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| Several years ago someone or people transported Zebra Mussels into Lake Minnetonka and now this:
http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/127646623.html
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | Actually, the Zebras were in Mille Lacs several years before they got into Minnetonka. It seems possibly, if not likely, that someone brought the Zebras from Mille Lacs to Minnetonka. It is also likely that someone brought the Zebras from one of the great lakes to the north end of Mille Lacs.
The DNR has some good guidelines like draining water from your boat and washing the boat. I would also add the following before putting your boat into a non-infested lake:
- Drain all water from the motor by lowering the motor all the way down.
- Running some bleach water down the livewell drain(s).
- Power washing the boat, motor and trailer.
- Don't use the same lure from the infested lake in a non-infested lake for several days.
I am afraid that no matter how hard 99% of the population work at it, there will always be a few lazy people who don't care and refuse to do a thing to prevent spreading invasive species. All it took was one person to infest Mille Lacs and one person to infest Minnetonka. For all we know, it could have been the same careless person infesting both lakes.
And then there are the waterfowl that go from one body of water to another and never stop to take a bath. Don't know what to do about them.  |
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| hey i follow all the rules but i'm sure it's too late to stop the zebras. they'll be showing up everywhere in the next few years because they're already everywhere they're not supposed to be.
will be interesting to see what changes the next few year bring to some of our lakes. |
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| As a volunteer who helps check boats on the chain where I own a cottage, today most fisherman are very concerned and aware. However, four or five years ago when I started, musky fisherman were both the best and the worst. I had a couple of smart guys say, "well if this lake gets milfoil, there are lots more to fish". One of them was a musky fisherman who you knew what he had to eat and drink for the last couple weeks because all the trash was in the bottom of his boat.
But again, almost everyone I see today are very cooperative and they are concerned. As to the idea that ducks transport the invasives, we had a Fish and Wildlife guy speak to our lake association and he said that is not a real factor. Ducks are very meticulous in their grooming and any mussels they eat are finished by the time the remains are excreted. He said there is a theoritical possibility but not much in real terms.
I have checked in a number of boats that have non invasive plants hanging from the trailers and the owners look and admit they just didn't do a thorough check. I always suggest that after they have it on the trailer and strapped down to pull away from the ramp and then take the time to check. I really think a lot of folks want to to the right thing but they also don't want to be "that guy" that ties up the ramp area. |
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Posts: 3913
| Plea away.
It only takes a few micro babies of Zebes or a single broken strand of milfoil to infect a lake. Once that happens there's no way to stop the spread. Folks should just get ready to fish in water modified by the presence of invasive species, with people being at the top of the list. |
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| Short of an outright ban of launching boats, or a giant bleach reservoir to back your trailer into after loading your boat.....this stuff is coming. Try as you might, its impossible to get every speck of weed out from between your bunk and boat hull, and every drip of water out of your engine or boat trailer tubing. Trying is good, don't get me wrong, but if you lake-hop, you're spreading stuff. No two ways about it. Was glad to see a nice mid/late aged couple at the boat landing I was at Sunday checking trailers. -Eric
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | By simply draining and drying your boat prior to lake hoping would go a long way. Yes, it only takes two micorscopic veligers to colonize and entire lake, but those two veligers must land withing one inch of each other in order to reproduce. 1.5 inches and they remain virgins.
Drop your motor and drain the water. Pull the plug. Drain the livewell. If you'd like to go the extra mile run 409 into the livewell and back out. Bleach can work as well, but I always recommend pro 409.
Does Minnesota have decontamination units? 140 degree water or higher will kill any veliger. |
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| Pointer, I saw an episode of Joe Bucher where he said he took his boat and trailer through a self wash bay and power washed the outside of the boat and the trailer. He felt that pressure washer, with soap helped get rid of things he couldn't see and remove. Do you think this worth doing? |
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| It means more deep cabbage in a couple of years  |
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| zebra mussels are bad but the spiny water flea is much worse. cant be killed. Get rid of your carpet bunks , if your fishing water that has the spiny flea don't use the same line on your reels on water that is void of these @#$&*!$ things. better yet designate a rod for that water. |
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Posts: 437
| I was on 3 mile gravel in June and July and caught those buggers numerous times while rigging. It shocked me. I was so far out from shore and with that deep water I never expected them to be out there, but they were thick.
I wonder where things are at with that research being done with an algae that is dead, but when consumed by zebra mussels it kills them. |
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