEC "brood lakes", or lakes which are the source of brood stock for the state hatcheries.  As for smaller lakes and ponds, unknown as to enforcement efforts on these.  The benefit to enforcing these regs (I hesitate to call them laws, because right now they are not, they are emergency regs) is to the NYSDEC fish hatchery system, which is the number 1 identified pathway to potential infection of currently VHS - waters.  Once VHS, or any one of the 6 to 9 other pathogens now being screened for, gets into a hatchery, it is "dificult to eradicate", as per Paul McKeown.  As an example, he mentioned the Allgheny National Hatchery in PA, where IPN (I believe it was, "Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis") was discover a couple years ago, and it hasn't been in operation since.

[doctariAFC]

Correction to previous post.  Greg Kozlowski, not Gary.  I have Gary Barnhadt on the brain today...Sorry Greg.

[hunters08]

That's about right.  Of course, if they do check your bait and you have a bucket of emerald shiners, and you're fishing an inland pond or lake that has no emeralds in it, you're screwed.

I thought from all the posts that have been made about the subject,NO matter what you could use certified bait any where any time? So has this changed already??

[molsonport]

hunter, you can use any kind of bait on any body of water as long as you can prove that it is from a certified bait shop, you however can only use bait that you trapped on the body of water were you trapped it!! hope this helps. this was the way i read the new reg./law.

[hali-man]

hunter, you can use any kind of bait on any body of water as long as you can prove that it is from a certified bait shop, you however can only use bait that you trapped on the body of water were you trapped it!! hope this helps. this was the way i read the new reg./law.

How do they expect someone to prove that?
Whatever happened to "Innocent until proven guilty"?
Don't get me wrong- I'm all for stopping the spread of this new plague.
I'm just afraid it's too late and that there is no way to enforce it...
 

[molsonport]

How do they expect someone to prove that?
Whatever happened to "Innocent until proven guilty"?
Don't get me wrong- I'm all for stopping the spread of this new plague.
I'm just afraid it's too late and that there is no way to enforce it...
 

hali-man you are innocent until proven guilty, that will be up to the D.A./judge/jury after you go to court/pay a lawyer ect. just make sure you have a receipt  when the officer checks. i dont think this is one of BIG BROTHERS way of screwing the working man!! just trying to stop some s@@t form overseas.

[KingFisher1]

Fishermen are not required to have proof that their minnows are certified. You may be asked if they are, and where you got them, but it will not be necessary to show proof.

[molsonport]

kinkfisher, would you tell me where you read in the reg. that it states that you do not need some sort of proof that the fish health inspection report was completed on the bait that you have in your possession, when i go out i want to make sure that i have read this so i do not get the ticket. thanks

[KingFisher1]

I was talking to the region 9 office on the phone and the person I talked to(I did not get his name) told me that I would not need to show proof if I was approached on the ice by a game warden. I just had to tell him where I got the bait.

[rayban]

I'm a retailer, I must have certification for any baitfish I sell. You as a fisherman do not.  If you trap your own bait you must use the bait on the body of water you caught it from.  If they ask where you bought it tell them.  Your limited to having only a 100 baitfish but you don't have to have proof that it is certified.  Go to the DEC website and there are links on the home page for more information.

[molsonport]

kingfisher thanks for the info, i will make sure i get a receipt form the bait shop then, that way its on the bait shop not me. you might want to look at the sport fishing reg. section 10 for your own info i don't like taking info over the phone unless they can quote the law/reg. ect. the way i read this reg. is that you are in violation unless the report is accompanied with the bait. it does not state that this is for bait shops only. but that is just the way i read it. it also said that this reg. expires on 2-19-07

[gair-z]

here's the compilation so far..

guys that were checked but not checked for 'certified minnows'  -  2   

posts from guys that didn't stay on topic -  19   

anyody else been checked??  is this it?   2?   

I was talking to the region 9 office on the phone and the person I talked to(I did not get his name) told me that I would not need to show proof if I was approached on the ice by a game warden. I just had to tell him where I got the bait.

this was my point in a post started by youngster.  THIS!!  makes absolutely no sense. 

oops! sorry for getting off topic!  but some great info none-the-less!!

gair-z

[akdg]

I talked to a CO while I was fishing   I actually came off the ice to see him because he wasn't going to go out where I was.  We bs'ed for a few minutes and he went on his way.  Didn't check or ask about anything except for what I was catching

[TheManInBlack]

Regarding that 100 minnow limit.  What is you have mutliple people in your fishing party?  Is it 100 minnows per person, or per bait bucket?

[orangebucket]

Still selling bait by the pound up north they don't seem to care. I haven't died from eating fish yet and I eat a ton

[AugustWest]

All this nonsense talk is boring me...JUST FOLLOW THE RULES

I would love to think that some of us Shanty members have MORALS

Buy certified Bait...don't spread the disease...and be SAFE on the ice...end of story...THIS topic on THIS site is mundane

[gair-z]

All this nonsense talk is boring me...JUST FOLLOW THE RULES

I would love to think that some of us Shanty members have MORALS

Buy certified Bait...don't spread the disease...and be SAFE on the ice...end of story...THIS topic on THIS site is mundane

AW, if you read the subject it clearly states what THIS topic is about..  I just wanted to see how the DEC is coping with their situation.  I don't think that's mundane at all.  I agree, everybody should follow the rules.   sorry to hear about your buddy with the back injury..

gair-z

[JJ]

Still selling bait by the pound up north they don't seem to care. I haven't died from eating fish yet and I eat a ton

VHS won't kill you, just the fish, which makes them tough to catch.

[camo_fish]

AW, if you read the subject it clearly states what THIS topic is about.. 

Like NY'ers can just give a yes or no answer out there, there is always a story to go with it or ones that don't like it or just don't care.  Stay on topic, if we only talked about icefishing and openwater fishing, they won't need someone always reading tons of blah. 

All the bait stores I go to tell me that they are certifide and all you need to do is tell the DEC and make sure you don't have over 100 in 1 bucket or even have smelt. I've heard that it was going to be hard to keep track of and may not be retailed sold. But, that is another topic. But still about ice fishing, cause alot of people use smelt. 

  Fish On!

[PGKris]

How could they prove that the minnows weren't tested?
It's one of those laws that can't be enforced on the ice, only in the bait shops.
And that's why it's going to spread...

I got a stupid (thinking out of the box, outsider) idea.....why not just stop using minnows? I have a half-baked idea of what you're going through over there but it seems to me that if there is a disease that is threatening your fisheries (which IMO seem pretty good as far as diversity does) why not take the proactive approach and, as anglers and conservationists, stop using live minnows entirely?
Is it really that hard to catch fish in NY without using minnows?