I had heard a rumor that the ministry had forced Betty's and others in Pt Bruce to drain their tanks a while back, something about the new bait management zones. What we on the pier couldn't understand is, based on what we read about it, IF the bait came from for example zone 19, which includes the Upper Niagara River, Lake Erie, the Detroit River, Lake St. Claire and the St. Claire River, using them in that same zone was allowed.
But apparently, as someone else understood it, if you had to drive them over a substantial distance, ie from the Upper Niagara to say Pt Bruce through zone 16, then it wasn't allowed, but from Burwell to Bruce was ok.
So the ministry needs to be MUCH more clear on wtf their new regs mean before they start enforcing through fines because as I understood it, the former owner of NEM had/has several bait catching licenses, one of which was for the Upper Niagara area and he was still (supposedly) supplying the local bait shops in Pt Bruce and Pt Burwell. If that's so, why haven't the marina's he supposedly supplies in Burwell been forced to shut down bait shop operations as well????
That's why I've been catching my own off the pier this year. One, it's cheaper and two I don't have to worry about whether or not I can legally use them because I KNOW I can.