What exactly is the shiner problem?

[penalty box]

sounds like a good problem

[Fishin Crazy]

Just wondering with shiners sometimes hard to get has anyone ever tried shrimp for perch bait on Erie? I have caught perch when fishing for catfish with shrimp.

[rscotfish]

ill be happy to cast for walleye with great and easy limits sounds like a great problem to me ill use goldies

[imrsmk]

I spoke with a wildlife officer. Because of the shortage, a lot of bait dealers are buying golden shiners from out of state. Officers are checking the dealers for invasive species (like Asian Carp). They didn't create the problem, but are working to protect our resource.

I don't know if the story about dumping a tank is factual or not. However, in my opinion, if a dealer has an over abundance of walleye in their tank, allowing the dealer to return the walleye to the lake, rather than issuing them a hefty fine would be using officer discretion. Again, just my opinion.

I've read on other threads here, and in other locations, about the problems minnow boats are having getting shiners. They can't even catch enough to pay for their gas. To me, that seems to be the root of the problem. I've never seen an exact reason. Some said poor water clarity from storms, others said the algae is causing clarity issues, and some said too many walleye (I suppose you could try to blame the wildlife people for that if you want.)

Please remember, wildlife officers have a job to protect the resource and are dedicated to their jobs, just like most of us. They are also avid hunters and anglers, just like us. When their aren't any minnows, they can't fish either. Just saying.

John

[wakina]

I spoke with a wildlife officer. Because of the shortage, a lot of bait dealers are buying golden shiners from out of state. Officers are checking the dealers for invasive species (like Asian Carp). They didn't create the problem, but are working to protect our resource.

I don't know if the story about dumping a tank is factual or not. However, in my opinion, if a dealer has an over abundance of walleye in their tank, allowing the dealer to return the walleye to the lake, rather than issuing them a hefty fine would be using officer discretion. Again, just my opinion.

I've read on other threads here, and in other locations, about the problems minnow boats are having getting shiners. They can't even catch enough to pay for their gas. To me, that seems to be the root of the problem. I've never seen an exact reason. Some said poor water clarity from storms, others said the algae is causing clarity issues, and some said too many walleye (I suppose you could try to blame the wildlife people for that if you want.)

Please remember, wildlife officers have a job to protect the resource and are dedicated to their jobs, just like most of us. They are also avid hunters and anglers, just like us. When their aren't any minnows, they can't fish either. Just saying.

John

Talked to 3 net boats today face to face or their employees, Seems that the ODNR about a month or so ago was checking bait store tanks and minnow net boats at the dock for small walleyes in the mix of Emerald shiners. Now they are checking for invasive species just as you have stated. They say that they do catch a few small walleyes now from time to time but that they are easy to spot since they are mostly 3 to 4 inches long they are not catching the numbers that they were a few weeks ago due to the walleyes growing up and changing their habitat areas. The boat that services the bait store behind Wild Wings only caught about 1 gallon of shiners last night and they were sold out by 7:30 or so this morning. This is normally the time of the year that we get alot of this years Emerald Shiner YOY(PinHeads). They did not have any thoughts as to what is causing the shortage besides the points that you have already listed. In reallity I do not believe they really know what is causing the current shortage of Shiners