Taking leeches into Canada

[Wally Tap]

I am interested in how many fishermen still buy there bait in the US and cross the boarder anyway. The camp we go to dosent offer this and is not close to any real bait shops. I just wanted to get a feel for what the rest are doing.

[THUMPER]

I guess you could ignore the laws of the country you are visiting because they do not suit your needs.......Why not break the rest of the laws while you are at it......I mean the ones that you think are not for you.
Our COs are efficient and if you get caught.........and I hope you do ...........I hope you get the maximum the law allows.
You have a very bad attitude.

[Northbay]

I wouldn't do it. If you get caught big fine and big trouble. I think it is one of the MNR's points of interest this year, looking for bait. Some bait shops in the area I fish give you a receipt so you can show MNR where you got them to avoid arrest.

[CJW]

You can take night crawlers but I'd leave the leaches home. Crawlers have to be in commercial bedding, anything but dirt. Could be a heavy fine if you get caught. To me it would be the same as smuggling narcotics across. You do the crime you should do the time! They have good reasons why leaches aren't aloud across. You'll have to ask some more guys on here why butit could be a contamination issue. Just my 2 cents! Craig

[curt quesnell]

its a shame that decent bait is sometimes hard to find in
canada. we made a trip to tobin a few years ago. wonerful
people, very fair prices and rules but the bait sucked!!!!!
we heard that the big fish were caught on smuggled in leeches.

i dont know if thats true or not. but there were no good
leeches to be had in the area.

it is getting better. in the early days of our minaki trips
you couldnt get any bait at any price. (there was some smuggleing
goin on). now decent bait is available if you hunt a little.

i no longer fish canada but the availability of bait is not the
reason


curt quesnell

[David Anderson]

Say what!

They guys is looking for advise, not a lecture. Where in his conversation did he even suggest breaking the law? Is it not true that it is legal to bring crawlers in with the appropriate bedding. How about preserved minnows, are they allowed? Any ideas other than the between the line crap that you have read. It sounds like your from Canada, is the best you can offer. Maybe you didn't understand the question, let me repeat it so it might make more sense to you. When going to Canada, and your bait availability is limited, what options does a person have in securing bait without breaking the law. I think you have the bad attitude reversed.

[irv johnson]

What part of NO don't you understand? You did ask if others were smuggling in leeches. If you cannot afford live bait in Canada?? Salt some minnows with borax. Take in crawlers in artifical bedding. They have reasons for what they do--they don't make rules to irritate US citizens and they don't have to take any crap off you "sports" who write in. I wish the US would annex Canada(if they would have us)--it would raise the US IQs a lot. I am from Wisconsin and have been to Canada 250+ times-age 71. Learn a little respect or stay the ##### home.

[GregK]

You said it Irv!! You are a guest in the country, respect the laws even if you do not agree with them.

I'm not sure where you cross but my experience has been that leeches are readily available by the pound in most of the boarder areas. Ft Francis has 3 or 4 locations to buy them by the pound. They keep very well. Just put them in a cooler that is 3/4 full of water and put ice in as required to keep the water good an cold. It will look like they are dead but they just go dormant. You can store them in the cooler while you're on your trip as well. Change the water with more COLD water that has not been clorinated.

[Frank from TBay]

Irv.....You can fish in my boat anytime

[DICK]

I GUESS I DONT UNDERSTAND ALL THE HOSTILITY ON THIS POSTING. COME ON GUYS. I FOR ONE CONSIDER IT A PRIVILEGE TO FISH CANADA AND WILL FOLLOW THE LAWS WHAT EVER THEY ARE. I CANNOT IMAGINE GETTING CAUGHT FOR SOMETHING AND HAVING THAT HANGING OVER MY HEAD EVERY YEAR AS I CROSS THE BORDER. THE REAL ODD THING IS THAT IN THE AREA WHERE I HAVE BEEN GOING FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THE BAIT SHOPS BUY THEIR LEECHES FROM DEALERS THAT BRING THEM IN FROM MINN.
CROSS SOME EYES
DICK

[curt quesnell]

can you imagine the embarrassment of getting caught at the
border smuggleing bait...not to mention the expense.
i agree that if you get caught breaking the law you pay
and take your punishment. not just crossing the border
but in everything you do.

it has been many years since my last ontario canada trip and
many years before that since we "sneaked" in leeches.
as soon as there was a reliable source to buy bait
in canada we did.

you will find hostility from some people in just about
anything. some hate downrigging, some hate tournaments,
some hate border guards. some of it is hard to understand.

curt quesnell

[Suzuki]

Not mine.

[Suzuki]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-21-01 AT 07:47AM (CST)[p]I agree with you 100% David and Dick. This poor guy shows the concern to write a post to his fellow fisherman asking for advice on how a situation is acceptably handled today ,as opposed to what was acceptable in the past, and he gets jumped. What a bunch of crap. The info on the worms, salted minnows and leeches purchased over the border was good information. The advice to not smuggle in illegal bait was also good. Everything beyond that was ridiculous.

[Hawgeye]

I agree, nothing said about breaking any laws. Even if it was inferred that as an option, it is not.

I too deal with problems finding quality bait in Canada. Leeches is a problem but minnows and crawlers are available, and if not, bring your own crawlers in the correct bedding or Borax dry some minnows. They do work. Maybe not as well as the live ones but non-the-less, work.

Let's be more careful to bash people on how they ask a question. If he intended to try to smuggle them in, he should be reported, if not, which I am assuming he did not plan too, I will give him the benifit of the doubt.

LIGHTEN UP, the more minds on this board, the better the dissection of answers made available....

[wallytap]

I myself would not bother hauling them in.It's not worth it to make sure they stay cool and fresh.Try plastics instead...wallytap