vhs

If someone told you there were simple things you could do to keep fish from dying and protect our waters, you’d want to know more, right?

Well, if you’re a boater or angler in the Great Lakes region, there’s a lot you can do to stop the spread of a fish disease called viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). VHS kills freshwater and marine fish, including some species of bass, trout and perch.

The good news is you can help fight the disease by remembering to clean boats and fishing equipment. It’s also important not to transfer bait, water and mud from one waterway to another.

Arctic weather in the Midwest may mean an earlier start for ice fishing this year.  “Early ice fishing can be some of the best fishing for walleye, bigger game fish, and for a lot of species,” says Steve Avelallemant, fisheries supervisor for northern Wisconsin with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Whether anglers start early in the season or later, they need to take the same steps in winter that they do in the summer to prevent spreading viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS).  VHS is a virus that can infect more than two dozen fish species and can cause bleeding and bulging eyes.  VHS has been found in all the Great Lakes and some inland waterways.