The end of river tournaments?

[CatchinBigBass]

Check out http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?id=2107this article:

[Gary Haskell]

I read the 2 part article in Bass Fan - all who enjoy fishing the Mississippi as well as any of the Great Lakes - need to check this out!
I sure hope BASS and FLW - see this and respond. Last year in Wisconsin it was the "Catch and Release" issues - now this! Pretty soon the "Chain" will be IT!
Thanks Catfish for your initial post-
g

[bassman]

This I can understand. Its tough to even argue this issue. Although, fisheries biologists should come to our weigh-ins and analyze our catches prior to stoppping our ability to cross the lines. I haven't heard any issues from our water?

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What Is It?

VHS is a fish rhabdovirus that poses no threat to human health.

Like largemouth bass virus, fish may carry VHS and spread the disease, but never appear sick. Conversely, they may carry then exhibit the disease, notably during periods of stress.

When the virus becomes active, it can cause hemorrhaging of fish tissue, including the internal organs, and the death of infected fish. Once a fish is infected with VHS, there is no known cure.

Fish exhibiting the disease may show the following symptoms: hemorrhaging in the skin, including large red patches, particularly on the sides and front portion of the head; multiple hemorrhages on the liver, spleen, or intestines; hemorrhages on the swim bladder that give the otherwise transparent organ a mottled appearance.

The virus has been blamed for fish kills in a number of the Great Lakes, plus one New York Finger Lake (Conesus). The World Organization of Animal Health has categorized VHS as a transmissible disease with the potential for profound socio-economic consequences. Because of this, it lists VHS as a disease that should be reported to the international community as an exceptional epidemiological occurrence.

The specific mutation of VHS currently found in Great Lakes fish is the IVb isolate. This particular mutation has been responsible for:

> A large-scale sheepshead (freshwater drum) kill in Lake Ontario's Bay of Quinte
> Significant musky and perch kills in Lake St. Clair
> A gizzard shad kill in the St. Clair River
> A musky and perch kill in the Detroit River
> A sheepshead and perch kill in the central and western basins of Lake Erie
> A round goby kill in Lake Ontario
> A musky kill in the St. Lawrence River
> A whitefish and walleye kill in Lake Huron's Thunder Bay

In the St. Clair case alone, thousands of muskies died.

[basslimit]

Where will it stop?

If you read the second part regarding the rivers bordering the states surrounding the great lakes they are all affected. So if the cal Sag goes into the Illinois, which goes into the Mississippi then they need to add Missouri, and on down the line.

[mad craw 77]

here is a link to the article's 1 and 2 gary was reffering to.
http://www.bassfan.com/news_article.asp?ID=2107
http://bassfan.com/news_article.asp?ID=2102

wasn't aware of the situation until now.

[CatchinBigBass]

The fishing doesn't seem to be getting any worse, some places the fishing is better than ever. In the 60's & 70's I still remember seeing lots more dead game fish floating around than you see now.
Have we just become so technologically advanced now that as soon as they detect a disease we press the panic button. Lets face it this is natures way of controling populations.