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Sawbellies in stock anywhere?


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Lucky - they are netted in the Finger Lakes proper by the distributor (at least around here) and the sellers are certified  and give receipts to buyers. I think they are subject to inspection and testing  by DEC  etc. I don't believe they can be pond raised and survive. Keeping these sawbellies alive can also be tricky and changes in water composition, temperature and even being jostled around in a container or livewell can kill them. They don't usually hold up well over significant time intervals unless kept in large tanks with running lake water and additives and plenty of oxygenation.  At about a buck apiece they can be an expensive and high maintenance undertaking. I've seen whole tanks die off in the past without clear indication why other than temperature change in the water.

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For certification, they have to be tested.  I knew the dealers netted them, and my friends that used to night fish Canandaigua told me how fragile they were, so I just assumed a dealer would only sell on the lake where they were netted, to avoid the certification cost and hassle and the additional holding time and risk of loss.  But if they are a buck apiece now, it's likely worth the risk.  We are paying close to a buck apiece for shiners up in the 'daks anymore! Thanks for the explanation.   

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:yes::smile: Your friends that night fished Canandaigua didn't happen to have names like Roides or Oravec did they?:lol:

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Ah....I used to fish among them in my little 13 ft Whaler. They had much bigger boats that they slipped at John and Mirriam Clark's marina and those times were a blast night fishing for big browns and rainbows in the dark. Those guys left for Lake O and Rochester west  to charter in the early eighties when the salmon were turning on. :lol:

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Yes, the receipt is crucial if you get checked.  I was concerned because there have been LO guys talking about bringing bait from elsewhere, and DEC is VERY concerned about the possibilities of introducing yet another disease into the system.  All it will take is one bug that had not been an issue with salmon in the past, but is in this system, and the whole thing could disappear. The next whirling disease or BKN or VHS could be the last one!

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