Minnow Receipt Wanted to be seen by DNR

[drolrevo]

Just wanted to know if anyone else has been out ice fishing and been asked for their minnow receipt by the DNR. Thought i was weird because its not in the Book... HE said we could get a ticket but he had no proof.. If your going to make up rules as you go, make sure its at least in the book and fishermen know what the changes are.

[pikefishmen]

it is on there website

[drolrevo]

Ya but even if its on the site, it doesn't help those who dont have a computer.. They really need to include it in the book.. say someone were to get a ticket, it would easily be fought. Right??? 

[pikefishmen]

 you should know the laws. not knowing is not going to work for you. the bait stop go to should have give you a reciept

[Bajafishboy]

I have no problem having a reciept. But what are they looking for? Can I buy bait in Dundee and use  3 or 4 hours drive a way?
How do they know where the bait came from that I bought? Who knows where the place I bought it from got it?
What if I catch my own and bring it? How do they know if I caught it at the lake I'm fishing or somewhere else?
Just want to stay out of trouble!

[drolrevo]

Ok, The dnr officer said that you have to have a receipt on you for minnows that you bought. They know where the bait comes from by looking at the receipt and seeing in what town you got the minnows. Apparently you cant just catch your own.. We really need to know the specifics on this and thats why i posted this to see what others thought of it.

[Higgins]

Ok, The dnr officer said that you have to have a receipt on you for minnows that you bought. They know where the bait comes from by looking at the receipt and seeing in what town you got the minnows. Apparently you cant just catch your own.. We really need to know the specifics on this and thats why i posted this to see what others thought of it.

I heard that they are doing it because of VHS and the places that give you the receipt have had their minnows tested.Thats what I heard any ways.But I totaly agree that they need to put it in the book because its not our job to go through every thing the dnr touches, its their job to make it avalibale to every one not just those who have computers. Thats why every place that sells licences has all of the booklets.

[pikefishmen]

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/angler-fact-sheet_200399_7.pdf

[Bajafishboy]

I understand they are trying to keep from putting dieased bait in lakes, I agree. So if I have a reciept, that means the minnows have been tested and all is well? As long as I have a reciept, it doesn't matter if I buy them 4 hours from where I use them? Thx

[drolrevo]

Ya exactly, and the funny thing is, the place we bought the minnows from never said anything about the minnows and didn't even give us a receipt so they really need to get things together. Baja, the officer was saying as long as you have the receipt from a bait shop in the county or something but i think you should be fine.

[Bajafishboy]

Cool. I knew about the reciept thing but I wasn't sure about how far i could transport the bait. Allot of times I buy bait the night before and the next morning leave at 3am and drive 3 or 4 hours away where I use them. The way I see it, as long as I have a reciept, should be no problem.

[drolrevo]

i think your right, and if your not, they cant exactly do anything.. He told us that he had no proof of where we got them so he couldn't do anything... Its just WeIrD

[dvsbruce]

I've bought bait at three different bait shops this year and they all had the new law posted and were nice enough to explain the new law to me. Otherwise I would have known nothing about it either.

[drolrevo]

That is really crazy and good. I wish we would have been told all about it but NOPE... Seems Fishy to me ha ha

[craig mack]

I've bought bait at three different bait shops this year and they all had the new law posted and were nice enough to explain the new law to me. Otherwise I would have known nothing about it either.

Same here.

[fishinfool96]

Everyone that can needs to check out the dnr website. In the fishing section Vhs is right there. Click and read. They seperate the state into 3 zones. One zone is VHS positive, we can only use bait from the positive zone in the positive zone. The second is a VHS watch zone, we can use bait from this zone in the positive and the watch zone. The third is a VHS free zone and we can only use bait from the free zone in the free zone but can also use it anywhere else. They try to explain where each zone is. As far as I understand, unless your bait is certified, if you buy your bait in a positive zone you can't bring it into a different zone. I don't understand about caught bait, it dosen't say you can't catch your own bait. Matter of a fact I couldn't find anything about it. I found a spot where I can get my own minnows but haven't yet because I don't know the law. I think I'll call a office tomorrow.

[Higgins]

Here's all the info http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/Retail-Bait-Shop-QA_200393_7.pdf  .Man its a long page of crap cause they could have just said its this way because we can do what we want. I wouldn't have minded if they had told the New papers and maybe some magazines or at least put it in the booklet but NO they did none of that.

[RealityCheck]

Well I need to apologize.  I had unprotected sex with a mermaid who tested positive for VHS.  I got a receipt for her services.  So it was legal.    

[icecaptain]

Everyone that can needs to check out the dnr website. In the fishing section Vhs is right there. Click and read. They seperate the state into 3 zones. One zone is VHS positive, we can only use bait from the positive zone in the positive zone. The second is a VHS watch zone, we can use bait from this zone in the positive and the watch zone. The third is a VHS free zone and we can only use bait from the free zone in the free zone but can also use it anywhere else. They try to explain where each zone is. As far as I understand, unless your bait is certified, if you buy your bait in a positive zone you can't bring it into a different zone. I don't understand about caught bait, it dosen't say you can't catch your own bait. Matter of a fact I couldn't find anything about it. I found a spot where I can get my own minnows but haven't yet because I don't know the law. I think I'll call a office tomorrow.

So this is similar to the transportation of firewood.   What a big pain in the A@$.  I knew I needed to have my receipt, but I only knew of that 4 weeks ago when we started ice fishing.  If they are going to post a new law after the rules book is out for the year they need to come up with a better way of telling people other than asuming they all have access to the internet.

[fishinfool96]

Ask your minnow supplier if their certified, if they are you can use them anywhere. If their not might be better not to take them too far away from where you bought them.

[fishinfool96]

My opinion is what is going to happen is that the dnr's going to make it so much of a pain bait shops are gonna give up and not sell minnows. Then well all be screwed. And it sucks that they seem to place the blame on fisherman dumping bait. The minnows I get come from the same lake that I fish, I know the people who get them for the bait shop. The tanks that they are kept in are artesian water flows. Right on the same river that they are netted on. Why couldn't I dump them?

[theozmeister]

i see how you guys all dislike the whole idea about having to prove where your minnows came from, but I'm gonna have to side with the DNR on this one. the reason we need the slip is to prove that the minnows were obtained from a source that VHS is not currently found in. as for the guy who knows where his minnows are caught from and doesnt understand why he cant just "dump" them, the reason for that is because not everyone that gets their bait knows where the minnows came from, and by the DNR banning the release of all minnows into a foreign body of water, it helps prevent the spread of not only VHS, but other diseases in the baitfish, as well as pathogens in the water. Id much rather have the DNR be over careful than not careful enough. VHS is a lot worse than most people know, and will in the next 10 to 20 years absolutely decimate the great lakes sportfish populations. The worst thing that could happen to us michigan anglers is to have the virus penetrate the interior lakes, and one by one, destroy all our favorite fishin spots.

[captain54]

In Pa. you have to have a receipt if you have over 50 minnows

[TipupNomad]

Have not been asked for receipt here in the Lansing area. But, I became familiar with the law back home in Iron Mountain. From what I understand, the only minnows that you need a receipt for are suckers. Most shiners and "crappie minnows" (so called in the yoop) are not on "the prohibited species list." You must have the receipt with you while fishing and you may not keep the minnows for more than 7 days.

The MI  regs are a lot better than wisconsin. There you must use everything you bring onto the ice and cannot bring and minnows in water into the state.

This problem with VHS started with ballast water being dumped in the great lakes. People have been talking about it for years, but nothing was done. Too many legislatures busy wasting time and money to actually do anything effective. 

[Higgins]

i see how you guys all dislike the whole idea about having to prove where your minnows came from, but I'm gonna have to side with the DNR on this one. the reason we need the slip is to prove that the minnows were obtained from a source that VHS is not currently found in. as for the guy who knows where his minnows are caught from and doesnt understand why he cant just "dump" them, the reason for that is because not everyone that gets their bait knows where the minnows came from, and by the DNR banning the release of all minnows into a foreign body of water, it helps prevent the spread of not only VHS, but other diseases in the baitfish, as well as pathogens in the water. Id much rather have the DNR be over careful than not careful enough. VHS is a lot worse than most people know, and will in the next 10 to 20 years absolutely decimate the great lakes sportfish populations. The worst thing that could happen to us michigan anglers is to have the virus penetrate the interior lakes, and one by one, destroy all our favorite fishin spots.

Thats not the problame in my opinion. I think this is a great Idea and I fully support it.The problame is that they are going to start ticketing people that dont know about the law and the only people that know is either from Hear say, the Internet or the Bait store. But what about those who just go by what the booklet says. ARE THEY WRONG . I say NO . The DNR should have made it known better thats all im saying

[theozmeister]

The bait stores know the laws, and therefore should automatically give you the recipt, and tell you what the reason for it is. Happened to me on my first outing this past december. Went into a bait store in lewiston, got a recipt, and the guy told me i had to have it on me at all times to prove the bait is legal.

[fishinfool96]

As far as I know they put it all on the bait shop owners to inform people, which isn't right either. Don't get me wrong I'm all for the regs. I just dont think that they will work. For one the fish dams don't stop fish, I live on the bear river in Petoskey and they have a dam just up from the mouth to keep all non trout species out, it dosent work the fish still get up, I've seen them my self. Their not going to stop it if its as bad as they say. But I'm all for trying. And I don't dump my bait just thinking that if I catch my own why can't I put them back when I'm done. If I was caught doing that what would happen? Would the dnr believe me? Can I even catch my own minnows? The rule is so vague.

[Higgins]

The bait stores know the laws, and therefore should automatically give you the recipt, and tell you what the reason for it is. Happened to me on my first outing this past december. Went into a bait store in lewiston, got a recipt, and the guy told me i had to have it on me at all times to prove the bait is legal.

I have been to 2 different bait stores and one gave me a receipt and the other did not . So what if a guy that only reads the booklet goes their and doesn't get a receipt but does end up with a ticket .
I just think they could have told a few news papers or even a few magazines . It allmost seems like they want people to get ticketed

[pine]

The bait stores know the laws, and therefore should automatically give you the recipt, and tell you what the reason for it is. Happened to me on my first outing this past december. Went into a bait store in lewiston, got a recipt, and the guy told me i had to have it on me at all times to prove the bait is legal.

same here . i get a recipt with each purchase but it's only good for 1 week..i can keep minnows longer than that.

[Slammerman]

I have been to 2 different bait stores and one gave me a receipt and the other did not. So what if a guy that only reads the booklet goes their and doesn't get a receipt but does end up with a ticket.
I just think they could have told a few news papers or even a few magazines ? It almost seems like they want people to get ticketed

Most of the bait shops in our area have been carrying and selling golden and sand shiners since the ruling went into effect. They're not on the list so receipts were not needed and our local CO's knew this. There has been info in the paper, on the internet, at the local bait shops, and in numerous magazines. THIS RULING ALSO INCLUDES SPAWN !!!

West Michigan and Lake Michigan is basically the VHS-free zone. There was much more information out about this on the east side of the state.

BTW - I know someone who works in the fisheries division and ALL of the salmon they checked this fall at the weirs were VHS-free.