I have read the "Strategic…

I have read the "Strategic Policy for Bait Management in Ontario Draft for Public Comment, Feb 2017" hereafter referred to as "The Draft" and while I agree with the broad objectives of the policy I have a number of concerns and suggestions.

Main concerns:

1.The draft states, "Anglers would be required to use or lawfully dispose of all commercially harvested bait within two weeks of purchase." I believe this to be the single worst restriction in the draft. I only use minnows when ice fishing and it is easy to keep minnows alive all winter (see Appendix A). For me the two week restriction would have the following adverse effects: 1.1.needless destruction of perfectly good minnows

1.2.needless purchase of more minnows

1.3.more minnows that need to be harvested by commercial harvesters

1.4.unnecessary trips to the bait shop: longer distances driven and more time taken

2.The requirement for anglers to possess receipts is awkward and certainly does not comply with the draft's stated objective of "Reduced complexity of the current bait management regime;" 3.The restriction against overland transport in BMZ F is too restrictive. It imposes restrictions on anglers even for practices that present minimal ecological risk according to The Draft. It is basically unfair to anglers that live in BMZ F. 4.The draft states that "The Great Lakes are not included within the BMZ framework". Why can't an angler in BMZ F transport personally harvested bait fish overland for use in the adjacent great lake?

Suggestions

1.If the need to possess receipts becomes part of the policy, the requirement for anglers to dispose of commercially harvested bait should be increased from 2 weeks to 4 months, at least in the winter months, i.e. November through March. 2.Allow overland transport of personally harvested bait into some waters of BMZ F and simply restrict the use of live bait in specific regions and/or lakes in BMZ F. In the existing regulations regarding baitfish from "2017-ontario-fishing-regulations-summary" there are numerous water bodies where "Live baitfish may not be used as bait or possessed for use as bait." This restriction is applied to some water bodies in FMZ's 1,2,5,6,7,10,11 and 15. If there is a concern about the spread of invasive species into pristine lakes in BMZ F, wouldn't it be simpler to impose the no live bait rule into specific lakes or areas of BMZ F (i.e. areas or lakes within FMZs 15, 16, 17 and 18). I personally would find this preferable to the need to possess a receipt less than two weeks old and the broad restrictions on overland transport of personally harvested bait. 3.The draft notes the issue of angler's abilities to distinguish legal baitfish species I suggest that the best approach to this issue is to educate those anglers who choose to harvest their own bait. Compliance with the existing regulations requires anglers to have knowledge about the species they are targeting. For example, in order to avoid catching bass out of season, an angler needs to be able to distinguish a bass from a crappie from a pike. Anglers will be more capable of distinguishing legal bait fish species if the right resources available. If the MNRF is going to develop an online training course to educate commercial bait harvesters, dealers and their designates, why not make the same course available on line for those anglers who choose to harvest their own bait? I personally would prefer to take a course on line in order to obtain a personal bait harvesting licence rather than losing my ability to harvest live bait and transport it overland for use in BMZ -F and the adjacent great lakes. 4.Even in the absence of an online training course, the MNRF should have an online resource to aid anglers in minnow identification. Perhaps it would be similar to the one that New York state has at http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7040.html

Additional Details

I only use live bait when ice fishing

I purchase live bait from local live bait dealers

I also occasionally harvest minnows from a tributary stream of Lake Ontario

I have kept minnows alive all winter in a 5 gallon pail and I never store minnows in a lake or stream. My ice fishing trips are typically targeting walleye in the bay of Quinte (FMZ 20) or targeting "warm water species" crappie, perch and pike in lakes in FMZ 18. Occasionally I will target splake or brook trout in FMZ 18. The draft states, "there is minimal ecological risk associated with the movement of bait from inland BMZs into the adjacent Great Lake." However, even though "there is minimal ecological risk " it appears that my current practices of using personally harvested minnows in Lake Ontario would be forbidden since it involves overland transport of personally harvested bait or it involves keeping commercially purchased bait for more than two weeks .

Personally harvested bait: Educate the Anglers

The draft states, "It has been shown that, in general, Ontario anglers experience great difficulty distinguishing legal baitfish species from illegal species. Consequently, personally-harvested bait brings with it an increased risk of moving invasive and other non-target species across the landscape" "MNRF is proposing that personally harvested bait may not be transported beyond the waterbody where it was caught (i.e., no overland transport), with the following exception: In BMZ A, B, C, and D, personally-harvested bait may be moved beyond the waterbody where it was caught, provided that the angler possesses the appropriate documentation allowing the overland transport and the bait stays within the BMZ where it was harvested." What is the "exception" and what is the rule here? Overland transport of personally is allowed in 4 of the 6 bait management zones. The draft states that "Ontario anglers experience great difficulty distinguishing legal baitfish species from illegal species.". Are the anglers in BMZ's A, B, C, and D, somehow more capable of distinguishing baitfish species than anglers that live further south? In order to address the issue of angler's abilities to distinguish legal baitfish species I suggest that the best approach is to provide educate those anglers who choose to harvest their own bait. If the MNRF is going to develop an online training course to educate commercial bait harvesters, dealers and their designates, why not make the same course available on line for those anglers who choose to harvest their own bait. I personally would prefer to take a course on line in order to obtain a personal bait harvesting licence rather than losing my ability to harvest live bait for use in BMZ -F.

Ensuring Compliance

Due to budget constraints etc. there aren't many officers out there enforcing fishing regulations. In the last decade of fishing l have been asked to show my licence maybe 3 or 4 times and I have never had any officer ask to board my boat in order to check for out of season fish etc. For the most part, (99.99% of the time), compliance with fishing regulations is basically and honour system" where anglers are "self-policing" with regard to compliance with fishing regulations. There is also peer pressure amongst anglers to comply with regulations. Responsible anglers, and I consider myself one, are acutely aware that the sport fishery and the environment in general are under pressure from a myriad of sources. The success of the bait fish policy will also require anglers to be self policing and comply based on an "honour system" There is no need for the onerous requirement of keeping a receipt after purchasing minnows. For the bait fish policy to be effective and to encourage compliance with fishing regulations in general it is important that the MNRF retain and encourage the goodwill of Ontario anglers. To do this the MNRF needs to avoid the appearance of heavy-handed, unfair, obtrusive and arbitrary regulation.  

Appendix A: keeping minnows alive

Below are a few posts to the bay of Quinte Beg and Brag website http://forum2.quintefishing.com/viewforum.php?f=1

I've kept minnows pretty well all winter in a 10 gallon pail in my garage. If they are mud minnows they last a long time. Shiners not so much. some tips. Water. I use tap water but NOT fresh out of the tap. Let a pail sit out over night and the chlorine will diffuse out of it. (Have you ever sniffed water fresh out of the tap. You can smell the chlorine. btw if you can smell the chlorine that means that chlorine gas is leaving the water). Avoid thermal shock. Have the pail out in the garage before you go fishing so it's good and cool. Don't feed them. The food and minnow poop rot and screw up the water. yep it sounds cruel but you're going to kill them anyway and I believe the fishing regs say you may not release them. Cold is best but don't let them freeze solid. If they're really icey bring them in to thaw the ice. I have had times when I've brought in the minnow pail that was 50% frozen with the minnows caught in the ice at all sorts of weird angles. When they thawed 80 percent of them were still alive. Plan ahead. To follow the tips above you need one pail for the minnows and a second pail to pre-chiill/dechlorinate the water. Tight lines

pdubya

If a cold room is not available for minnow storage (cold basement or garage), an alternate method is to keep the minnows at room temperature in a 5 gallon pail or aquarium and use a filter/aerator to treat the water. A filter aerator can be purchased at Walmart for under $20. (the price of three dozen minnows)

Another post re:minnows

I keep mine in a cold garage in and old cooler. I use a cheap aerator with a large stone that stays on the bottom so the air saturates all the water. I change the water as need, about a couple of times a week. If you use town water you have to let is sit for several days to lessen the chlorine. Make sure the water is the same temperature as the minnows. I use a net to remove the minnows and put them in a container of fresh water. I dump out the old water and but some fresh water in the cooler. I very gently put the minnows back in the cooler. I tried feeding my minnows but that was a mistake. The water will turn dirty very fast.

I went to Pet Smart and bought a bottle of water conditioner and slime coat repair.

This stuff will remove chlorine from the water and help the minnows slime coat. It's suppose to minimize fish stress.

Seems to work.

[Original Comment ID: 209893]