Shiners...?

[thunderpout]

So whats the deal with the shiner supply....?  I thought I heard something about they cant bring em across state lines now, why I cant remember, but a gal at a bait shop said its just the supply is low.... and on a post here from Frankies said something about parasites. (is that why they cant bring em across the border?) Man, they're my favorite walleye bait, especially golden shiners... Whats the skinney?    -thunderpout

[JohnWester]

here's the skinny... thank your local state reps.  A law was passed preventing import of all live bait.  and then a law was passed about how you can raise them here in the state.  that coupled with the low water levels equals major shortage and higher prices.  that is the brief version... I don't have time to go into it at lengths.  but I am actually working on a story about it... so when I am done, i'll post it here too.

[GRIZ]

You never were allowed to bring them into minnesota at least not for the last 26 yrs when I first got my commercial bait lic. Shiners are not the best suited to raise in minnesota but it is being done. Either way most of the shiners sold in MN this time of yr come straight out of Arkansas. They are easily distinguished from ones caught in MN. Maybe the enforcement is geting stricter on it I don't know.

[JohnWester]

law enforcement went out and sampled all the bait shops in the state that sold shiners and tested them to see if they were native or not... they have come down hard on a few...

[repoman]

i was told from frankies there not leting them in cause of some parasite they dont want in our waters ?

[GRIZ]

law enforcement went out and sampled all the bait shops in the state that sold shiners and tested them to see if they were native or not... they have come down hard on a few...

I don't know what kind of test they'd do as genetically they are they same. As far as coming down hard on the bait shops, How could they? The baitshops have done nothing wrong nor illegal.

[JohnWester]

I don't know what kind of test they'd do as genetically they are they same. As far as coming down hard on the bait shops, How could they? The baitshops have done nothing wrong nor illegal.

they have a way of telling...  and the baitshops have done wrong, they are selling bait that was imported.. unless their distributor is selling to them and lying about where it comes from... but some had known and done so illegally and got caught.

[repoman]

i have a feeling this is gonna be a good topic

[Wagz]

They can do a test of fish and detrime the water it comes out of or raised in ... I do not know the specifics about it but I heard about it more than once on poaching cases

[GRIZ]

I don't know what kind of test they'd do as genetically they are they same. As far as coming down hard on the bait shops, How could they? The baitshops have done nothing wrong nor illegal.

they have a way of telling...  and the baitshops have done wrong, they are selling bait that was imported.. unless their distributor is selling to them and lying about where it comes from... but some had known and done so illegally and got caught.

They have a way of telling - yea same way I do the color. The difference in mn raised and arkansas ones is not as obviuos as that from the wild ones here in MN.

I don't know of any distrubutors that would be dumb enough to tell thier costomers the shiners are from Arkansas. A few of the bait shop owners might have known and are just as dumb for admitting that. A good 90% or better do not know the difference.

[troutman]

yup  laws  been on the books  for a very long time. it is against the law to import shiners  into this state and always has been. one of the reason there is a shortage  is  the wounderful minnesota  DNR  started turning shiner hatcheries  into walleye  hatcheries  wich inturn destroyed  our population of home grown shiners.  you see , when the bait of choice for an eye   is a shiner and they (DNR) populate   a shiner  lake  we lose our shiners .. make sense ????  I  hope this may clear things up . 
 p.s  i asked a very good friend of mine who happens to be a trapper  of said shiners  and fatheads  etc.  about this topic  and he informed me of what i just typed. He has been in the business since 1959  .  good luck  and happy hunting  for shiners 


  the  troutman

[thunderpout]

I thought there had to be a twist to this situation because I always use(d) golden shiners, and I know they're a native species... so yer saying the lack of em are due to DNR stocking programs?  I thought minnow trappers got em in small ponds where they raise minnows or in mostly fishless lakes that they stocked with em....   Im gonna get my ole aquarium goin again and hold on to a supply instead of killing em all when Im done fishing.... thats if I can find em.    -thunderpout

[GRIZ]

yup  laws  been on the books  for a very long time. it is against the law to import shiners  into this state and always has been. one of the reason there is a shortage  is  the wounderful minnesota  DNR  started turning shiner hatcheries  into walleye  hatcheries  wich inturn destroyed  our population of home grown shiners.  you see , when the bait of choice for an eye   is a shiner and they (DNR) populate   a shiner  lake  we lose our shiners .. make sense ????  I  hope this may clear things up . 
 p.s  i asked a very good friend of mine who happens to be a trapper  of said shiners  and fatheads  etc.  about this topic  and he informed me of what i just typed. He has been in the business since 1959  .  good luck  and happy hunting  for shiners 


  the  troutman

Yea I forgot to mention that too. Another bait that takes a kickin is the leech. When the DNR puts walleye in a small pond (rearing pond) they put them in ponds with a high forage base. The DNR is not the only ones either, some bait companies have gotten into the fish bussiness also. The difference is the DNR doesn't play with the same set of rules.
1. Private industry has to have all land around the pond leased where as the DNR only needs to have enough footage to get thier trucks to it.

2. Private industry has the expense of killing off the pond when done using so it can return to it's native state. Not the DNR

3. The DNR can plant fish in ponds with public land around them, not private industry.

Now to get to my ? Why then is it that private industry can raise fish of better quality that are heartier and grow faster and at a lot less cost than the DNR.

[sunk1]

Is there any where to get shiners in the metro area? I like to use them for walleye and northerns.

[FordF-150]

All I know is my bait shop still has huge silvers, and goldens and I appreciate it.

[Ryan]

Is there any where to get shiners in the metro area? I like to use them for walleye and northerns.

The bait shop in Shakopee has them.