Stewardship Tip Jul 6th, 2010 – Don’t Dump Your Bait Bucket
In 2005 and 2006, viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) caused large fish kills in several eastern Great Lakes states. In 2007, the virus was discovered in Lake Michigan and Lake Winnebago.
VHS is not a threat to humans who handle or want to eat their catch. However, healthy fish can become ill by eating infected fish. Moreover, the virus can also spread in the water from fish that are infected. A virus can be inadvertently introduced into a body of water by transporting a diseased fish from one body of water to another.
Do your bait have VHS? Help to ensure that your bait will not spread diseases such as VHS. Don’t harvest minnows from VHS infected waters! If you purchase minnows, use them only on a single body of water. Don’t take them to another lake and don’t add any water from the lake to your bait bucket.
In addition, when you purchase minnows, check with your dealer as to the origin of the bait. If you have a choice, buy locally harvested bait as opposed to bait that comes from out of state.
When you are done fishing for the day, do not dump your bait bucket into the lake. The minnows could spread disease. They also may not be native to the water that you are fishing and could compete with the bait fish in the lake.
Rather than dumping you bait bucket in the lake, take it home and dispose of the minnows in the garden, in the compost pile, or bag them and dispose of them in the trash.
Help protect our waters, don’t dump your bait bucket!
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This week’s sponsor-partner:Berkley Gulp
Berkley’s leading edge technology has resulted in performance advances in fishing lines, softbaits, hardbaits, fishing rods, and terminal tackle. Berkley’s commitment to conservation is reflected in the Berkley Conservation Institute. BCI puts science and technology into action to ensure the health and well being of the worldwide fish populations.
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