Brainerd area guides: Important Question **ZEBRA MUSCLES**

[walleye vision]

Alright guys, I gotta ask. What are you currently doing to prevent the spread of zebra muscles? I just read a report that they can live out of water for 40 days and bleach won't even kill them. The only proven method to kill them is water at or above 140 degrees. Just draining your livewells and bilges won't cut it. I don't know how one can get access to water that hot on an external fixture. I really think the DNR needs to step up and install some sort of hot water flush/decontamination station at accesses on the effected lakes. To be totally safe, engine intake should even be flushed. I don't mean to preach, but those little bastard are ruining lakes, and we already have enough lakes in the area infested. Thoughts?

[Spearing Machine]

I really beleive its too late. Since they have found it in Gull I give it a year or two at most and its in all the other big name lakes in the area. Plus Gull is connected to Round via navigable channel, Round is connected to North Long and I know Gull is connected to numerous smaller bodies of water and has waterways leading to other sources too. As upset as I was when I heard about it, there is not much to do anymore but live with the consequences. Just my .02

[walleye vision]

My fears exactly. It's really depressing. That being said, this is something that we can't have a defeatist's attitude about. We must do everything possible to prevent further spread. The DNR and we as fishermen need to get motivated to do all possible to stop it. Little orange signs at a landing aren't going to do it.

[Sander v.]

Very interesting issue our state and its citizens are facing with these obstacles. I was fishing the Mississippi River just north of the Blanchard Dam this spring and was met by a exhuberant fellow describing the tragedies of exotic and invasive species in our waterways. I am well aware of the spread exotic species have made in the last 5 years alone but was amazed as we were picking along the shoreline and found a willow branch approx.18'' in length tip to top strung of mussels...zebra of course.

I had never encountered these bivalves knowingly until then. These mussels were as large as a quarter piece and went down to the half centimeter in diameter range.

Food for thought, our DNR is already struggling for money, I'm betting funding will come from increased license fees. Its the way of the world, not enough people give a F*** to say something when another leaves the landing without tearing off the vegetation or draining the tank. We all pay for a select fews mistakes whether intentional or not. The fishery you people have in the gull lake area would only be a starting point for greater minnesota. The amount of activity during the summer months would only insure that a few hundred lakes in the metro and out-state area also will become infested within a decade. Heres to promiscuious limits and failing aquatic ecosystems.

[Acemac]

hunt loons, ducks, muskrats, and any other critter that moves between lakes.....

[walleye vision]

Acemac,

I hope you are joking. In theory, birds could carry zebra muscles, but I challenge you to site an example. All one needs to do to prove WE are spreading zebra muscles is to look at the lakes invested: Mille Lacs, Minnetonka, Gull, Prior, and the Mississippi. What do all of these have in common? Very busy recreational boating and fishing locations. That they are infested is no coincidence. If birds were spreading zebras, wouldn't more of our small lakes, ponds and wetlands be infected as well?

We really need to pressure the DNR and other boaters to do something now. If you enjoy fishing and want your kids to be able to do the same, then don't sit on your [PoorWordUsage], be proactive.

One important thing to think about. E. Miloil does not deplete the fish population, it only hampers boaters. Zebra muscles most certainly deplete fish populations.

[Acemac]

What do all of these have in common?

with the exception of prior all of these lakes are also connected to each other...

[Acemac]

Waters infested with zebra mussels.

The following water bodies are infested with zebra mussel (Dreissena spp.).

Name DNR Public Waters

Inventory Number

Benton County

Little Rock Channel 05-0012

Little Rock Lake 05-0013

Cass County

Bass Lake 11-0220

Green’s Lake 11-0786

Gull Lake 11-0305

Gull River

Margaret Lake 11-0222

Spider Lake 11-0221

Upper Gull Lake 11-0218

Crow Wing County

Black Bear Lake 18-0140

Boom Lake 18-0529

Half-Moon Lake 18-0238

Little Rabbit Lake 18-0139

Love Lake 18-0388

Miller Lake 18-0133

Nisswa Lake 18-0399

Ossawinnamakee Lake 18-0352

Pelican Brook, from the source at Ossawinnamakee Lake to the Pine River

Pickerel Lake 18-0232

Pine River, from the mouth of Pelican Brook to the Mississippi River

Rice Lake 18-0145

Round Lake 18-0373

Roy Lake 18-0398

Bishop Creek, between Round and Gull lakes

(located in Section 35, Township 135N, Range 29W)

Unnamed wetland 18-0235

Unnamed wetland none

(located in the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 3, Township 135N

Range 27W)

14

Unnamed wetland none

(located in the NE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 2, Township 46N, Range 30W)

Unnamed wetland none

(located in the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 of Section 2, Township 46N, Range 30W)

Unnamed wetland none

(located in the NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 33, Township 135N, Range 27W)

Unnamed wetland none

(located in the NW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 33 of Township 46N, Range 30W)

Dakota County

Lake Rebecca 19-0300

Douglas County

Lake Alvin 21-0093

Lake Carlos 21-0057

Lake Darling 21-0080

Lake Geneva 21-0052

Lake Jessie 21-0055

Lake Le Homme Dieu 21-0056

Long Prairie River

Lake Victoria 21-0054

Hennepin County

Edina Mill Pond 27-0041

Gray’s Bay Outlet (wetland) 27-0761

Lake Hiawatha 27-0018

Meadowbrook Lake 27-0054

Minnehaha Creek

Lake Minnetonka 27-0133

Minnehaha Marsh 27-0084

Lake Nokomis 27-0019

Unnamed wetland in the NE 1/4 of Section 20, Township 117N, Range 21W 27-0662

Unnamed wetland in the SW 1/4 of Section 20, Township 117N, Range 21W 27-0663

Unnamed pond in the NW 1/4 of Section 14, Township 117, Range 22 27-0721

Unnamed wetland NW 1/4 of Section 18, Township 117N, Range 21W 27-0715

Unnamed wetland in the E 1/2 of Section 13, Township 117N, Range 22W 27-0716

Unnamed wetland in the SE 1/4 of Section 11 and NE 1/4 of Section 14, 27-0720

Township 117N, Range 22W

Unnamed wetland in the NW 1/4 of Section 19, Township 117N, Range 21W 27-0779

Mille Lacs County

Lake Mille Lacs 48-0002

Ogechie Lake 48-0014

Onamia Lake 48-0009

Shakopee Lake 48-0012

Olmsted County

Lake Zumbro 55-0004

Lots of unamed ponds and wetlands in that list wonder if they are catching fish there?

[Acemac]

I agree that this is a issue but I hate the blam game on fishermen. do wake boarders who fill thier boats with lake water for more wake ever come under fire for this? how bout a water skier who brings a soaking wet life jacket from lake to lake? how bought a jet skier that has water in his engine when he leave the lake?

ohh nope its all my fault for not spraying my 12 ft fishing boat down with 140 deg water casue fishermen are the obivous spreaders.

Just curious if any one has ever heard of a rec. boater being sited for these things by the dnr?

most fishermen are well aware of all the laws out there and we are held acountable for them on a much larger scale then the good looking people in expensive speed boats.

[swampbuck]

I have to agree on that, I notice that the avid anglers at the Gull (and other Brainerd area Accesses ) do a good job of draining their water, cleaning up weeds etc, then I see the "pleasure" boaters going donw the road with a haybales worth of weeds hanging off the trailer.

I actually saw a county sheriffs rig at one access with a pike of weeds hanging off the trailer.

The DNR volunteer said they pulled in launched and when he told them to clean the trailer they just stared at him blankly! I told him to call the CO

We as anglers do a good job of plicing ourselves, but the general public does not have a clue!

Best advise is to politley let them know what they need to do.

[Hawg]

We're doing the same thing you guys are doing about millfoil-praying. your posts suggest we are not reacting?

[Sportland_Bait]

I too believe that it may be too little too late. But that does not mean we cannot try to slow it down a little. I think the hot water flush is about the only solution but with space requirements at landings and the budget crunch it might not be realistic right now. I think the dnr would need to aquire more land at the public landings to carry ou such facilities.

Jason Erlandson

[walleye vision]

Acemac,

I agree about the recreational boaters 100%. I'm just don't visit a recreational boating forum so that is why my questions here are focused on fishermen. I'm just worked up about the whole thing. Maybe it's that my kids are young and I want them to be able to experience the same fishing that I was able to have. The muscles are just such a burden on the lakes.

Here are some depressing things I've found:

* They are prolific. After introduction, they invaded the entire great lakes chain in just two years, and reach densities of 70,000 per square yard.

* They attach to anything, and quickly cover it: boats, water intakes, spawning grounds, even other living creatures and plants.

* Zebra mussels are filter feeders, eating the same food as the shrimp-like amphipod Diporeia, which are the main source of food for bait fish. In 1994 Diporeia populations averaged 5,200 per square meter in Lake Michigan. By 2005 densities averaged 300 per square meter. Salmon, lake trout and other fish populations have crashed

* Each mussel can filter about a gallon a day. Multiplied by many millions, scientists estimate that the entire basin of Lake Eire is filtered once daily.

* They can live 28 days out of water. Bleach, ammonia or other chemicals do not kill them effectively -- they must be exposed to 140 degree water to be killed.

I know we're all probably screwed anyway, but maybe just maybe we can pressure the DNR to do something other than just talking and putting up orange signs.

[JBMasterAngler]

Salmon and trout populations in lake michigan have not crashed! Nor have walleye populations in lake erie! Infact, both lakes are recording higher catches every year. I would rather not have zebra mussles spread around anywhere, but they're here, and we'll have to deal with them! I don't think for a single second they have anywhere near the impact on fisheries as what is often said. Lake pepin for example...I'm experiencing better smallmouth and crappie fishing now than I ever have in the past 15 years!

[Acemac]

there has not been one lake with ZM's that has shown any sign of them being bad on the walleye population....

Going to suck for people at the beach though thats for sure!

[subzero]

Does anyone know what ( other than hot water ) will kill these? All live wells have a small ring around the drain so not all the water gets emptied and there is always a little water left even if the plug is removed on the bottom of the boat. With zebra muscles being able to live for such a long time out of water and being microscopic. Bleach not able to kill them there has to be something that will help the concerned boater keep from transporting them.

[JBMasterAngler]

Walleye vision, where are you getting your facts about zebra mussels? Bleach DOES kill zebra mussels (just like it will kill pretty much every other living thing)! 10% to 15% bleach to water ration is one of the more popular ways to kill/treat zebes in bilge pumps, livewells, etc. However, bleach is not recommended as a treatment because it's so toxic and powerful...the DNR doesn't want people cleaning out their boats at launches and lakeshore properties, polluting the lake.

[walleye vision]

I got my info from the following website, msrpo.org/get-educated/zebra-mussels.aspx

Maybe my info is wrong, I didn't do any other research, someone just emailed me that link.

[backlash 1]

I followed a DNR boat on college drive one day last summer. Had weeds hanging all over it. I called it in the dnr main office, the receptionest said, "Oh, it was probably a fisheries dept boat".