SB 2183 is being heard next Thursday. This is a bill allowing Eastern ND bait dealers who have a Sucker permit to bring suckers over the border from MN without restriction. This is currently legal if a wholesaler has a ND permit and ND approved bait ponds. There is only one wholesaler and he doesn't have suckers from what I understand. I am anticipating Game and Fish to be very against this because there is already the licensing in place and due to ANS. Suckers must be kept in cold water and on air so they are moved to chilled well or treated water.
Meanwhile it is now illegal to possess live suckers west of a Red River county. It is legal to purchase suckers anywhere in MN and enter the river from the MN side (example, East Grand Forks) but illegal to cross the bridge to enter the same water in the same river from the ND side with the same bait. As catfishing gets more and more popular bait supplies keep getting worse and worse we need to get ahead of this. In fact, I have talked to people who have chosen not to fish because there was no bait available at the time they wished to fish. This will allow for more supply to keep up with the ever growing demand on live suckers for catfishing.
Call your representative in support. Thanks
Meanwhile it is now illegal to possess live suckers west of a Red River county. It is legal to purchase suckers anywhere in MN and enter the river from the MN side (example, East Grand Forks) but illegal to cross the bridge to enter the same water in the same river from the ND side with the same bait. As catfishing gets more and more popular bait supplies keep getting worse and worse we need to get ahead of this. In fact, I have talked to people who have chosen not to fish because there was no bait available at the time they wished to fish. This will allow for more supply to keep up with the ever growing demand on live suckers for catfishing.
Call your representative in support. Thanks