Changes we need to make

Recent developments in fishing indicate that fishermen need to change their habits when fishing. This goes for not only the tournament fisherman but also the weekend fisherman and the occasional fisherman.
There are 3 problems that have occurred due to the lax way we treat our resource.

The first problem is the migration of species such as Gizzard Shad and Alewife Shad. These little buggers seem to show up in lakes and streams where they never existed before, and what is worse their normal controls are not in the lakes and streams they are from. These species overwhelm the lakes normal bait species and then start to destroy sport fish and pan fish populations.

The second problem that has occurred is the Zebra Mussel. This little critter gets into every thing and gums up the water intake valves and the hulls of boats as well as destroying the local mussel population.

The third problem is the LMBV or Large Mouth Bass Virus. This virus has been proven to move from lake to lake in the water from bilge pumps and from live wells and other water sources on the boat.

What do all 3 of these problems have in common? All 3 are transported by boat, bait bucket or by the moving of water from one water source to another most likely by fishermen. The great thing is we as fishermen can take some actions to stop these transports and to slow the growth of these problems.

When buying bait, do NOT pour the left over bait (minnows or other live baits) back into the lake. This will prevent the bait from getting into the lake and surviving. It is believed that the introduction of Alewives in Kentucky Lakes was from the moving of bait from one lake to another. Not only will this prevent the introduction of non-native species into a lake it will mean slowing the spread of LMBV which has been shown to be transmitted through the water and to exist in the water infecting new fish that come in contact with it. It is unknown how long the virus can live outside a host.

When you finish fishing empty your live wells and then when you get home make sure you empty the bilge pump as well. Flush the system and maybe even put some kind of disinfectant in it and run it through the system. It will not only kill any LMBV, but may also help to prevent the spread of Zebra Mussels. Zebra mussels spawn a free swimming organism called a veliger. Zebra mussels grow rapidly to about thumbnail size, mature within a year, and reproduce prolifically. An adult female can produce 30,000-100,000 eggs each year! ( Quoted From an article located at http://octopus.gma.org/surfing/human/zebra.html)

The bottom line is we all need to change our habits. It is time to treat each lake and body of water as a separate entity. You would not put just any blood into another person, so do not put just any water or organism into another lake. You would not introduce foreign air into an operating room, so do not introduce foreign water into another lake. Water is what fish breath, treat the water like you would like your air to be treated.

A 4th Problem has recently reared its ugly head.. a Septicemia disease attacking fish in the Great Lakes. This is disease that is similar to wasting diseases in the animal world. Bleaching your water intakes and bait tanks as well as any live wells needs to be a mandatory activity after each fishing trip. A spray bottle with 2 teaspoons of bleach which can be sprayed in the live well after each trip is a great idea for any boat.