Alex Chain - Zebra Mussels

[grab the net]

With the discovery of Zebra mussels in the Alex Chain and the potential to spread them through live wells and other means, has anybody heard what if any special precautions will be taken at tournaments on that chain.

[TonkaBass]

I talked to the DNR about this when they initially found the 7 mussels. He told me that there will be someone at the access checking people pretty much all the time... It would sure be a bummer if they spread elsewhere. They should have never found their way into the chain the anyways! I am pretty confident that it will not be the tournament bass anglers responsible for an inevitable spread of the mussels into other lakes, more than likely weekend runabouts and party crafts will be the culprits.

[Juan Grande]

I used to be one of those DNR guys at the launch spreading the word about exotics. We would walk around the boat with the owner and check for milfoil. About all you can do to prevent zebra mussels is dump bait bucket and livewell water. Nobody would actually have zebs on their boat unless they had an achor or something sitting in the water for an extended period of time.

Kind of strange they got in that chain since I don't think there are other infested waters nearby. I think the spread usually occurs from people lake hopping.

[Z-520]

I guess it doesn't matter how they got there, but we as tournament fisherman will take the blame. The only thing we can do now is set a good example and look are boat and trailer over everytime.

[RK]

Hiya -

I carry a spray bottle with a 25% bleach solution. Make sure the livewells, baitwells and bilge are totally drained, then the bilge and livewell/baitwell get a spray down with the bleach solution while I'm loading up the boat. Takes about 30 seconds. Keeps the livewell from getting funky too.

A lake in my neck of the woods (Big Pelican) was also identified as an infested water last year. Be willing to bet they're already in my lake as well - we're 2 lakes down the chain. Sad deal... In that case it's likely muskie fishermen that will take the blame, and frankly, with the number of anglers going back and forth between mille lacs and that area, it's a fairly easy case to make...

Cheers,

Rob Kimm

[TonkaBass]

I think I like your lake RK I wonder where the next closest lake to the area that has them is... I like that bleach idea and might be copying you this summer!

[CJH]

Nobody knows how they got in there, so I don't think we should blame anybody. Let's hope they can figure out a way get rid of them soon!

[TonkaBass]

I'm gonna have to say there is no getting rid of them... Each female produces about 3 million offspring annually... Or so I've heard

[Ray Esboldt]

I don't mind blaming muskie fishermen.

[RK]

I think I like your lake RK I wonder where the next closest lake to the area that has them is... I like that bleach idea and might be copying you this summer!

Been meaning to get a hold of you about that area - think you stomp around up there a bit. Drop me a note - kimm dot rob at gmail dot com...

The closest lake with Zebes to Big Pelican is probably the Alex chain actually. Pelican was the first lake in the Red River watershed to be identified as infested.

[RK]

I don't mind blaming muskie fishermen.

Bahahaa...

[Ray Esboldt]

Sorry, RK. I couldn't resist despite how mean my comment was.

Does anyone really have a solution for the exotics? Definitely making an effort not to transport them is a good direction to go. But, there really is no way to blame any one group, and there really is no way to stop it.

[Nick Kuhn]

Sorry, RK. I couldn't resist despite how mean my comment was.

Does anyone really have a solution for the exotics? Definitely making an effort not to transport them is a good direction to go. But, there really is no way to blame any one group, and there really is no way to stop it.

Native plants and animals will adapt to better coexist with exotics. It would most likely start with aquatic insects (due to a short life cycle) being able to consume the invasive plants. Hard to say where a new balance point would be achieved.

As far as stopping it, there really is no way to. Migratory birds have been shown to spread exotics, and I don't think shooting down every incoming duck or goose is really an option.

[river rat316]

We could try though, might be fun

[Prairiefire]

It sounds like the lake associations on the chain are trying to put together some sort of group to try to stop the spread. I can only imagine what they'll come up with. It'll be a bunch of rich retired folks with too much time on their hands doing some monday morning quarterbacking, making knee-jerk proposals based on emotion rather than science so that they can feel good about trying to save "their" lakes. The result will be burdensom and intrusive. The reality is the zebes are now spread throughout the state and while me may be able to slow the spread there will be absolutely no stopping the spread to every truly public water in Minnesota.

[Wayne Ek]

WHAT THE...! stop talking about me that way.

[Prairiefire]

Lol Wayne.

I'm signing you and my dad up to chair this effort, you both have too much time on your hands.

[Wayne Ek]

There was a pretty decent article in the sunday Star on exotics.

Some of the comments in the side-bar were interesting.