More VHS info.

[Walleye Express]

I received many emails regarding the use of minnows now that the "VHS" disease is in our waters. All the info I could find on the internet is very cloudy so I sent 567 an email to Gary Towns of the DNR asking for some clarity. Here is his response:

Right now there are no regulations on where minnows can be used within the state. This will likely change, but it is not in our orders right now. However, we know the disease (VHS) is in the St. Clair System (Port Huron south to Lake Erie), and we know that emerald shiners are carriers of the disease. So, the "environmentally responsible" thing to do for the resource is that minnows which are caught in the St. Clair System -SHOULD ONLY BE USED IN THE ST. CLAIR SYSTEM. IE - anglers should not take any minnows caught in this system to inland lakes for use as bait, or release these minnows or other fish into inland lakes or rivers. Anglers should be careful not to allow livewell water to enter inland waters when they transport their fish back home from the St.Clair System. I am told that we have people who are working on new orders that will address this very issue.

Hope this helps. Good fishing! Gary L. Towns, Supervisor Lake Erie Management Unit

Thank's for the info Jake. If you don't mind, I'm going to copy and paste it on other web sites for the general information of all. This is going to put a real crimp on good bait, as most of the emeralds come from the St. Claire and Lake Erie, and are shipped and sold virtually every in the State. And these businesses stay alive for the most part on a Hand to Mouth basis. Once they're gone or go broke, this special breed of minnow harvestors, along with their unique skills and knowledge of where and when to seign these minnows will be lost forever. I know, because it took me 4 years to even start to find the places and times to get some of my own minnows when I owned my bait shop.