Live bait/minnow price hike this year...

[Ausable Junkie]

I was told that due to some state law(s), bait minnows can no longer
be taken or dipped from the great lakes. I asked the owner of the shop i
get my minnows from if he has ordered his first batch of bait. He said he
might not cuz he got quoted a buku price per gallon compared to last year.

He explained that it was due to this new rule that the bait had to be
"certified" as not taken from the great lakes. Now the suppliers have to
outsource their product causing the price hike. He feels that the price he'd
have to charge to make a profit wouldn't be worth the p.o.'d custmers
that would tell him to get lost.

Anyone else hear something like this??

[Gone Fishing]

Up until last week I've been paying $3/dozen or $75/gallon. Definitely high but not that much more than the year before.

[Southend517]

I think we paid about $3 for some grays, .50 cents for goldens and suckers each and then bigger suckers around $1.50 each at franks in lindwood - i think they grow there own.

[MIfishinGuy]

the new laws about certification are true, but if you are taking the minnows from a VHS free area they can be used anywhere, (what bait sellers want) and those have to be certified they came from a VHS (viral hepatic septicemia) free body of water. i believe there could be a price jump but just check around, different places use different wholesalers/suppliers.

[woodie slayer]

i bought minnows the other day and the guy give me a paper to show the dnr if they asked for it..
that's just what i need another paper to carry:sad:

[Ausable Junkie]

I'm in a rural area and think that the
local bait shops pretty much get their minnnows from the same supplier.
I'll still shop around though.

I might fire up the old cooler and aerator to keep a bunch in. Fewer trips to the store will help. Having "paperwork" on your bait sounds like a
dumb idea. How do they know i'm not using the slip from 2 weeks ago
for minnows i'm using today (seeing as i keep my own in a cooler at
home ya know)?

Seems unproveable to me but what do i know.:confused:

[Ultra-Light]

Up until last week I've been paying $3/dozen or $75/gallon.

Ouch....That is quite a bit. I'm glad I harvest all my own. :)

[jimhx720]

I was at Knutson' sin Brooklyn a couple of weeks ago and bought minnows, when I bought them the clerk brought them to the counter and then had to attach a sticker, stating when they were purchased, where they were purchased, quantity and type of minnow. He said that all minnow buckets in areas that are controlled have to have that type of ID to avoid fines. I will see if the sticker is still there and will post a pic of it this weekend if so.
Also asked him if they were planning on having minnows this winter and he said they should have their usual selection, just going to be a little more money.

[TA Bunker]

i bought minnows the other day and the guy give me a paper to show the dnr if they asked for it..
that's just what i need another paper to carry:sad:

Do you have any idea why he gave you this paper? If not, then maybe you should educate yourself on the DNR website. If it is too much trouble for someone to make sure that they are using VHS free bait, carry a sticker or receipt to prove it, and actually care about the lake they are fishing, then VHS will spread to every inland water and will have disastrous effects. If you were fishing your own private pond I wouldn't care, but if you spread VHS to a public lake, you should have to pay severe consequences.