# River curing salmon eggs



## fatkid#71

I was discussing this with my dad as we are trying to find a new way to cure our eggs and he was telling me that it was against the law to do this. I didnt think it was because i have read numerous times on here where people do it, but have never seen anyone do it in person on the river. So i was wondering if it is truly illegal or not. Any help is truly appreciated. Thanks


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## JimP

Legal if done in the same waters they came from.
Some rules about controlling VHS, transport and use of baitfish and roe, may still apply.

*2007:*
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-153-10366_46403_59159-172375--,00.html

*2010:*
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FO_245.10_317517_7.pdf


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## putzy

They also can only be used in the same river they came from


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## toto

Putzy, that may be, but I've never heard that, but, how would a co know?? Just asking.


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## JimP

putzy said:


> They also can only be used in the same river they came from
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine





toto said:


> Putzy, that may be, but I've never heard that, but, how would a co know?? Just asking.


If I'm not mistaken, that was the original edict.
It was changed to being ok to use angler taken eggs on any already "Infected" waters as opposed to transporting them to "Non-infected waters", in the latter CO linked above.

Store bought/commercial eggs now have a treatment to kill any virus anyway.

If I recall, the bru-ha-ha started and was then changed, with a ticket for the use of eggs for chumming by some guide(s) which was later thrown out.


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## REG

See pages 14-15 here:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/FishingGuide_11-low-res_347106_7.pdf


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## Robert Holmes

putzy said:


> They also can only be used in the same river they came from
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


 I treat all of the eggs that I use but how would a DNR officer be able to prove a case? I have never heard of anyone getting a ticket. I think that most DNR officers don't even ask where people get their eggs from. I am checked from time to time and have never been asked. In some areas of the state you can drive 25 miles and be on 10 different steelhead streams. I am sure that the guys who fish in these areas do not have bags tied up for each different stream that they will fish in a day.


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## Fishndude

I have river cured many gallons of Salmon eggs at Tippy dam, in my life. Sometimes right in front of COs. A couple times with eggs I got from a CO. Nobody ever said a word against it to me. So just go to Tippy Dam to river cure your eggs. :lol:


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## thousandcasts

This is where myth gets spread around. You can use west side eggs on the west side, and west side eggs on the east side, but you can't use east side eggs on the west side. You can't use either one in lake superior streams. 

Eggs from one river have to be used in same river = MYTH. 

River curing eggs illegal = MYTH. 

Of course--check the new fisheries order after April 1st and you might see a couple changes.


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## ausable_steelhead

thousandcasts said:


> This is where myth gets spread around. *You can use west side eggs on the west side, and west side eggs on the east side, but you can't use east side eggs on the west side*. You can't use either one in lake superior streams.
> 
> Eggs from one river have to be used in same river = MYTH.
> 
> River curing eggs illegal = MYTH.
> 
> Of course--check the new fisheries order after April 1st and you might see a couple changes.


VHS was found and confirmed in Lake Michigan on the WI side. Don't see how that means Lake Michigan eggs are "safe" versus Lake Huron eggs. It's been found and confirmed in both lakes.


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## thousandcasts

ausable_steelhead said:


> VHS was found and confirmed in Lake Michigan on the WI side. Don't see how that means Lake Michigan eggs are "safe" versus Lake Huron eggs. It's been found and confirmed in both lakes.


Lake Michigan is still considered a survellience (sp?) zone because what you have mentioned were isolated and specific incidents. Huron had widespread die offs making it an infected zone. Thus, as of right now, it's exactly as I said it is--west side eggs...ect, ect. 

Don't blame me, I didn't make the rules up. I'm just stating what they are. I know of one particular recent change to the order, I'm not sure what the others are, but a new up-to-date order should be in the new guides.


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## ausable_steelhead

thousandcasts said:


> Lake Michigan is still considered a survellience (sp?) zone because what you have mentioned were isolated and specific incidents. Huron had widespread die offs making it an infected zone. Thus, as of right now, it's exactly as I said it is--west side eggs...ect, ect.
> 
> Don't blame me, I didn't make the rules up. I'm just stating what they are. I know of one particular recent change to the order, I'm not sure what the others are, but a new up-to-date order should be in the new guides.


Gotcha, but why would I blame you? Kind of a dumb policy; if it's there, it's there.


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## thousandcasts

ausable_steelhead said:


> Gotcha, but why would I blame you? Kind of a dumb policy; if it's there, it's there.


"Don't blame me" was just a general statement--a more PC way of saying something like, "hey, you're preaching to the choir here." :lol:


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## Robert Holmes

I really do not think that the DNR biologists did their homework on the salmon egg for bait issue. As soon as I heard the term VHS virus there were about 50 new laws on the books. A freighter could bring in all kinds of goodies and their would be no enforcement. Let a fisherman use the wrong bait and $$$$$ big fines. Pretty stupid that the DNR does not go after the real problem which is the freighters. I guess that the DNR has not figured it out yet that a contaminated steelhead from the Detroit area can migrate up the Tahquemenon River and spawn. The DNR is trying to get fishermen to use caution which is probably not a bad idea. I think that the DNR biologists need to do their homework a little more before they put all of these laws in place.


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## REG

thousandcasts said:


> "Don't blame me" was just a general statement--a more PC way of saying something like, "hey, you're preaching to the choir here." :lol:


Too late, everyone is blaming you. :yikes::lol::yikes::lol::yikes::lol:


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## thousandcasts

Robert Holmes said:


> I really do not think that the DNR biologists did their homework on the salmon egg for bait issue. As soon as I heard the term VHS virus there were about 50 new laws on the books. A freighter could bring in all kinds of goodies and their would be no enforcement. Let a fisherman use the wrong bait and $$$$$ big fines. Pretty stupid that the DNR does not go after the real problem which is the freighters. I guess that the DNR has not figured it out yet that a contaminated steelhead from the Detroit area can migrate up the Tahquemenon River and spawn. The DNR is trying to get fishermen to use caution which is probably not a bad idea. I think that the DNR biologists need to do their homework a little more before they put all of these laws in place.


We have some of the hardest working and most knowledgeable field biologists in the country. Don't assume that the original order came directly from the biologists...because it didn't.

That said, the order is what it is, but it's constantly being reviewed and tweaked as circumstances allow and the lakes get further removed from the original outbreaks that brought about the whole thing.


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## METTLEFISH

thousandcasts said:


> This is where myth gets spread around. You can use west side eggs on the west side, and west side eggs on the east side, but you can't use east side eggs on the west side. You can't use either one in lake superior streams.
> 
> Eggs from one river have to be used in same river = MYTH.
> 
> River curing eggs illegal = MYTH.
> 
> Of course--check the new fisheries order after April 1st and you might see a couple changes.


That Pathogen is throughout the system most likely , but only becomes an issue when environmental issues (warm water stress,coldwater stress, lack of food, low OX., P.H. level, Etc. Etc. are out of wack. When LMBV appeared it was also thought to be isolated, however with the hot dry summer of 2005 it became apparent it was much more wide spread than originally thought.


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