Bait for Ice Fishing, in the NEK of Vermont

[mempfree]

If you don't know, or have no idea, as you go to the local stores, etc, here in the NEK, for bait, for Ice Fishing.  Your bait, that you purchase, is being brought in, from a truck, from Hog Island, in Swanton, Vermont.  Thanks, to the Vermont Fish and Game Dept, with help, with the Vermont Fish and Game Board.  You are paying, a high price, for transportation cost, to bring, what they the Vermont Fish and Game Dept, say, that it is Disease Free, fish?  What ever!
 

[perchhauler]

That has been the joke from day one with the new bait laws. its ok for the state to stock fish from where ever they want, and they want you to use bait from out of state, hog island gets all its bait from out of state.  never has been any disease spread around except by the state fish and game itself. 

on a side note - I'm no grammar cop, but with all them commas you sound like you just ran the border carrying two buckets of minnows!!

[keithm87]

It's been that way, but the high bait costs are the dealers not the transit! Some places are half what others are. I find that the most costly bait is actually closer to hog island. Like north country charges 20$ doz for special pick pike bait, which Flanders in st j would sell me the same bait for 8 or 10 a doz.

[camo ninja]

Size suck more than anything .
Most times pike bait is just big mediums for a couple more bucks a dozen

[keithm87]

Yeah that is the worst thing, but until HI has competition there will be no change. They are the only bait distributor in northern VT, so they control it all. The bait laws wouldn't be so bad, if there was competition.

[fishingidjit]

It's been that way, but the high bait costs are the dealers not the transit! Some places are half what others are. I find that the most costly bait is actually closer to hog island. Like north country charges 20$ doz for special pick pike bait, which Flanders in st j would sell me the same bait for 8 or 10 a doz.

Tom Flanders is a great guy with well kept bait, nice cold storage water.

[keithm87]

Yeah Flanders has always IMO had the best bait of the shops I go to, and I have been to just about every shop in northern VT. He keeps his bait cold so it doesn't die when it hits the lake, he has spring water feed, not city water so he doesn't need to use that blue "bait saver" which is a chlorine neutralizer more than. I have had his bait survive in a 5 gal pail with an aerator and no water change for 2 weeks without losing a single minnow (dont worry I didnt use the bait after my 96 hour transit period it was just really a test). And the best thing is that when you buy bait from him he will pick through for the biggest ones and charge the same price! and he sells terminal tackle cheaper than walmart!!!!

[Blackink]

Tom Flanders is a great guy with well kept bait, nice cold storage water.

I'm new here, where is Tom Flanders located?  Do you have an address and/or a phone #?

Thanks.....Happy Fishing

[Blackink]

Thanks for the info....

[fishinaround]

Flanders is great. Has a lot of info that he will share with you too. nice guy to chat with. and of course awesome bait.