Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Discarding plastic baits into the lake

If anyone knows of some articals reguarding this topic please head me in that direction. It has become a problem at our 150 ac. club lake, and I can't convince all that this needs to stop.

I seem to recall a fish picture where a fish was starving to death because of a plastic bait that it couldn't pass. I don't recall if Bob Lusk posted it here or it was in a Pond Boss article. Can anyone help us here?

The plastic baits in the stomach of a skinny bass was an article in Pond Boss magazine Nov-Dec 2007, pg 24. I updated and added more items to the 2007 annual index & issue contents for this topic. CB1 thanks for the bump to enhance this item in the contents and index.

Here is the link to the pictures.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=9362&Number=98053#Post98053

We are thinking about stopping or at least limiting the use of plastic baits in our lakes unless they degrade.

Doing so much fishery work we see quite a few strange things. Last year saw a bass in healthy condition poop out a rusted fish hook. I have seen my share of plastics but % tell me it is not too bad. I think overall in a 150 acre lake where bass harvest is probably encouraged it should not make a major difference. of course losing one big double digit bass might make for a strong agrue againist its use.

Thanks for all the input. I will pass it along.

Eric,
Which ones degrade? Do all Berkley products, or just the Gulp? I would like to know, anyone else know of a bait that will degrade?

I saw Roland Martin on two seperate fishing shows throw used plastics in the lake. I wrote him a letter and told him about the episodes and that he should be setting a better example. I got a phone call from his publisist. He said Roland was out on the road, but he had read my letter and it would not happen again.

I’m going to paste an email forwarded to me from the Executive Director of Recycled Fish, an organization I volunteer with who deals with angler education on topics such as this.

> Recycled Fish is a non-profit organization that talks about everyday ways we anglers can be better stewards of our waters so that we’ll grow more and bigger fish now, and leave something great for future generations. Learn more and take our Sportsman’s Stewardship Pledge at www.RecycledFish.org.

> We run a program called SAFE Angling which stands for Sustaining Angling Fish and Ecosystems. This program focuses on the products and practices we can use on the water to be not just sportsmen, but stewards. Through this program we have worked with nearly every manufacturer who makes biodegradable alternatives to plastic, lead-free lures, and so forth. Learn more at http://www.recycledfish.org/safe-angling/index.htm and, if you like, order one of our SAFE Angling Kits.

> FoodSource Lures provided the most certainly biodegradable, digestible bait on the market. We worked extensively with them at Recycled Fish and had a meeting last week in New Orleans at the Bassmaster Classic. Unfortunately, FoodSource Lures are not currently in production, however they may be again in the future, and possibly under a different brand name. Without a doubt, the digestibility, and biodegradability of these products was better than anything else on the market. However, the shelf life of the product was shorter than some of the other competitors and their marketing budget less. They got out-competed.

> Recycled Fish has been conducting a study for going on three years on the biodegradability of products marketed as “biodegradable.” This study specifically includes Berkley Gulp!, FoodSource Lures, BioBait and Fishbites XTreme. We used standard plastics from Mann’s and Mister Twister as control items. The FoodSource lures broke down very quickly – a span of a few months. In over two years the other products do not look much different than the control items.

> The “molded bait” products that we are aware of that are marketed as biodegradable include Berkley Gulp!, TriggerX (part of the product line), BioBait and FishBites. We have profiled these at the SAFE Angling Section of our website. We’re always quick to point out that these products are marketed as being biodegradable but that are not verified as biodegradable by independent testing.

> Biodedgradable and digestible are not the same thing. An item may be biodegradable but toxic if ingested, or biodegradable but not digestible within a reasonable timeframe. We have seen documentation in both bass and trout of fish that have died from ingestion of plastics as well as fish that are experiencing reduced growth rates and potential because of ingested plastic.

> Another consideration in plastic is the introduction of phthalates into our drinking water supply and environment. This is the chemical which caused an uproar because it was in plastic drinking water bottles, and which has been removed from most children’s toys. It’s still in most plastic lures, and it is a known endocrine disruptor. This means, among other things, that it messes with hormones. The EPA has documented endocrine disruption in fish in all of the lower 48 states.

> What anglers say they believe and what anglers say they do is different from what anglers actually believe and what anglers actually do. For example, I was filming a television show one day on stewardship with a professional angler. As we talked, he removed a torn up plastic bait from his hook and threw it overboard. That’s a pro angler who is regarded as being environmentally aware, doing something like that WITH ME IN THE BOAT. We invite anglers to take a pledge that says they’ll live as stewards both on and off the water. At most events, about 1 in 7 or 8 are willing to do it. At events where there are more non-anglers than anglers, a far greater percentage are willing to do it, but more importantly, those people are more willing to give money to support the cause. That’s a MAJOR problem.

The solution is within reach. Those of us who fish are a very large group. All we have to do is take the passion we have for our sport, and activate that passion for our waters. Clean water grows more and bigger fish, and our everyday choices – from whether we throw plastics into the lake or whether we’re willing to install a low flow showerhead or put in recycling bins at home – determine the quality of our waters.

49% of fresh and inshore salt water in America is so polluted that it can’t support a healthy fishery, is unhealthy for drinking, and is not recommended for swimming (US EPA statistic). What our waters need aren’t just sportsmen, but stewards.

Just last week at the Bassmaster Classic someone came to me with a recommendation that we begin a plastic recycling program. I think this could be a powerful new program and we have the connections to bring it off. The fishing line recycling programs are up and running in powerful ways across the country. This could be a fantastic thing to get started.

How passionate are you about the issue, and how much time do you have on your hands? One volunteer networked in with the right people can do great things. If you’re interested, we could work together to pilot a plastic recycling program similar to the

Teeg Stouffer
Executive Director
Recycled Fish

Omaha...Very interesting post. I have been recycling/pouring my own plastic baits for years....not because I was aware of any potential harm to the BOW or the fish I just found store bought plastic to be way overpriced and really enjoyed making my own. I guess sometimes you do the right thing by accident.

Here's another link with this discussion. http://www.lake-link.com/boards/forums/viewposts.cfm?Thread_ID=88468