08-21-2006, 07:52 AM
Fish with much more difficult to maintain water prefrences than chubs, shiners and fathead minnows are transported thousands of miles every day. I worked in the pet business for a few years, and watched as dozens of fish were unloaded out of a few inches of water in a plastic bag. Fish that were three time zones away the day before. It ain't that tough. And the ones who are going to do it, will find a way. If you think they need an aerator to accomplish a transplant, you're wrong. The DWR used to transport fish in milk pails by horseback into the Uintas.
I would not have a problem with someone catching a nongame minnow at the water they are fishing, placing it on the hook, and using it as bait. The problem is that some fools cannot leave well enough alone. Golden shiners are not native to this state. They were introduced in Kolob and New Castle by people who wanted to use them as live bait. They are a disaster. Should they be legal as bait because they are in those waters? Absolutely not. The next thing you know, some fool would put them in every water that they want to use live bait in. I can live without using live bait, if it means that we don't have to spend every dollar that the DWR takes in to control the problems that illegal transplants cause.
People are people. If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. If they are allowed to use live minnows for bait, somebody will start transplanting even more types of fish into even more waters of this state. Some folks think that might be a good thing. I don't. I don't want to lose fisheries for years and years while the rough fish have to be removed. I don't want to watch as fisheries crash, or boom and bust. It ain't worth it.
Fishrmn
I would not have a problem with someone catching a nongame minnow at the water they are fishing, placing it on the hook, and using it as bait. The problem is that some fools cannot leave well enough alone. Golden shiners are not native to this state. They were introduced in Kolob and New Castle by people who wanted to use them as live bait. They are a disaster. Should they be legal as bait because they are in those waters? Absolutely not. The next thing you know, some fool would put them in every water that they want to use live bait in. I can live without using live bait, if it means that we don't have to spend every dollar that the DWR takes in to control the problems that illegal transplants cause.
People are people. If you give them an inch, they'll take a mile. If they are allowed to use live minnows for bait, somebody will start transplanting even more types of fish into even more waters of this state. Some folks think that might be a good thing. I don't. I don't want to lose fisheries for years and years while the rough fish have to be removed. I don't want to watch as fisheries crash, or boom and bust. It ain't worth it.
Fishrmn