KDWPT Commission Moves to Protect Kansas Waters

KANSAS WILDLIFE, PARKS AND TOURISM COMMISSION MOVES TO PROTECT KANSAS WATERS


Dec. 8, 2011

Wild-caught bait may only be used in waters where caught; other restrictions passed

TOPEKA – During a special public hearing Tuesday evening, Dec. 6, Kansas Wildlife, Parks and Tourism Commissioners acted on regulations governing the use and movement of wild-caught live bait fish and the transport of fish from waters designated as having aquatic nuisance species (ANS) present.

The new regulations change the way Kansas anglers collect and use live bait fish and were approved to curtail the spread of invasive aquatic species — particularly Asian carp, zebra mussels, and white perch — in Kansas lakes and streams. These and other aquatic nuisance species are often spread accidently by people using the state’s lakes and rivers.

The Commission listened to public comments and considered various options before taking action. Commissioners voted on regulations that will take effect Jan. 1, 2012 and will 1) allow anglers to use wild-caught live bait fish only in the pool of a lake or impoundment where taken; 2) prohibit anglers from transporting wild-caught bait fish taken from a flowing stream or river across any dam or natural barrier; 3) prohibit anglers from transporting any live fish upon departure from any ANS-designated body of water; 4) prohibit releasing any fish in department waters (unless the fish was caught from the water into which it is being released), navigable publicly-owned rivers, and federal reservoirs; and 4) require that vessels being removed from all waters of the state have livewells and bilges drained and drain plugs removed before transport on any public highway.

Aquatic nuisance species are animals and plants not native to Kansas that can threaten lake and river ecology, harm native or desirable species, and interfere with the state’s economy. Negative impacts on Kansas waters include, but are not limited to, the following:

• diminished food supplies and degraded habitat for other species;
• reduced numbers and variety of desirable fish;
• reduced fishing and other recreational opportunities;
• lowered property values and decreased quality of municipal water sources;
• fouled water lines, clogged intakes, burned out pumps, damaged power generating facilities, and decreased water system efficiency; and
• increased risk of flooding due to overcrowded biomass and clogging of lake outlets.

Biologists have identified the movement of wild-caught bait fish and water as a significant factor in the spread of these dangerous species. With the passage of these regulations, anglers will be restricted to using wild-caught bait fish caught only from the waters where they are fishing or using live bait fish purchased from certified bait dealers.

Anglers will not be able to transport any live fish from waters listed in the Kansas Fishing Regulations Summary (available wherever licenses are sold) as harboring ANS species. And finally, all boaters will be required to remove drain plugs and drain livewells and bilges before transporting vessels on public highways from waters of the state.

For details on aquatic nuisance species, including the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism’s Aquatic Nuisance Species Management Plan, go online to www.kdwpt.state.ks.us/news/content/search?SearchText=ans .

FISH CLEANING STATIONS That are useable year around, would be a good start, a cleaning table with power to run our knives and buckets for our guts . have the camp host dump the guts I know they clean the station twice a day at Clinton .

Craig if you answer a few questions. Thanks

1. Can I catch bait, green perch and gills from a lake then transport them to a river? The lake I catch bait at when at high water flows into the same river about 1 mile from were bait will be used? Lake Neosho state lake and Neosho river.

2. Clearify on #4. What if livewell has fish in it that I want to take home to be cleaned? Livewell water would then be emptied at my house in yard or street?

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Originally Posted by walleyecrazy839

FISH CLEANING STATIONS That are useable year around, would be a good start, a cleaning table with power to run our knives and buckets for our guts . have the camp host dump the guts I know they clean the station twice a day at Clinton .

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We take an extension and board and use the Rest rooms for power and water. Every lake I fish in the winter has at least 1 open. No problems YET but we don't leave a mess either. Been watched like a hawk a couple times though. Making the existing cleaning stations year round would be easy. Using walk-in freezer tech. would make for removable paneled walls. They would probably only get 1/4 of the use this time of year also. IMHO

Yes no place to clean fish on most lakes except the hand pump station. Need fish cleaning stations with electricity for knifes and water to clean fillets off. Get modern KWPD

Can I catch green perch in a pond and use them in a river??

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Originally Posted by Blackdog40

Yes no place to clean fish on most lakes except the hand pump station. Need fish cleaning stations with electricity for knifes and water to clean fillets off. Get modern KWPD

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X2 Yeah Kansas at least try to keep up with Missouri a little.

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Originally Posted by crappiedoc

We take an extension and board and use the Rest rooms for power and water. Every lake I fish in the winter has at least 1 open. No problems YET but we don't leave a mess either. Been watched like a hawk a couple times though. Making the existing cleaning stations year round would be easy. Using walk-in freezer tech. would make for removable paneled walls. They would probably only get 1/4 of the use this time of year also. IMHO

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you guys out west got it all not only do our privvies not have water most have no electric don't use corn cobs anymore don't think

This makes no sense at all to me. There is NO difference in dumping my livewell at the lake versus dumping my livewell in my driveway. I'm 50 yds from public drainage and there's no way I can contaminate . There are few or no cleaning stations at Clinton, Perry, and Pomona lakes and I dont see in the above announcement where Kansas Wildlife is going to help us out by building any more. I don't know if you've ever been out on a ocean fishing pier but they are one rank foul smelling area and I suspect that's what's going to happen in and around Ks. docks next year.

This same law is on the books in other states. Minnesota put it in place in July of 2010. It was hashed out by a lot of arguing fishermen and seemed it was about 50/50 on support for it. Some of the things brought up were, wouldn't it be better to check the boats before they entered the water at the ramp. The invasive species are already here and to say that in a perfect scenario that this will stop the spread is rediculous. At best it will only slow it down. Personally i'm fine with the law. Some of the things the Minnesotans recomend are slitting a gill and putting the fish in the livewell then throw the fish on ice after pulling the boat out continue home and clean them. I noticed the law states any lake that has been diagnosed with an invasive species so there are some lakes that are free at this point so it appears it is a mute point if you fish those lakes however it is contradicting in itself when it goes on to say traveling down any public roads , so what exactly does it mean? What about boats that don't have a drainplug? Nature is an everchanging thing and the KDWP is just trying to do something which is what we pay them to do. If they sat back and did nothing then we would lay the blame on them for that, they're kind of in a no win situation here. It is the law and whether we like it or not it should be obeyed. If enough people don't like it then that is what voting is for. I suspect tht after a year there will be no more hoopla about it, that is how it worked out in the other states. No different than getting used to any other law that changes. I suspect it is here to stay so get used to it.

The livewell thing I have been worried about. I live across the street from a small pond in spring hill. Our storm drain runs right into the lake so my driveway is less than 120 yards to the pond via the sewer... If that things get zebra muscle there who are they going to blame? Now many people use the lake but the if I bring home a livewell full of crappie from Melvern and empty my boat on the street I just put zebra larva in that little pond. Going to be a pain in my tail...

I'm an old trotliner. Some lakes I fish have alot of flathead in them, but try to catch some gills or blacks and good luck to ya! You can catch all the shad you want, but good luck keeping them alive in the bait bucket and even more so on the hook!
This means I will have to fish primarily for drum and carp for bait, which of course is fine bait for flatties, but takes much longer, whether by hook and line or seining. Bait shops will no longer be able to sell black perch and pond chubs I guess? And pulling the boat drain before venturing on to a public highway? So do you have to have drain pulled any time you are on the road? How does one prove you are coming or going to the body of water? And what about the trailer framework? There are nooks and crannies where water can pool up and stay for a while in all the boat trailers I have ever seen. What if I leave one mussel infested lake and go to another that is not infested in the same day, having pulled my drain plug and abiding by the law, but yet my trailer is housing a few larvae? And God only knows how many boaters may forget to reinstall the plug before launching again? This is all just a futile attempt to delay the inevitable spread of ANS to all waters eventually. Someone from a long ways back should have had the foresight and insight to never accept any birds or fish of any kind from other countries such as China or Europe. Chinese eat cats and dogs, and little bugs and scorpions on a stick, let alone any kind of fish that swims! We can thank Europe for our Starling population. Anyone ever tried eating Starling?

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Originally Posted by CrappieCHAMP

Craig if you answer a few questions. Thanks

1. Can I catch bait, green perch and gills from a lake then transport them to a river? The lake I catch bait at when at high water flows into the same river about 1 mile from were bait will be used? Lake Neosho state lake and Neosho river.

2. Clearify on #4. What if livewell has fish in it that I want to take home to be cleaned? Livewell water would then be emptied at my house in yard or street?

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Originally Posted by Blackdog40

Can I catch green perch in a pond and use them in a river??

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by sunka27

I'm an old trotliner. Some lakes I fish have alot of flathead in them, but try to catch some gills or blacks and good luck to ya! You can catch all the shad you want, but good luck keeping them alive in the bait bucket and even more so on the hook!
This means I will have to fish primarily for drum and carp for bait, which of course is fine bait for flatties, but takes much longer, whether by hook and line or seining. Bait shops will no longer be able to sell black perch and pond chubs I guess? And pulling the boat drain before venturing on to a public highway? So do you have to have drain pulled any time you are on the road? How does one prove you are coming or going to the body of water? And what about the trailer framework? There are nooks and crannies where water can pool up and stay for a while in all the boat trailers I have ever seen. What if I leave one mussel infested lake and go to another that is not infested in the same day, having pulled my drain plug and abiding by the law, but yet my trailer is housing a few larvae? And God only knows how many boaters may forget to reinstall the plug before launching again? This is all just a futile attempt to delay the inevitable spread of ANS to all waters eventually. Someone from a long ways back should have had the foresight and insight to never accept any birds or fish of any kind from other countries such as China or Europe. Chinese eat cats and dogs, and little bugs and scorpions on a stick, let alone any kind of fish that swims! We can thank Europe for our Starling population. Anyone ever tried eating Starling?

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I hope to answer all of your questions on the new bait regulations in the very near future. The KDWPT ANS Coordinator has been working closely with the Law Enforcement Division to create an official guidance statement that will cover many, many scenarios similar to the ones posted above.

Stay tuned! I will post information as soon as it is made available.