How long before Ontario becomes bait restricted?

[smitty55]

In QC minnows even locally trapped are illegal. worms and leeches are fine. I get lots of walleye trolling worm harnesses or jigging with worms or leeches. personally I never liked using live minnows anyway. They're too much work to keep alive and maintain.

It's been too many years since I visited Kipawa, but we always brought up salted minnows to use for the Lakers and jigging for Pickerel. I assume dead minnows are still allowed. You could use them down your end for pickerel to try something different. There's not much for Lakers in your area anyway. The one time I stayed at Red Pine Chute area we traveled all the way to Hunters Lake to get into some Greys.

Cheers

[Waftrudnir]

How can you put a hook in a worm, let alone a live minnow?
It's just a matter of time until live bait will be banned. We can call ourselves lucky if we keep crawlers and leeches. I'm sure the industry will be happy to ban all natural bait (live or dead) to sell their intentionally hormone polluted rubber. God (not intended to be a religious statement of any kind) only knows what problems this stuff will cause in the long run.

[smitty55]

There may be a different bait restriction coming soon from what I was told. I talked to the area wholesaler this evening just to chat and didn't get to bring up the subject, as I was inquiring about his winter supply. He has always been an Emerald shiner guy. We got chatting industry prices and from what he says there could/will be a shortage of baitfish available in about two weeks.The supply from last falls harvest is dwindling. That means the price per gallon is going way up for the baitshops and the end users. If you have a home setup for keeping minnows you may want to stock up soon.
I hope that's not what happens, but he brought it up on his own. I believe this all relates to Simcoe stock, not river minnows or goldens from local lakes, so the effect may be different around the province.

Besides that, with certified disease free fish, there is no valid reason to shut down an industry. Some of them will be compensated by the gov for loss of livelyhood, but that doesn't help things at all.

I've caught plenty of fish on salted minnows, mostly emeralds. They work as well as live at times. Fish tend to like salt.

Cheers

[puckster_guy]

It's been too many years since I visited Kipawa, but we always brought up salted minnows to use for the Lakers and jigging for Pickerel. I assume dead minnows are still allowed. You could use them down your end for pickerel to try something different. There's not much for Lakers in your area anyway. The one time I stayed at Red Pine Chute area we traveled all the way to Hunters Lake to get into some Greys.

Cheers

hey smitty I'm having too much fun landing some nice eyes and pike, learning my end of the lake. I like smoked whitefish, haven't tried for them yet either. Gotta try the salted bait nice change from worms, probably work well thru the ice. come back this summer.

[cujo_fann]

i had a good conversation with a local bait supplier yesterday. Hes stirred up the local newspaper basically bashing the mnr and the rules that they are implementing on him as a supplier. he spent over $18,000 on his ponds ensuring that they are vhs free and controlled. he pulls his shiners from lake simcoe and has them tested every year. the virus apparently lays dorment under 40degrees farenheit and the winter is the busiest time for minnows.. Apparently a lot of spread came from the mnr lifting fish over dennys damn and bringing them 18miles inland for release. there was also a small suggestion that because there are "zones" in which live bait can be used and transported. Fisherman may have to purchase an additional license to be able to transport live bait. i suppose this will educate anglers on which zones they have to buy minnows from to be able to use them in the areas they are fishing.

[Woodsman]

cujo_fan you are being feed a load of crap.
Currently there are no restrictions on angler transported live minnows.
Some restriction where live minnows can be used but not on where it came from in Ontario.
Only restrictions on moving live minnows is on minnows moved for commercial purposes.

[Bluebulldog]

It's been too many years since I visited Kipawa, but we always brought up salted minnows to use for the Lakers and jigging for Pickerel. I assume dead minnows are still allowed. You could use them down your end for pickerel to try something different. There's not much for Lakers in your area anyway. The one time I stayed at Red Pine Chute area we traveled all the way to Hunters Lake to get into some Greys.

Cheers

Salted minnows are still allowed yes.

I have a cottage in Angliers QC. We've been using worms, and leeches with great success for walleye.

[mox72]

Salted minnows are still allowed yes.

I have a cottage in Angliers QC. We've been using worms, and leeches with great success for walleye.

x2 we crush em all day in that part of the province bouncing minnows on bottom with frozen shiners on a jig head. Upgrade that to a minnow-tipped maribou jig and you'll spend more time ho0lding a net than a fishing rod.

[DanO]

And no live minnows or minnow traps in Algonquin Park! No organic bait in the section of the GRand River next to my house! They're working on a bait ban in tiny steps!

I wonder if Gulp, Berkely etc. have a hand in getting minnows banned. They're sales will certainly go up without minnows for sale.
Dan O.