The Wisconsin and Minnesota DNR have become increasingly concerned that live release tournaments – specifically those conducted on the Mississippi – may lead to increased largemouth bass virus (LMBV) infection rates and contribute to delayed mortality of fish held in confined live wells.
On March 13, stakeholders on this subject conducted a conference call. The consensus among that group was that, while there is ample scientific evidence that putting infected fish in a live well or tank with uninfected fish, will likely lead to spread of the infection, the science doesn’t support a conclusion that this will lead to certain death. The facts are that some fish will contract the disease, develop an immunity and survive; others will die.
The stakeholders considered “catch and kill” tournaments as a remedy, but determined that such a radical response is unwarranted at this time. Instead, an emphasis on stopping the spread of LMBV to other lakes and rivers is a wiser alternative.
While tournament bass fisherpersons are no more likely to spread the virus than any other anglers, we are in a unique position to role model responsible behavior. Because of our higher profile, what we practice often sets the standard for others. The Minnesota Bass Nation Federation has a unique responsibility in this area.
An effective containment policy will likely mean not transporting fish from one infected body of water to another, and not transporting the virus via water in our live wells, bilges or weigh-in equipment. One effective treatment is to add a diluted bleach solution to any water that may harbor the LMBV. We believe tournament organizers/operators should make available such treatment options as a pre-condition for receiving tournament permits from the DNR.
To date, the Minnesota and Wisconsin DNRs have not yet determined what their policy will be going forward. The Minnesota BASS Nation Federation has always supported reasonable regulation supported by sound science – even if such regulation puts the fish first and our tournaments second. In the future, we will continue to act in partnership with our DNRs to safeguard the resource for the future based on sound science.
