The Dangers of Dumping Live Bait into the Tidal Chesapeake

Very often anglers will arrive back at the dock, clean the fish that have been caught, hose off the boat, clean up the equipment and then make a potential very big error: dump the leftover bait into the dock area or even worse the angler will dump the bait bucket with live bait or worms into the bay as “chum”. Why could this be a bad practice?

Simply put, this is the most common way for species not native to our waters to get into the bay and then become a potential danger to the ecosystem of the bay. If the live bait is a species not native there is a very good chance that that species will survive and multiply. Without a counter enemy in our eco-system the unwanted species will become an invader species. This is exactly how we got flathead minnows, the rusty crayfish, goldfish, red swamp crayfish, rainbow darters and many other non-native species into the bay. Some of the invaders have been totally harmless but others have brought related diseases to the water.

Once introduced into the streams, rivers or the bay the non-native species can overpopulate an area at the expense of driving out the native species. What may seem like an act of kindness can turn out to be very harmful to the environment. Hard to believe, but common bait earthworms are causing eco-system changes to our forests and wooded areas. The species are from Europe and dramatically change the eco- system. Simply put these worms change the soil chemistry, reduce the diversity of other worms and can help spread invasive plants.

We at BOG, love the bay and the rivers feeding into the Bay. We do not work in this field but we do wish to protect the water. So we recommend strongly that you think twice before you toss left over live bait, as an act of kindness or laziness, into the water.

Mark Leahy is the President of Blades of Green lawn Care and Pest Control, a family owned lawn care and pest control company. Mark has concentrated his efforts in Central Maryland as well as Maryland's Eastern Shore. Mark has over 20 years experience in the Lawn and Pest Control Industries.

As a member of PlANET, the Chesapeake Club, NPMA, Pest World, the Turf Grass Council and Quality Pro; Mark is well qualified in the lawn care and pest control industries. Certified by the State of Maryland; Mark can advise all Marylanders' in the areas of lawn care and pest control. Mark can be reached: Mark@bladesofgreen.com, 410.867.8873 or on the web site: Bladesofgreen.com

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