Zebra mussles

[going4it]

Heard they are now in Minnetonka. DNR girl at the boat launch said just found them a few days ago.

[mainbutter]

*groan*

[Cecil]

Yummy!

[TonkaBass]

didnt see that coming! lol

[CaptZ21]

Suprise, suprise, they probably have been in tonka longer than they have been in the Alex Chain. Now you will most likely see a big rush by the landowners to use this to cut off access.

[RumRiverRat]

Clean Water here we come!

[mainbutter]

Clean Water here we come!

Isn't that the truth..

I got to see firsthand over the 24 years of my life what zebra mussels did to a lake my grandparents have land on in Michigan.

It went from being a typical MI lake to having CRYSTAL clear water.

Then it seemed all the fish disappeared, especially the lake trout and pike, and crappies.

The rock bass and panfish do GREAT.

Most interesting to me is how largemouth bass were affected. Once I started seriously fishing, I probably went 5-8 years without catching a single one. Then just a few years ago, I started catching more and more. Something changed with the fish and the fishery. The LMB don't look like LMB anymore. They lost their deep green color and are much more pale, and their lateral stripe is almost nonexistent. I'm calling it natural selection in action.. clear water makes fish change colors over a few generations.