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Juls
08-13-2007, 07:31 AM
Since the other thread is getting too long, I thought it best to start a new thread.

I have emailed all the DNR's for MN, WI, IA, and IL and have only received info from WI so far. I will post the others as they come in, if they come in.

VHS Advisory May 07.txt Rules regarding VHS:
(Copy/Pasted from a text attachement)

ADVISORY
fish health
MAY 2007
VIRAL
HEMORRHAGIC
SEPTICEMIA
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Division of Animal Health

Report of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in Wisconsin

Anyone who raises, transports, and/or fishes in Wisconsin needs to be aware of the following information
provided by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s (DATCP) Division
of Animal Health. For more information, contact Dr. Myron Kebus, 608-224-4876,
myron.kebus@datcp.state.wi.us

Where has viral
hemorrhagic
septicemia been
found?

What is viral
hemorrhagic
septicemia?

What species are
susceptible?

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia has been reported for the first time in Wisconsin,
following the 2005 discovery of the disease in the Great Lakes. On May 11, the
Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
reported finding the disease in freshwater drum, or sheepshead, in Little Lake Butte
des Mortes, part of the Lake Winnebago system. Great Lakes waters where VHS has
been detected are:

• Lake Huron • Lake Ontario
• Lake St. Clair • St. Lawrence River
• Lake Erie
VHS is a very serious virus-caused disease of world-wide concern. Fish bleed
internally and the majority of infected fish die. While many believed for years that it
was mainly a concern for trout, the current outbreak is killing other species. This is
apparently a new strain of the virus. There is no evidence of human health risk from
eating infected fish.

45 species of fish are known to be susceptible to VHS, including these species that are

important in Wisconsin:

• Black crappie
• Bluegill
• Bluntnose minnow
• Brown bullhead
• Brown trout
• Burbot
• Channel catfish
• Chinook salmon
• Coho salmon
• Chum salmon
• Emerald shiner
• Freshwater drum
• Gizzard shad
• Grayling
• Haddock
• Herring
• Japanese flounder
• Largemouth bass
• Muskellunge
• Pike
• Pink salmon
• Pumpkinseed
• Rainbow trout
• Redhorse sucker
• Rock bass
• Round goby
• Smallmouth bass
• Turbot
• Walleye
• White bass
• White perch
• Yellow perch
• Rainbow trout
Fish illustrations ©Virgil Beck


What are the signs of
viral hemorrhagic
septicemia?

VHS requirements
for fish farmers

VHS requirements
for anglers
and boaters

Other
recommendations
for anglers
and boaters

Some fish that die from VHS show no external signs. Others show signs that include
bulging eyes, bloated abdomen, inactive or overactive behavior, and hemorrhaging in
the eyes, skin, gills, and at the base of the fins. Infected fish may also have lesions
that look like those caused by many other fish diseases, so it’s necessary to test.
Mortality is highest at low water temperatures (37-54 F).

VHSV transmits easily between fish at all ages. The virus is secreted through bodily
fluids including urine and blood. It may travel with fish or in water, and may survive
for years in fish and days in water. Surviving fish can become lifelong carriers.

If you import live fish or fish eggs to Wisconsin from any of the other seven Great
Lakes states (Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York),
they must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate that includes negative
VHS test results within the past year. The USDA sets standards for VHS testing.

If you export live fish or fish eggs, your fish must have tested negative for VHS
within the past year. The USDA sets standards for VHS testing.

There is currently no VHS testing requirement for moving fish or fish eggs within
Wisconsin. However, you CANNOT harvest bait fish from the Lake Winnebago
watershed, the Great Lakes, or the Mississippi River. If VHS is found in any other
Wisconsin waters, this ban will be extended statewide.

Any finding of VHS or suspected VHS must be reported to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (608-270-4000) or the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection (608-224-4872).

It is prohibited to move live fish, including bait, and water from the Lake Winnebago
system (see map), the Great Lakes, the Mississippi River, and those waters’
tributaries up to the first dam impassible by fish.

If you fish in these waters, you must use
minnows purchased only from Wisconsin
licensed dealers, or caught in the waters
you’re fishing.

Put your catch on ice and don’t take any
live fish away from the landing or shore,
including unused bait minnows.

Drain water from bilges, bait buckets, live
wells and other containers before leaving.

Use live minnows bought only from
registered bait dealers in Wisconsin or
caught yourself in the same water where
you are fishing.

Before launching and before leaving,
remove all visible plants and animals from
watercraft.



Biosecurity recommendations for fish farms


General guidelines

High-risk activities

Low-risk activities
Fish

Hauling vehicles

Boats

Dead fish

Eggs
Personnel

Equipment

Audits
For more information

Fish farmers need to develop best management practices (BMP) for their specific
farms, consulting with accredited veterinarians and other experts, including
Wisconsin’s fish health veterinarian at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection.

In general, best management practices to prevent VHS should include using equipment
and personnel dedicated to one specific site. The next best alternative may be strict,
comprehensive disinfection as a standard operating procedure. Contact with tissues and
fluids from sick and dead fish should always be viewed as high risk, so BMPs should
include practices to prevent transferring the virus via tissues and fluids.

• Introducing new fish
• Sharing gear, equipment, nets and vehicles
• Contact with birds and any other animals besides fish
• Never move fish between VHS-suspect/positive sites and sites with unknown
disease status.
• Test for VHS at least once a year.
• Maintain vehicle-specific gear, equipment and nets.
• If that isn’t possible, disinfect all gear and equipment. (see guidelines on next page)
• All vehicles should be subject to annual third-party biosecurity audits.
• Don’t move boats between VHS-suspect/positive sites and sites with unknown
disease status.
• If this isn’t possible, thoroughly disinfect boats. (see disinfection guidelines)
• Remove dead or sick fish as soon as possible.
• All surfaces that have had contact with tissues and fluids of dead or sick fish should
be subject to strict disinfection. (see disinfection guidelines)
• Don’t use gametes from individual broodstock that test confirmed positive for VHS.
• Require all your workers to perform complete disinfection procedures when arriving
at and leaving a site. (see disinfection guidelines)
• Properly clean and disinfect all equipment after each use. (see guidelines)
• Do not share equipment between sites.
• Do not use cracked or leaky equipment.
• Retire wooden equipment.
• All surfaces that have had contact with tissues and fluids of dead or sick fish should
be subject to strict disinfection. (see disinfection guidelines)
• You should conduct a biosecurity audit at least once a year, consulting with
accredited veterinarians and other experts.
• For more complete information, see chapter 4 of Best Management Practices for
Aquaculture in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Region, a University of Wisconsin
Sea Grant Institute publication, available at:
http://aqua.wisc.edu/publications/PDFs/AquacultureBMP.pdf


Disinfection guidelines for fish farms


General guidelines

Effective
disinfectants

Egg
disinfection

Equipment

DAH 056

All farms should develop site-specific disinfection programs that address all three phases
of disinfection: cleaning, disinfection and isolation. Disinfection programs should:

• Address all current transmission and infection risks.
• .nclude quality control and assure proper implementation by including components to
ensure all employees recognize the importance of proper disinfection procedures.
• Include adequate documentation to verify consistent implementation and identify
employees responsible for implementation.
• Use cleaning agents and disinfectants only if they’re approved for use by the EPA and
USDA.
• Not include any off-label use of cleaning agents and disinfectants.
• Be consistent with product manufacturer recommendations for worker health and
safety.
• Comply with EPA regulations pertaining to the discharge of cleaning agents and
disinfectants.
• Be consistent with the guidelines established by the Wisconsin Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s Aquaculture Program, listed below.
These disinfectants are effective against VHS:

• Virkon S (1% solution)
• Sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) (100-1,000 mg/liter of water for minimum of
10 minutes)
• Iodophor (100-250 mg/liter for 10 minutes)
• Formaldehyde (1.0% for 16 hours)
• Formic acid (pH less than 4 for 24 hours);
• Sodium hydroxide (pH greater than 12 for 7 hours)
• Heat (55C or hotter for 5 minutes or longer)
• Ozone (8 mg/liter/min for 3 minutes, corresponding to Redox potential of 600750mV)
• UV radiation (120mJ/cm2)
• Sodium thiosulfate can be used to neutralize chlorine or iodine disinfectants.
Choose disinfectants based on their effectiveness in a particular situation, EPA and
USDA approval for that application, and environmental or worker safety risks.

• Avoid contaminating gametes with urine, feces, blood or other organic matter during
spawning.
• Rinse fertilized eggs thoroughly with fresh water.
• Disinfect pre-hardened eggs as soon as possible after fertilization, using a buffered
iodophor at a concentration of 100 ppm for 10 minutes.
• Take great care to separate pre-disinfection activities (dirty area) from fertilized
disinfected eggs (clean area). Don’t let any equipment or personnel cross these areas.
• Disinfect eyed eggs using iodophor solution to give 100ppm prior to hatch or
movement to another location.
• Thoroughly clean all equipment, removing all residue, before disinfecting.
• Remove debris and organic fouling with a brush and/or high pressure hose.
• Clean equipment using a detergent prior to disinfecting.
• Clean and disinfect all other equipment used in the cages before using in another cage.
• Use separate equipment for separate sites.

whatisit
08-13-2007, 12:55 PM
What exactly is a willow cat? Is it a small bullhead or a channel cat or what? Anybody got a picture of one?

koenigsfeld
08-13-2007, 01:34 PM
http://www.in-depthangling.com/forum/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/488779
This is the best pic I can find.
Jared gives a very good description as well.

Kristine Houtman
08-13-2007, 03:16 PM
Since we are launching in/out of Iowa -- I called our Iowa DNR contact person and he said there are no Iowa restrictions to willow cats. Wisconsin does have some regulations, but because we aren't entering/launching from the WI side they don't affect us. That's what the Iowa DNR official told me. So there are no restrictions regarding the MWC tournament there that I can see.

Juls
08-13-2007, 03:27 PM
I pinned your response/post to the top of the message board for your anglers to see.


--------------------------------------------------------------------
All this VHS stuff is too confusing with not only the Feds orders, but each state having their own rules too, it's completely confusing!

I give up! LOL

As far as the FLW is concerned they said, "a ruling on the issue for the League Championship will be in the packets that will be sent out to each of the qualifiers".

That's good enough for me!

Good luck to all the lucky anglers who get to fish the Big Muddy this Fall! Willow Cats or not... It should be a good time of year to be there. ;)

Juls

Mark K.
08-14-2007, 07:56 AM
I don't mean to disagree with Kristine, but just because you are launching out of one state (Iowa) doesn't mean you don't have follow the rules or regulations from another state (WI), particularily if you are fishing the state with the restriction in place. Also I believe there are three states involved Iowa, WI and IL, not just two. Juls since you have been in touch with the guy from WI why don't you run the senario by him of launching out of Iowa and bring willow cats across state lines by water, does this not require compliance with WI regulations or will anglers be restricted to Iowa waters only?

MTW
08-14-2007, 08:06 AM
Willow cats are an allowed bait when launching out of Iowa, end of discussion, enough said.

Juls
08-14-2007, 09:01 AM
http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/pages/vhs.html

WI VHS Emergency Rules Updated June 2007: http://dnr.wi.gov/fish/documents/Combined%20emergency%20VHS%20rules.pdf

Catscooper had this posted the other day too. It specifically says that live bait can be purchased in MN or Iowa and transported across the state lines and used while on the Mississippi River...see 20.08(b) below.

I was told Illinois did not have any 'emergency rules' in place yet, but were in the process of writing them, and they would be out in appoximately a month or so. I would only GUESS that they would be similar or the same as Wisconsin's rules.

--------------------------------------------------------------
NR 20.08 Restrictions on the use of bait. No person may do any of the following:
* * *
(6) Use or possess live fish, fish eggs, crayfish or frogs as bait if obtained outside of, or
brought into, the state of Wisconsin, EXCEPT FOR THE FOLLOWING:

(a) Live fish, fish eggs, crayfish or frogs imported in compliance with the Department of
Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s import and health requirements in ch. ATCP 10.

(b) Live fish, fish eggs, crayfish or frogs obtained in Minnesota or Iowa and used in or
waters of the Mississippi River lying between the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific
railroad tracks on the Iowa or Minnesota side of the river, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad tracks lying on the Wisconsin side of the river, including all sloughs and backwaters,
bays and newly extended water areas connected with the main channel of the Mississippi River
by a channel which is navigable when the waters are approximately equal to the normal pool
elevation as created by the U.S. army corps of engineers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------

This info is for the MWC event at Dubuque, IA only. The FLW League Championship at Moline, IL still might have restrictions in place if willow cats cannot be purchased locally and available to everyone fishing their event.

I8YOURFISH
08-14-2007, 09:12 AM
Can you buy them in IA?

reel
08-14-2007, 10:05 AM
Bait shops in Illinois cannot sell Tadpole Madtoms.

catscooper
08-14-2007, 11:35 AM
I believe I said this two days ago, posted the same information, and you basically called me an idiot. People ... willow cats are legal to use. Just pay attention to where you get them and what water you are using to transport them.

catscooper
08-14-2007, 11:41 AM
"This info is for the MWC event at Dubuque, IA only. The FLW League Championship at Moline, IL still might have restrictions in place if willow cats cannot be purchased locally and available to everyone fishing their event."


IMHO if this is the logic they would use to determine whether or not to allow them they are opening up a HUGE can of "worms", pun intended. What about custom painted crankbaits, are they readily available? Can I use a waterdog in the event, what about a hellgramite, they aren't readily available. How about certain types of chubs. None of the bait shops have them, but they sure are a good wing dam bait. In future events can i protest a team that wins using equipment, say handlines, that can't be purchased locally? I challenge you to find a handline reel anywhere in Moline, IL for sale.

Juls
08-14-2007, 12:21 PM
If you read my post again, I gave YOU credit for finding that JUNE 2007 update of the WI emergency rules.

And, I never called you an idiot. I asked you to prove it, and you did.

Go pat yourself on the back a little harder now. lol

I'm done with it.

Juls

Juls
08-14-2007, 12:35 PM
>In future events can i protest a team that wins using equipment, say handlines, that can't be purchased locally? I challenge you to find a
>handline reel anywhere in Moline, IL for sale.

Nope, because handline reels are readily available online and they will even ship overnight.

Handlining is an accepted technique/presentation in the FLW. We already did that merry go round, and won, so don't even go there.

Call Sonny if you have any more concerns regarding this. 270-252-1591.

Juls

catscooper
08-14-2007, 12:53 PM
"Nope, because handline reels are readily available online and they will even ship overnight.

Handlining is an accepted technique/presentation in the FLW. We already did that merry go round, and won, so don't even go there.

Call Sonny if you have any more concerns regarding this. 270-252-1591.

Juls"
=================
YOU said for purchase locally, not online or some other way. Sure, you can get a handline reel shipped overnight I suppose, or a trot line or jugfishing equipment, and the weights, and everything else required, but I'm sure the shipping is extremely expensive. I could call a baitshop and have bait overnighted too and the shipping, whether the method is driving them down or some other way, would be expensive as well.

You are the one that posted information that was not entirely true or researched or confirmed, so I took it upon myself to point out what I thought the truth was, is that not what this site is about, conversation? Am I not allowed to postulate about what "can of worms" a particular ruling would open up, the same way you postulated about the legality of using willowcats in two tournaments being held on the Mississippi River this fall?

catscooper
08-14-2007, 12:54 PM
You're right, I stand corrected.

MTW
08-14-2007, 01:45 PM
From previous posts I have read on this topic - I hope the FLW has a little more logic behind the banning of willow cats than what is being reported on this thread “willow cats will be banned because they cannot be purchased locally and available to everyone fishing their event." Boy, I never heard of that logic in tourney fishing before.

I agree with Catscooper this would open whole new can of worms on the logic behind it if that ends up being the logic. So then what do we say about prototype crankbaits that certain pros get to use before they even become readily available to the public, are you then going to ban these products, I don’t think so.

Willows cats are a legal bait on the river, that's a fact. I believe the last FLW Tour event held out of Moline was won on the mighty willow cat. So you want to fish cats, get them and use them, if not don’t worry about it catch them another way.

pulloutthegloves
08-14-2007, 01:48 PM
In the right corner we have in the Willow Cat suite "catscooper". In the left corner we have in the Bounty shorts "Juls". Stay tuned!
:popcorn:

Juls
08-14-2007, 02:16 PM
Davis Kold is "Bounty"...I'm the Sudsy "Gain" Gal. :boxing: ;)

Hey... I simply tried to help, by getting the answer for someone who ASKED for it. There's the answer. If they don't like it there are two... no, make that three, choices.
1. Live with it.
2. Call the FLW and tell them why, in your minds, their way of thinking is wrong, and get willow cats allowed.
3. Don't fish the Championship and give up your spot to the next person who would love to be in your shoes.

I really don't care if they are allowed to use the bait or not.

Personally, I think if it is legal, they should be allowed to use them too.
But, these guys are having to much fun arguing with me that I didn't want them to know that. I wouldn't want to ruin their fun!:fishhit:

Juls
oh yeah...catscooper, in case you weren't aware...trot lines and jugfishing are not allowed in the FLW. LOL

john mannerino
08-14-2007, 03:11 PM
WWWOOOOWWWW!!!!!!!! Life was sure easier when I fished with a coffee can of worms we dug up in the yard.