The Exploding Smallmouth fishery's across the United States are almost exclusively in lakes with zebra mussels. Has anyone ever thought that maybe the zebra mussels are doing more then just filtering the water?
I know in Lake Oneida zebra mussels have been found in the stomachs of smallmouth bass, perhaps they are providing a food source for juvenile smallmouth? Perhaps all those mussels provide better habitat for the smallmouth fry to escape predation, I think it's something more than simply clearing the water.