Properly Dispose of Fishing Bait
Anglers are being asked to properly dispose of fishing bait and particularly to not dump
their unused bait into the water. “Numerous kinds of harmful species can be spread by
dumping bait into the water, and so we are asking anglers help to pass the word on how
to properly dispose of bait,” said Missouri Department of Conservation Resource Science
Field Unit Chief Ron Dent.
How do you properly dispose of bait? Dent says, “Most bait can be put in the trash, but
species such as crayfish and worms, which have the potential to crawl out of the trash,
should first be placed in a sealed container (such as a sealable plastic bag) before
disposed of in the trash. Even if you plan to reuse the bait on another trip, make sure lids
are securely attached so they cannot escape.” Although some information on disposing
of bait says that you can dispose of it on land, Dent recommends against it. “Crayfish can
live a long time out of water and are excellent escape artists, so the likelihood of them
walking to another body of water and contaminating it is quite possible,” stated Dent.
“We already have some notorious aquatic nuisance species within our state borders, such
as several species of Asian carp, rusty crayfish and zebra mussels, and we don’t want
these or other destructive hitchhikers spread to other lakes and rivers within Missouri,”
said Dent. "Non-native minnows and non-native crayfish can get mixed up with native
species sold for bait, particularly when the source of the bait is from an out of state
producer. Even native Missouri minnows and especially crayfish have caused problems
when they are released into water where they were not obtained"
In addition, young zebra mussels the size of a pin and/or nuisance plants have the
potential to find a way into bait supplies. Regardless of whether you purchased your bait
from a bait store or caught it from a lake or stream, do not release live bait back into any
lake, river or stream. If you dump your bait into the water or improperly dispose of it,
you could be responsible for helping to establish one of these species and eventually
ruining your fishing waters.
Missouri's native crayfish play an important role in the ecosystem and are among the
most valuable food sources for many of our fisheries. However, when crayfish from out
of the state (such as the rusty crayfish), out of the country (such as several Australian
species of crayfish), or even from a neighboring water are released into a fishery, they
can cause severe damage." said Bob DiStefano resource scientist and crayfish expert for
the Department of Conservation. Missouri has several valuable crayfish that play an
important role in the ecosystem and food chain of our fishery, but non-native crayfish
such as the rusty crayfish, and woodland crayfish damage the ecosystem and fishery. The
aggressive rusty crayfish’s most serious impact is the destruction of aquatic plant beds.
They will out compete many native species, eliminate native species of crayfish and
plants, and reduce aquatic plant beds that serve as important cover for many fish species,
thereby damaging or eliminating sportfisheries. This past year rusty crayfish have been
found in Missouri bait shops in several shipments of bait from Wisconsin.
Asian carp have been spotted in minnow shipments. Big head and silver carp are types of
Asian carp that are an extreme nuisance. They grow to over 50 pounds, compete with the
native fishery for food, and their jumping behavior when they hear noise or feel
vibrations can result in harm to boaters. They were unheard of in Missouri ten years ago,
but are now found in the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and their backwaters and
tributary streams. Once established, they are almost impossible to eradicate. The only
defense is prevention.
“Rusty crayfish and Asian carp are just two of the examples of harmful hitchhikers that
can be dispersed through bait. If you value your fishing waters, don’t ever dump your bait
contents into the water,” states Dent. Don’t Dump Bait stickers are available at MDC
offices and from bait shops throughout Missouri. You can put the sticker on your bait
bucket as a reminder and hand them out to friends as a way to pass the word that we need
to protect our waters.
To learn more ways to Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers go to www.protectyourwaters.net.