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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 188 Likes: 3
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 188 Likes: 3 |
Does the anecdotal evidence support the notion that zebra mussels will crash a fishery. I'm just not seeing it. Where zebras have taken hold the fisheries from a bass/sunfish perspective are flourishing. Eerie, St. Clair, Mille Lacs lake, Lake Michigan. This seems like more fake news from environmental alarmists. What lakes have zebra's taken hold and the fisheries crashed?? I'm not talking about Salmon fisheries but sunfishes.
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,825 Likes: 86
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,825 Likes: 86 |
I spoke with a professor at UTA about zebra mussels invading my pond since zebra mussel DNA has now been spotted at nearby large public Lake Fork and Lake Tawakoni. I have a direct water pipe feed from Lake Tawakoni into my pond...so I was concerned. The professor stated that he would seriously doubt zebra mussels could survive in my 4 acre pond....sorry it's been about 3 years since I spoke with him so can't remember exactly the reasons he gave why it was unlikely. https://www.uta.edu/news/releases/2016/10/Robert%20MacMahon.php
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 2,374 Likes: 631
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 2,374 Likes: 631 |
We deal with this in many res/lakes in KS. It all depends on the fertility of the watershed and how it will affect the impoundment.
Zebra mussel spores are free-floating, meaning they do not require a host to transport them, such as the gills of a fish as many similar species do. If there is water inflow from a body of water with positive confirmation of Zebra mussels, any amount of water-even a wet rag, can/will transport spores. They can be transported in the cooling system of an outboard or I/O, the few ounces of water remaining in the bottom of a boat can move them.
Based on the movement we've seen in KS, I would have to strongly disagree with the statement that Zebra Mussels cannot survive in your pond, especially with a connected water source.
My opinion is it's a matter of time before you see them, but if you have normal fertility water they likely will hurt nothing.
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,434 Likes: 21
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,434 Likes: 21 |
Six pound redear in AZ is probably due to the invasive mussels.
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491 Likes: 14
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491 Likes: 14 |
in my area, zebra muscles are like y2k.....everyone was hyping it up, it was the talk of the town, then they came, and nothing happened. You see them here and there on the river but not the huge colonies that you see in pictures online - they've had a more dynamic impact on the great lakes than anything else
Mat Peirce
1.25 acre southeast Iowa pond
LMB, BG, YP, WE, HSB, RES, BCP
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 188 Likes: 3
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 188 Likes: 3 |
If anything zebras increase water clarity which allows more sunlight to reach deeper areas of a lake and thus increase weed growth. This is why panfish have actually benefited from zebras.
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Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 188 Likes: 3
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OP
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 188 Likes: 3 |
Personally I think it's just another attempt for government regulatory agencies to take control of our waterways.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,597 Likes: 36
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,597 Likes: 36 |
My understanding is that zebra mussels will filter out the base of the food chain.
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,434 Likes: 21
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 2,434 Likes: 21 |
The mussels won't live in a mud bottom pond anyway.
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 115 Likes: 12
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 115 Likes: 12 |
I can tell you they cost us millions and drive up electric rates. Also they have clogged municipal water pipes. Thats all not taking into account fishery impacts.
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,825 Likes: 86
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,825 Likes: 86 |
The mussels won't live in a mud bottom pond anyway. John if that's true...that's really good news. The biology professor after he asked me about my pond was very reassuring to me that they will not live in my pond. I hope you are both right!
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,825 Likes: 86
Hall of Fame 2014
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Hall of Fame 2014
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,825 Likes: 86 |
Fishing has never been about the fish....
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 2,374 Likes: 631
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Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 2,374 Likes: 631 |
It's no joke.. This is last March (2018) during WAE egg-take at Cedar Bluff.  
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,597 Likes: 36
Lunker
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Lunker
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 4,597 Likes: 36 |
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1073&context=nebgamewhitepOne positive impact of this species was
noted by in aquaria studies where Northern
crayfish were offered zebra mussels and
rainbow trout eggs singly and together.
When offered only zebra mussels, they ate
zebra mussels. When offered both, they
preferred the eggs but they did not stop
eating zebra mussels. The net food value of
mussels was 1/3 that of eggs.147
Another study used enclosures and exclosures to find that female Northern crayfish ate zebra
mussels up to 15 mm and the sizes eaten
were directly related to the size of the
crayfish. The presence of zebra mussels
also reduced predation on snails in the same
areas.186
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058 Likes: 8
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,058 Likes: 8 |
Just about every single small mouth bass we catch on Lake Erie will have a gut full of these zebra mussels.
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491 Likes: 14
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Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 491 Likes: 14 |
freshwater drum and yellow perch eat zebra muscles too
Mat Peirce
1.25 acre southeast Iowa pond
LMB, BG, YP, WE, HSB, RES, BCP
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Koi
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