Recreation

There is a classic battle brewing between federal and state fish agencies that seems to be leaving the little guys twisting in the wind.

The little guys are bait dealers throughout the Great Lakes region, including every mom 'n' pop operation in Ohio.

Remember those floating sheephead on Lake Erie last summer? That's how this thing all started. Some were scooped up and sent away for testing. Seems they had viral hemorrhagic septicemia, which also killed some perch and other species in the lake.

That prompted the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service on Oct. 24 to issue a ban that would prohibit transporting 37 species of fish across state lines.

While it looks like the feds might modify that order somewhat, it still could cripple bait dealers, especially if it remains in effect when fishing season returns next spring.

Bait dealers are affected because minnows are among the banned species. If dealers cannot get minnows, they can't sell minnows.

"Places like Wal-Mart and Meijer sell night crawlers and wax worms, but the small bait dealers are the only ones who sell minnows," said Leon Cole of Cole's Bait & Tackle near Paint Creek Lake. "If I can't get minnows, I'll go out of business.

"Right now, minnows are the hot bait for fishing in the Paint Creek spillway. And, frankly, that's what's keeping me going right now."

At least for now, fathead minnows are not on the banned list. But that can change, because blunt-nose minnows are listed, and they're closely related to fatheads.

Gene Marciniak, who runs Gene's Marine, selling bait at Indian Lake, said even if he is able to get minnows, the price is likely to go sky high.

"There are only a few people raising minnows in Ohio, so you know they will be in demand, and there's no way they can supply all of the needs of the dealers," he said.

He said minnows can be shipped across a state line if that batch is inspected and passed by an aquatic veterinarian — also driving up the cost.

As Cole pointed out, the life of a minnow kept in a bait dealer's tank is about 10 days. After that, they die. So there is no way to build up a supply.

The list includes just about all fish found in Lake Erie, including walleye, perch, bass and rainbow trout (steelhead). That would cancel the state's steelhead stocking program, since those critters are traded with Michigan for Ohio channel catfish. Ohio has its steelhead supply for next spring's stocking, getting them in just under the wire in October. They're being raised at the hatchery in Castalia.

Here's another silly part of the order. Emerald shiners are on the list. Ohio bait dealers get them from New York, where they are seined out of Lake Erie! Not being able to get shiners to fish for Lake Erie perch would certainly cripple that Ohio fishery.

Most of the minnows sold in Ohio come from Minnesota and Wisconsin. If the ban stands, it will not only hurt bait dealers in all Great Lakes states, it will put those fish farms and distributors out of business.

State agencies such as the Ohio Division of Wildlife and counterparts in all of the Great Lakes states and Canada want the ban lifted. They have told the feds they are handling the VHS problem and the transportation ban will be an economic disaster throughout the region.

"They (APHIS) called me early in the week and were willing to back off some, but not in the most important area — allowing the states to handle the problem," said Ray Petering, executive administrator of fish management at the Division of Wildlife. "So as of now (late Thursday), everything is the same. The order stands."

The only good thing is this ban came in late October, not March. Stay tuned.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2409 or jmorris@DaytonDailyNews.com.