bait fish

[got em]

 talked to mike at conroys today about the bait issue he had alot of info...he said check out this site, http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/vhsv.html ,also there will be a meeting at the best western motel at 1228 western ave albany,on jan.9,from 7 to 9 pm..might be worth going to.. tight lines..merry x-mas..

[Icecycle Eddie]

 All Staged and ready to go Just need four inches of black ICE

[dwayne]

talked to mike at conroys today about the bait issue he had alot of info...he said check out this site, http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/vhsv.html ,also there will be a meeting at the best western motel at 1228 western ave albany,on jan.9,from 7 to 9 pm..might be worth going to.. tight lines..merry x-mas..

How does Mike's minnow supply looking for this year?

[1TIGGER]

I just read the baitfish that have been banned from import and use without first being checked for VHS and am I correct in my assumption that Smelt are excluded from this or did I overlook it ?
I'm not finding anything about smelt at all .
I know we still should use caution but I'm wondering why they haven't been mentioned in the ban .

[coldbum]

Smelt will only be able to be used on the waters they are harvested from unless someone gets the certified..
I know I wont want to pay for certified smelt. Some baitshops already get $14 a dozen for the boogers.

[1TIGGER]

Smelt will only be able to be used on the waters they are harvested from unless someone gets the certified..
I know I wont want to pay for certified smelt. Some baitshops already get $14 a dozen for the boogers.

I'm not doubting you but where is that published so I can see it because I have read the D.E.C page several times and haven't see anything on smelt .

[Hunter]

Personally harvested bait fish can only be used from the body of water from which they were caught for the purposes of reducing the spreading of VHS.

http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/dfwmr/fish/fhregs.html

[1TIGGER]

Thanks for the info guy's I found what I needed !
No frozen or salted baits have to be certified according to the D.E.C site .

[Ray4852]

Where do you see that on frozen bait?

[1TIGGER]

Where do you see that on frozen bait?

Go to the link at the top of this post ,when you get into it click on what steps the dec is taking , thenclick on the BLUE LETTERD emergency fish health regulations ,then to frequently asked questions about personal use of bait  and then scroll down to # 7 .

I may be reading this wrong but it clearly says salted  , frozen and eggs are exempt from the rules .

[Ray4852]

The only thing salt does is preserves the bait for long term storage. What would happen if we catch our smelt out of Lake Erie and brine them? Can we use them in other lakes for our personal use?  This is what I don’t understand.

[1TIGGER]

I guess you can according to what the rules say but... as they have said they are relying on us as fisherman to do the rite thing and not use bait that was caught in the water were fishing .
From what I'm reading though salted and frozen baits aren't effected by the virus .
I think I'm going to call the D.E.C in the morning and try to get a little clarification on this because if frozen bait isn't effected by the virus and cant transmit it then you should be able to use it anywhere .

[crayfishbob]

As the law reads, you ( the non commercial , licensed fishermen) are allowed up to 100 minnows in your posession at one time, even from infected waters. Dead , alive, salted, or peppered as far as that goes.Where that bait actually gets used is up to the integrity of the fishermen. "in the same waters" we all hope.

That part just don't make sense at all, and WILL be challenged by myself, and for our sakes lets not use ANY bait in ANY condition from infected waters.

What the state does not realize is that salt or freezing does not kill the virus. I did not realize this until I talked to the guy at the lab that does the testing. Again, you read this here first !

More....

I also read last night that the virus will lay dormant on the bottom of ponds. This is why the state will not allow anyone to keep lake cought minnows to be kept in ponds, I'm sure.

Here's the scary part : ( I cannot name names )  Somebody got real smart and netted a whole lot of Emeralds and put them in ponds in another state. Those emeralds will hit the market very soon. Who's to say that the testing of these minnows were done honestly and are really not infested. These were taken from infested waters, but BEFORE the federal ban. ( i'm sticing my neck out on this one )

Here's the gig, guys --- take the time to go to your meetings on this. The state has set up places and times on their sites.

Also, voice your opinion. Its on the site too. You have until the 22n'd  of Jan.to do so. Its a simple click and you just e-mail them.

My opinion is :

No baitfish should be taken by anyone for any reason from known infected waters.

Make this easy for the bait farms in New york state. Yes, test, but state assistance is needed.

We are trying to stop VHS. Not save the world from everything else ! The state added three other viruses, two bacterias, and a parasite to the check list. Yes, I agree with the virus checks, as they all can be done with one test, but by adding the others, it almost doubled the cost of testing. This high cost can only lead to dishonest testing practices and people scamming the system, thus acomplishing nothing.

Sorry about the soap box approach, guys. I'm just sharing what I know so far...

[1TIGGER]

I do intend to use my personally caught bait where I catch it .
I still don't understand why they think it's safe to use frozen or salted baits where ever you choose . As far as I know NO virus can be eliminated by freezing or salting it's host .

I for one will be using extra caution with my bait because I want to be able to fish with my grandchildren some day .