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05/17/2022 11:06AM  
into Canada Leave it at home
 
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05/17/2022 11:10AM  
By John Myers
May 17, 2022 09:21 AM
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ONTARIO — While U.S.-based anglers were locked out of Canada for nearly 18 months in 2020 and 2021, both the Ontario provincial government and Canadian government tightened regulations on bringing live bait across the border and moving live bait within the province.

The new regulations are aimed at slowing the spread of invasive species. The Ontario fishing season starts Saturday.

Essentially, no live or dead (including frozen) bait are allowed to be brought across the border. That includes nightcrawlers and frozen minnows, both of which had been allowed across the border through 2019.

Bait must be purchased in the newly established Ontario bait zone where you're going to fish and can’t be moved out of that zone at any time. That means you will have to purchase all of your live bait near where you plan to fish in Ontario. You will also need to retain a receipt for the bait that includes date of purchase, name of the business where purchased, their commercial license number, location of purchase and quantity of bait purchased.

Chicken, eggs can’t cross road into Canada
If you’re heading north for the Ontario walleye opener, note that Canada Border Services will not allow any raw chicken or poultry products into the country, including eggs. The ban also includes raw pet food that contains any poultry products.

 
thegildedgopher
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05/17/2022 11:55AM  
Woof. And I just paid $70 to renew my outdoors card and buy an 8-day sport license. Guess it’ll have to be crankbaits and gulp leeches for us!

Business idea: leech delivery via drone to boats fishing the Canadian side of Sag. Since we can’t get touch land or even anchor. I’m sure they’d make tens of dollars ;)
 
05/17/2022 12:33PM  
I hated dealing with the leeches the one time we took them anyway. White plastic grubs seemed to work fine in Quetico. I will miss having fresh eggs for the first few days even though Ova Easy eggs are close enough not to worry about it.
 
thegildedgopher
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05/17/2022 10:20PM  
Freeleo1: "I hated dealing with the leaches the one time we took them anyway. White plastic grubs seemed to work fine in Quetico. I will miss having fresh eggs for the first few days even though Ova Easy eggs are close enough not to worry about it. "


There's just something about a leech and a slip bobber that I love, but we'll make do.
 
Stumpy
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05/17/2022 11:16PM  
Leeches are easy.
Put them in a Gatorade bottle and change the water each day. They've been illegal in Quetico for years now.
Eggs ?.... That's ridiculous. I burn the shells, and will bring them into Q.
 
tumblehome
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05/18/2022 07:03AM  
Stumpy beat me to it.

No live or dead bait permitted in the Q for a long time already. Barbless hooks only too.

Tom
 
thegildedgopher
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05/18/2022 09:08AM  
Some of us fish canadian border waters outside the quetico. Not even being able to use crawlers is rough as well.
 
schweady
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05/18/2022 09:39AM  
No salted minnows?? This will be a downer for our NW Angle trips...
 
thegildedgopher
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05/18/2022 10:18AM  
I know the article says "That includes nightcrawlers and frozen minnows" but so far I've been unable to find anything official from Ontario that says this. In Ontario's "Sustainable Bait Management Strategy," worms are crayfish are specifically excluded from the definition of "bait."

Bait:
Live or dead baitfish and leeches; not crayfish, frogs or worms.

Since this whole policy is about controlling the movement of "bait," I don't see how crawlers are included? Anyone have a link to a source that clarifies this?
 
Jackfish
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05/18/2022 12:23PM  
thegildedgopher: "Woof. And I just paid $70 to renew my outdoors card and buy an 8-day sport license. "

Gopher, how do you figure $70?

8-day non-resident sport license: 54.38 CDN
Outdoors card: $8.57 CDN (good for three years)

Total: $62.95 CDN x 75% exchange rate = $47.21

If you go with the Conservation License, it's $31.52 + $8.57 = $40.09 CDN or $30.07 USD.
 
thegildedgopher
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05/18/2022 12:54PM  
Jackfish: "
thegildedgopher: "Woof. And I just paid $70 to renew my outdoors card and buy an 8-day sport license. "

Gopher, how do you figure $70?

8-day non-resident sport license: 54.38 CDN
Outdoors card: $8.57 CDN (good for three years)

Total: $62.95 CDN x 75% exchange rate = $47.21

If you go with the Conservation License, it's $31.52 + $8.57 = $40.09 CDN or $30.07 USD."


Like a dumb American, I was thinking of USD.

There is also $8.18 CDN for hst/tvh. So my total was $71 CDN and I got charged $55 USD according to my bank.
 
goatroti
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05/18/2022 03:21PM  
Stumpy: "Leeches are easy.
Put them in a Gatorade bottle and change the water each day. They've been illegal in Quetico for years now.
Eggs ?.... That's ridiculous. I burn the shells, and will bring them into Q. "


It used to surprise me, but it doesn't anymore, that some people believe Canada and in particular Quetico exists as a theme park for their enjoyment. Sorry to alarm you, but Canada is a sovereign country with its own laws and regulations, as does Quetico. This year because of outbreaks of avian flu, one of the rules to get into the park and enjoy the rides is no eggs. Sort of like the 56 inch line on the water slide. Here's a quote from an unnamed American news source, "The H5N1 virus now circulating has been found in commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states, the CDC said. An outbreak at a lake outside Chicago is believed to have killed more than 200 birds, and at least three bald eagles died from the virus in Georgia." For the sake of Canada's poultry industry, keep your eggs on your side of the border. Be a big kid.
 
thegildedgopher
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05/18/2022 03:35PM  
Back on topic -- the more I read about the crawler ban, it appears that the rule was put in place to speed up the process of in-person border crossing at customs stations during the COVID era. Just one less thing to gum up the works since they previously had specific rules about bedding for the worms that had to be enforced. This is a federal policy for all of Canada, and has nothing to do with Ontario's ban on "live bait" since worms still aren't included in the province's definition of "bait." At any rate, that's the deal for now. Perhaps in the future crawlers will allowed back in. Perhaps not. It's a bummer for those of us simply fishing the Canadian side of a border lake, since we aren't subject to checking in with customs.
 
05/18/2022 04:37PM  
thegildedgopher: "Back on topic -- the more I read about the crawler ban, it appears that the rule was put in place to speed up the process of in-person border crossing at customs stations during the COVID era. Just one less thing to gum up the works since they previously had specific rules about bedding for the worms that had to be enforced. This is a federal policy for all of Canada, and has nothing to do with Ontario's ban on "live bait" since worms still aren't included in the province's definition of "bait." At any rate, that's the deal for now. Perhaps in the future crawlers will allowed back in. Perhaps not. It's a bummer for those of us simply fishing the Canadian side of a border lake, since we aren't subject to checking in with customs."


The crawler ban is also in effect because Quetico has no crawlers at present and much of the area has few if any angle worms.
 
05/18/2022 04:39PM  
goatroti: "
Stumpy: "Leeches are easy.
Put them in a Gatorade bottle and change the water each day. They've been illegal in Quetico for years now.
Eggs ?.... That's ridiculous. I burn the shells, and will bring them into Q. "



It used to surprise me, but it doesn't anymore, that some people believe Canada and in particular Quetico exists as a theme park for their enjoyment. Sorry to alarm you, but Canada is a sovereign country with its own laws and regulations, as is Quetico. This year because of outbreaks of avian flu, one of the rules to get into the park and enjoy the rides is no eggs. Sort of like the 56 inch line on the water slide. Here's a quote from an unnamed American news source, "The H5N1 virus now circulating has been found in commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states, the CDC said. An outbreak at a lake outside Chicago is believed to have killed more than 200 birds, and at least three bald eagles died from the virus in Georgia." For the sake of Canada's poultry industry, keep your eggs on your side of the border. Be a big kid."


Agree-Minnesota has a lot of avian flu at present.
 
Stumpy
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05/18/2022 07:00PM  
goatroti: "
Stumpy: "Leeches are easy.
Put them in a Gatorade bottle and change the water each day. They've been illegal in Quetico for years now.
Eggs ?.... That's ridiculous. I burn the shells, and will bring them into Q. "



It used to surprise me, but it doesn't anymore, that some people believe Canada and in particular Quetico exists as a theme park for their enjoyment. Sorry to alarm you, but Canada is a sovereign country with its own laws and regulations, as does Quetico. This year because of outbreaks of avian flu, one of the rules to get into the park and enjoy the rides is no eggs. Sort of like the 56 inch line on the water slide. Here's a quote from an unnamed American news source, "The H5N1 virus now circulating has been found in commercial and backyard birds in 29 states and in wild birds in 34 states, the CDC said. An outbreak at a lake outside Chicago is believed to have killed more than 200 birds, and at least three bald eagles died from the virus in Georgia." For the sake of Canada's poultry industry, keep your eggs on your side of the border. Be a big kid."


"Chicken, eggs can’t cross road into Canada"
I'm not crossing any road
 
05/18/2022 08:18PM  
I tire of people complaining about a foreign country creating rules/laws they deem necessary. If you do not like it, simply do not go and stop whining.
 
Chieflonewatie
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05/19/2022 08:07AM  
I've read the entire thread and did not pick up any whining.
 
05/19/2022 09:50AM  
Chieflonewatie: "I've read the entire thread and did not pick up any whining. "

Maybe some tongue in cheek... good to be aware of policy changes... thanks!
 
tumblehome
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05/19/2022 12:32PM  
Somebody should mention the migratory birds by the millions that cross into Canada. We should build a big wall.
 
goatroti
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05/19/2022 02:12PM  
Thanks for mentioning it. migrating duck and geese populations on the Annapolis Royal (Nova Scotia) French Basin Marsh are down 80% this spring. Coincidence?

 
05/19/2022 02:25PM  
You look at Minnesota in this last decade of exotics mainly introduced by boaters. Zebra mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, spiny water flea, rusty crayfish, and the list goes on. Go on land we have like buckthorn and more.
A few precautions even if it slows it down are worth it. Not many lakes in Minnesota we haven't degraded in one way or another.
 
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