Zeebra Mussel's!

mxfever

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 14, 2010
Messages
215
Our lake is infested with them! I don't leave our run-a-bout in the water all summer, it just sits in the water normally from friday - sunday. I have to spray it off every Sunday to get the mussel's off of it. They are so thick on our pontoon that you can't see aluminum anymore. Please folks. Wash your boat when going lake to lake. Trust me. If you don't have them in your local lakes, you don't want them!
 

mphy98

Lieutenant
Joined
Oct 20, 2008
Messages
1,422
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

On the plus side, our lake water has never been clearer. :eek: But they are a pain in the ***** to clean, and do make a mess out of the lake. make sure your boat is clean and dry before going from lake to lake, it only takes one to get them started!
 

HopeSheFloats

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 12, 2009
Messages
1,674
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

Be sure not to transport livewell/baitwell water either, seaweed on the trailer or lower end can also contribute to infesting other waters...dry inside and out Please :)
 

angus63

Captain
Joined
May 20, 2002
Messages
3,726
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

On the South Shore of Long Island all summer long the coastal region is polluted with a blight, especially Friday and Saturday nights, even worse than Zebra Mussels...
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Beer muscles!!!:p
 

arks

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Nov 7, 2002
Messages
1,929
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

The few times I've boated on ZM infested water I was super diligent about cleaning the boat and engine internals ASAP. I contacted my DNR to get their recommendations.
I realize it was overkill, but I was SO worried about infesting my home waters that I literally flushed the engine and washed the hull with a bleach solution.

Here's an excellent pdf about how to protect your boat from ZM's and how you can help prevent them from spreading into other waters:
http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/publications/pdfs/protectyourboat.pdf
 

marlboro180

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jun 23, 2009
Messages
1,164
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

Arks- Thanks for the link!

I was just at a friends place, on a small inland lake here in WI, that is now infested. He is ticked, it was fine a few years ago, but now has the Zebra Mussels coating the shoreline. The association is still looking into what can be done. ( probably very little :()

I will be running my boat on that same lake next year, and am concerned about transporting the mussles into other areas, and will be very diligent about inspecting and removing them from my boat.
 

bkwapisz

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Oct 20, 2009
Messages
441
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

We got them in our local lake a number of years ago and yes, they make the water crystal clear, but also devoid of life too. Fishing stinks now too. I usually only boat in that particular lake but if I do go elsewhere I clean the heck out of the boat and trailer to try to make sure I don't cross contaminate. What a nightmare.

And to my knowledge, there's not much that can be done. This lake we're on connects to Lake Michigan and I understand that the Quagga (sp?) Mussels are in there too now, ruining the deeper parts. Now as soon as the Asian Carp get here we'll have a nice trifecta of horror. :(
 

mxfever

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 14, 2010
Messages
215
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

The water is cleaner than I can ever remember. But.....I'm not fond of getting my feet cut up like hamburger when I walk out without shoes on. A feller on the lake said that they will go through a cycle and they will all be gone in a couple of years. I did some research on line and can't find any truth to this statement. From what I see they will just continue to get worse as the years go by.:mad:
 

roscoe

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Oct 30, 2002
Messages
21,657
Re: Zeebra Mussel's!

They aren't going anywhere.
I remember seeing them in Milwaukee harbor 20 years ago, they are still there.

They clean up the water alright.
Now the sun reaches to depths it never did.
Weed growth is crazy in some areas.

No plancton left for the fry to eat, some fish populations have been destroyed.
Perch reproduction is pretty much nonexistent now.
 
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