Keith@FishOnBait

Ed, Sorry for the delay in response, and thank you for your post and email. We had hoped that our products would be distributed throughout the NY Market by now, but that has not been the case. Our NY distributors have decided to hold off this season, choosing to continue the program in 2009. So, sadly, the closest location you could find our baits is likely either near Detroit, MI or in Mississauga, Ontario. Tight lines... Keith

Still the same - you can login at the link above and voice your opinions on the matter. Looks like they want to watch live bait closely, but even that you can chime in on with your feelings and opinions. Ultimately, when I spoke with Greg at the DEC office, he said that he wants sportsmen to give their opinions because the resource is all of ours. As far as our baits? I am talking with a few distributors who are looking to take on the herring in the next 2-3 weeks. Buy the spin doctors AND real meat - you need every option to get the fish in the box. Tight lines... Keith

I posted stuff about this on another thread about cut bait, but it is important and wanted to give it its own post "space". The regs are about the proposed stoppage of sales of certain live and frozen baits that you buy to help you catch fish. If this affects you, read on... I have spoken with Greg Kozlowski, Program Chair of the NY DEC, and he had good things to say about their willingness to listen to our comments about the proposed NY regulations. He explained that the proposed regulations are mostly concerning the prevention of invasive species from entering the ecosystem. The DEC are concerned about the VHS virus, but have really been more concerned about preventing the movement of invasive species. Problem is, the regs don't state that. They just go into detail about preventing bait use. My comments in my email were to say that Herring are not on the list at all! There needs to be a comment that they are not on the prevented list, and need to be on the "green light" list. He recommended that EVERYONE go to the following site, which has the proposed regulations in full. Again, they are just proposals, and the earliest they would go into effect is October 1, 2008: http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/34113.html I'll save some of you from reading everything and say that NOTHING changes from last years regs. If you are used to buying our frozen herring baits, know that you can continue to use our baits. We brine our baits to the NY DEC standards. Once you take a look at the regs, click on the feedback email right there on the page or email your comments using the following info: Shaun Keeler, email address: [email protected], with a subject "Proposed Rulemaking Parts 10, 18, 19, 35 and 180 - Sportfishing Regulations" They ABSOLUTELY want people to comment/email/call, because, as Greg said, "these are YOUR regulations." These proposed regulations do NOT go into effect until OCTOBER 1, 2008 at the earliest. Greg said there is plenty of time to take YOUR comments into considerations in order to make these regulations the best they can be.

That's right - the earliest would be 10/01/2008. Another interesting thing he pointed out about the Green List is that it has been talked about for years (before they became concerned with VHS). Interesting point he brought up: When they were putting the Green List together years ago, it was to prevent one species from "taking over" a local ecology and virtually wiping out the population of one or more of our prized trophy fish. Moreover, dead (frozen) fish don't reproduce, so the Green List didn't have frozen bait in mind. It was more to prevent another animal from coming in, reproducing, and taking over and destroying the fragile ecosystem. I think it is each person's right and responsibility to make their voice heard. It's like with voting for the president - if you don't vote, you don't have an opinion because you had your chance. I hope everyone gets the word out for folks to take the time and effort to help manage THEIR natural resource.

Just got off the phone with Greg Kozlowski, NY DEC who was a great insight into what the proposed regulations are looking like. First, he recommended that EVERYONE should go to the following site, which has the proposed regulations in full. Again, they are just proposals, and the earliest they would go into effect is October 1, 2008: http://www.dec.ny.gov/regulations/34113.html I'll save some of you from reading everything and say that NOTHING changes from last years regs. That said, once you have taken a look at everything, he welcomed your comments, and said to email to the link in each section you have comments on - they ABSOLUTELY want people to comment/email/call, because, as Greg said, "these are YOUR regulations." They are accepting comments now and for the next month or more (in some cases, depending on the section) and these proposed regulations do NOT go into effect until OCTOBER 1, 2008 at the earliest. Greg said there is plenty of time to take YOUR comments into considerations in order to make these regulations the best they can be.

Richard - didn't mean to question your ability to call out a message or your standing in the community at all... just noticing something (that's actually not listed) in the detailed response you pulled from the DEC site: No mention of either the Atlantic or Puget Sound Herring (clupea harengus/clupea pallasi). Blueback Herring & Alewife are different fish entirely than Atlantic Herring for sure - even though they are from the same family of fishes (clupea), they are not found or harvested in the same places. Specifically, there was no mention of any fish in the Clupea family, and no mention any fish in the Sardinella family either. Lake herring and bluebacks don't count as all of 'em. I am back in contact with the folks at the NY DEC to get further clarification, because I agree with you - we need clear and good information on the site for folks to go by. Keith

Yankee Troller, we have to be very specific about what is actually PUBLISHED in the Fish Health Regs in response to VHS and really careful not to start "the sky is falling" thinking. Currently there is nothing citing specific species types of herring. If it did, it would likely cite that VHSv HAS been found in certain types of herring (specifically the Pacific Puget Sound Herring and river herring), but certainly not in all types of herring in either the clupea or sardinella families. One example is that the Atlantic Herring has never been found to contain VHSv. If a species was placed on a susceptible list requiring testing for certification, a bait producer would simply be required to choose whether or not to have their baits tested as VHSv free. Still, nobody is prevented from using or selling ANY type of bait. We have to be careful to not make broad generalizations. That's how wars start! Next we'll hear that because somebody drowned due to boat capsize, nobody will be allowed in a boat. :shock: Seriously, we have to look at the facts and what is actually published before assuming that all/every baitfish is "banned", because that is not the case.

Daun, didn't think I was slandering - just saddened. Was actually talking about the Rochester and Syracuse locations who were asking for 3-4 cases in August - had no way of gettin the bait to them. Now that you mention it, there were a few Michigan boys who wanted some bait. No slander - just a missed route of around 25 cases pre-sold. GanderS, plural. Ahh sigh. Bygones. More to say but more interested in the future and keepin' folks in stock.

Ok sounds good - gotta keep my chinooks straight for sure. Keith

Chinook, I am sorry to hear that you are turned off from our products. For that reason especially. I was in contact with the Gander Mountains in your area and beyond all last season, and was assured by my local distributor, N & D Tackle, that they would be in stock throughout the season. The fact that each Gander Mountain store was ringing my phone off the hook in August asking if something happened to Daun or if we discontinued our herring product lines in the area is a testiment to her absolute horrific customer service. She failed Fish On Bait and she failed her customers. That is unacceptible to me. From my location it is impossible to make deliveries for 4-6 cases of product.. it just doesn't make sense for the customer to spend $200 per case for UPS/DHL shipping or for us to send a refrigerated 18-wheeler cross country making stops. Whole Red and Green Label herring will be in stock in the Gander Mountains this season. This isn't a lofty claim or outrageous promise. This is just an approved Gander Mountain vendor doing what they are supposed to do. As for cutbait? No claims, no promises. Keith

Hey guys, Thought I'd chime in briefly on the topic... You're right. Be wary of the product you are buying, because a lot of herring products are not VHS compliant. Daun at N & D has put out a lot of great information regarding this topic. Essentially, any baitfish you catch cannot be transported to any other body of water or cannot be moved outside of the immediate area it was caught and must be used where you caught it. Most frozen baits do not qualify as compliant. That said, Fish On Bait Company products were and will once again be compliant this season. We continue to talk with all of the DEC and DNR offices as well as the APHIS (USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service) folks to ensure that we continue to do everything we need to do to be compliant. If you are buying any herring meat products, make sure that it complies. We will have our Red Label and Green Label whole herring in and around Lake Ontario (USA side) for purchase. Watch for it in local bait shops, marinas, and Ganders. www.fishonbait.com/GreatLakes.html Last note - unfortunately it does not look like we will be producing our herring strips products this season. Anything is possible, but right now we are looking at a June production at best. Most guys are talking about doing what everyone out in the Pacific Northwest, BC, and Alaska does with cut bait - make their own. They take a Green Label herring and cut their own strips, and brine/salt them up for a 2-4 week span in refrigeration. Longer the better.

Hey everyone, I usually don't post, but thought I would chime in briefly to help if I could. There is a lot of misinformation out there, and I am not entirely sure that the DEC has a complete understanding on this one either. I have spoken with the DNR and DEC offices from NY through Wisconsin and everywhere in between, and all I hear is specifics on two matters: 1) Brining & 2) Location of Catch. If you buy Fish On Bait Co whole or cut herring, know that our brining measures are above the boards for the DEC (it is not just the freezing in this case, it's the addition of salt and our "secret sauce" in brining each strip and whole herring). In addition, our herring has been pronounced "clean" by those at the government's testing body, APHIS (Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service seen at www.APHIS.usda.gov) because our herring is NOT caught in either the Great Lakes Region or Puget Sound (both areas have tested positive for VHSv). In any case, keep spreading the good information, know that there will be frozen bait in the market to be used freely (as long as it passes cert & standards), and know that Fish On Bait Co herring will always be good to go. www.fishonbait.com/GreatLakes.html Tight lines... Keith Fish On Bait Company