Travis Sorokie and Duane Osgood spend about 150 to 200 days of the year fishing. This season, new regulations intended to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species will have them taking a few extra steps every time they put their boat in and take it out of the water.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are making extra efforts to prevent the spread of invasive species such as zebra mussels, Asian carp and Eurasian watermilfoil by requiring boaters to pull their drain plugs, empty their live wells and carry tap water for bait instead of lake water. Anglers must also post a sticker in their boat and one on their trailer so the DNR knows they are aware of the new regulations upon inspection. Not everyone is thrilled about having to post the stickers, however, and failure to comply with the regulations can result in fines starting at $50.
"It seems like a lot of people are up in arms about having to put a little three by five sticker in their boats and on their trailers but I’m more concerned about transporting bait," Sorokie said. "How are they going to regulate that and are they going to give everyone a ticket just for transporting their bait?"
Sorokie, who is from Sauk Rapids, said that carrying clean water may sound like a good idea but is not necessarily practical. He and Osgood, who is from St. Cloud, are good examples of anglers who often fish more than one lake in a day so it can create challenges.
"The problem with the tap water is that if you have a jar of it sitting in your truck for a few hours and then you put your bait in it, there could be a 10- to 15-degree difference than the lake water and that can make a big difference for your bait," Sorokie explained.
"It is going to change the way you fish. I think what they are trying to do is good but I think wildlife are more responsible for spreading invasives than boaters are."
Taking the bait
In addition to the extra steps boaters must take, lake service providers and bait shop owners are also being asked to do more. The DNR is going to have mobile decontamination stations which are expected to make frequent appearances at the busiest Minnesota lakes such as Lake Minnetonka, Gull Lake, Lake Mille Lacs, Leech Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish, according to Bill Hohenstein, owner of BJ’s Bait and Tackle on Clearwater Lake. Hohenstein said that Clearwater and Sylvia may also be visited by the DNR’s mobile units because they are considered to be highly populated lakes in the summer. Like Sorokie, Hohenstein said the extra efforts are good but he remains skeptical about how realistic the approach is.
"It’s worth a shot but how will it be possible for them to do all that? The DNR doesn’t have enough money to do things now. We’ve come a long ways with programs like catch and release so it’s going to come down to educating the public," Hohenstein said. "Sure, they can check boats for their drain plugs and live wells but are they going to check everyone’s bait too?"
Transporting bait seems to be at the forefront of concerns about the new regulations but Hohenstein said it is likely that anglers wanting to avoid being fined may start moving more towards a trend of using more artificial bait than live bait. He also questioned the effectiveness of regulation enforcement for private access points.
"There are public access points but all these lakes around here have so many private access points where someone can put a boat or water craft into the water," Hohenstein said. "I don’t think you are ever going to get rid of invasive species or prevent it because wildlife can spread it so easily too. Our waterways are so connected. All it would take is for a couple carp or zebra mussels to get over one of our dams during a heavy storm."
Hohenstein said he expects Annandale’s lakes to one day be infected but he hopes the new regulations will, at a minimum, raise awareness so that perhaps the process could be slowed.
"Mother nature is pretty tough, though, and she will win," Hohenstein said.
Decontamination stations
Lake service providers such as J & J Marine and Anchor Dock & Lift are also expected to facilitate decontamination and help educate boaters about the new regulations. The DNR is even requiring them to go through a half-day seminar to learn about invasive species, the new regulations and decontamination. Additionally, all the employees of lake services providers must go through an hour-long online training.
J & J Marine has already gone through the training process and Anchor Dock & Lift is completing it this month. Both service providers agree that the DNR’s efforts are good and that self-regulation of local lake service providers will also help.
"Anybody with a livelihood that depends on the area lakes benefits from the new regulations," said Jefferson Bishop, owner of Anchor Dock & Lift. "The initial reaction is negative because it’s more regulation. But it really is a good thing because if we start seeing invasive species in our lakes, the overall value of lakeshore properties drops, tourism is effected and general business in the area goes down. It causes a ripple effect and can do significant harm to the community."
Bishop said boaters can stop by his shop for decontamination because they have a new bay that meets regulations. J & J Marine is also in the process of installing a similar station, providing another option for the area. Bishop added that he thinks it would be a good investment to install stations at the public access points or private points overseen by lake associations because failure to decontaminate with high temperature water means a 21-day wait before a boat or water craft is considered naturally decontaminated.
Jim Buranen, owner of J & J Marine, echoed Bishop’s concerns and is also optimistic that a community effort can help slow the arrival of invasive species in area lakes.
"The DNR is doing the best they can and money is tight," Buranen said. "But, we all use the lakes. We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve a little bit to protect our resources. It’s an education process but it’s up to all of us boaters and property owners to keep our natural resources clean for the future."
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