Ask a conservation officer

[Lee Borgersen]

 





        Ask a conservation officer: If in doubt, switch out bait water


Q: I went fishing last night on water infested with zebra mussels. When I left to go home, I had extra minnows left but had to dump them out due to laws restricting the transport of water to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Did I follow invasive species law correctly?







A: If you wish to transport live minnows left over after a day of fishing, you are required to bring tap or bottled water from home with which to replace the water in the minnow bucket before leaving the access. By not transporting possibly infested water, we can try to slow the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels. However, the rule about replacing the water after fishing does not apply when ice fishing, unless you are on a water infested with the VHS fish virus. If you frequently fish in different places and are worried about keeping it straight, getting in the practice of always switching out your water when returning to shore will help to keep you in compliance with aquatic invasive species laws.