So I have been doing some pondering. Here in Az we have something called "Dont Move A Mussel" as some waters have infestations of Zebra and Quagga Mussels. The campaign calls for thoroughly "decontaminating" your boat when you remove it from the water,so you dont spread the invasive species to another body of water. Mussels arent the only thing to be concerned about,plants and other unwanted "Hitch hikers" can be an issue

So could this apply to used fishing tackle as well? People sell used tackle all the time,and may not consider the spread of micro organisms. Say Person A has tackle that has been used in Vermont in a lake with a certain organism. Person A sells the tackle to Person B in Kentucky,can the micro organism from the lake in Vermont be transferred to the lake in Kentucky?

It can happen with Boats,why not fishing tackle?

I must admit that is a great thought and I must agree that it could happen.

If a boat can dry completely over the course of a week and transmit something invasive to another body of water, why can't that gitterbug?

I don't think many types of baits would be able to hold enough water to transfer the mussels. We have Zebs here and they say if you let your boat dry for a week they shouldn't be able to survive. My biggest concern would be something like a tube you pull behind a boat or maybe a lifejacket that soaks up a bunch of water. I spray my boat down with bleach/water mix after fishing lakes with zebras but I doubt anyone would ever think about those little pools of water collected inside a folded up inner tube or lifejacket.

So I have been doing some pondering. Here in Az we have something called "Don't Move A Mussel" as some waters have infestations of Zebra and Quagga Mussels. The campaign calls for thoroughly "decontaminating" your boat when you remove it from the water,so you don't spread the invasive species to another body of water. Mussels arent the only thing to be concerned about,plants and other unwanted "Hitch hikers" can be an issue

So could this apply to used fishing tackle as well? People sell used tackle all the time,and may not consider the spread of micro organisms. Say Person A has tackle that has been used in Vermont in a lake with a certain organism. Person A sells the tackle to Person B in Kentucky,can the micro organism from the lake in Vermont be transferred to the lake in Kentucky?

It can happen with Boats,why not fishing tackle?

Airborne, I wouldn't worry about micro organisms on tackle, there's not much you can do about them even if you could find them, but I would worry about dried plant matter (Biomass); but a general inspection of the bait as you tie it on should reveal any hitch hikers. Anglers carry such a wide verity of articles with them, any one of which could carry something that could have an ill effect on someone or some thing. Take the angler himself; we carry some 10,000 known microbes on or in our body's. Ref:http://www.wtop.com/267/2902122/10000-germ-species-live-in-and-on-healthy-people But that doesn't mean we have to stay off the water. Nature has a way of taking care of herself in most cases.

Its a good point I think. Ive often found dried up fiberous algae on my reels foot, levelwind cover and frame after a day fishing. Also on guides feet. I wouldnt doubt we host some opportunistic exotic life this way.

Slime algae has been transferred from stream to stream from the felt bottoms of wading boots.

I think I've read that in Arizona,felt bottomed wading boots are not allowed anymore,probably exactly for this reason.

Airborne, I wouldn't worry about micro organisms on tackle, there's not much you can do about them even if you could find them, but I would worry about dried plant matter (Biomass); but a general inspection of the bait as you tie it on should reveal any hitch hikers. Anglers carry such a wide verity of articles with them, any one of which could carry something that could have an ill effect on someone or some thing. Take the angler himself; we carry some 10,000 known microbes on or in our body's. Ref:http://www.wtop.com/...-healthy-people But that doesn't mean we have to stay off the water. Nature has a way of taking care of herself in most cases.

Boats and trailers that trap or carry plants and other matter from one body of water to another are the biggest culprits for transferring these when there are no overflow reservoirs feeding them.

For Example: Back in the mid eighties, I was traveling back and forth fishing from Fork to Fla regularly. Once when I launched in Fork, I noticed hycinths from Fla had been trapped between the trailer and boat that floated free when my rig slid off the trailer... I thought nothin of it, but in time (a couple of years) I noticed the hycinths taking over the back of that same creek system and they were nowhere else on the lake.

IN OTHER WORDS, I THINK I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SCREW UP!!! And wished I'd been more observant previously... For that I apologize and I am very observant and much more responsible nowdays!!!!

To answer your question, I don't think that baits that are dry for any extended length of time would cause a concern...

Boats and trailers that trap or carry plants and other matter from one body of water to another are the biggest culprits for transferring these when there are no overflow reservoirs feeding them.

For Example: Back in the mid eighties, I was traveling back and forth fishing from Fork to Fla regularly. Once when I launched in Fork, I noticed hyacinths from Fla had been trapped between the trailer and boat that floated free when my rig slid off the trailer... I thought nothing of it, but in time (a couple of years) I noticed the hyacinths taking over the back of that same creek system and they were nowhere else on the lake.

IN OTHER WORDS, I THINK I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT SCREW UP!!! And wished I'd been more observant previously... For that I apologize and I am very observant and much more responsible now days!!!!

Big O,

Your setting on some $$$$. Up in MD, DC, VA, plant nursery's get $5.00 for each small plant; we put them in our ponds to look nice. Up here they don't winter over, so we buy them each year.

Look around in your area, people have ponds everywhere and like exotic plants that flower. You could harvest the plants and supply them to the nursery's up north; and clean up your goof at the same time.

So I have been doing some pondering. Here in Az we have something called "Dont Move A Mussel" as some waters have infestations of Zebra and Quagga Mussels. The campaign calls for thoroughly "decontaminating" your boat when you remove it from the water,so you dont spread the invasive species to another body of water. Mussels arent the only thing to be concerned about,plants and other unwanted "Hitch hikers" can be an issue

So could this apply to used fishing tackle as well? People sell used tackle all the time,and may not consider the spread of micro organisms. Say Person A has tackle that has been used in Vermont in a lake with a certain organism. Person A sells the tackle to Person B in Kentucky,can the micro organism from the lake in Vermont be transferred to the lake in Kentucky?

It can happen with Boats,why not fishing tackle?

The only thing you can catch from Vermont is bad case of awesome.

It's not only felt soled waders/boots. The carpet on boat decks, the seams of your sneakers or any clothing really can do it (this is for algaes like Didymo aka Rock Snot). Mussels can spread really by boats only at this point (livewells, bilge, etc).

It's just a matter of time before invasives hit a body of water (assuming it's a good habitat for the respective organism), the fight is to prolong the time it takes to get it/them.

I DO wonder if braided line/fly backing could absorb the spores/cells and spread algaes...

Good observation, webertime. They can't be stopped.

You have to ask if we aren't part of the evolutionary process of spreading life to see what develops. The mussels in the Great Lakes have helped to clean the water; the same can be said for Hydrilla in the Potomac river; some say there is a market for the Snakeheads in local restaurants; and the Gobi's have added themselves to the food chain where they're found.

Braided line collects sand and salt so I bet it could certainly collect spores.