What Is That Thing?

[Ealy]

I was up there a couple of weeks ago, and had a really good Bass trip. My buddy and I noticed all of these large jelly-like sacs growing in the submerged trees. I can remember as a kid fishing from the bank at Stockton finding grapefruit sized jelly sacs on the shoreline. They looked like clear silicone sealer, and were kind of rubbery.

What the h.ll are those!!?? I've been to 2 goat ropins' and the county fair and never seen anything like that!

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

Ive been told but can't remember. That really helps you. I will try to find out from a friend of mine with dnr and get back with you. It's buggin me too since I used to know what it was from.

Don't forget to fish this thur 6 pm out of ruark!!

[Whack'emGood]

We saw some of those the other day while fishing at Table Rock. I will be curious to know what they are as well. I think they may be egg sacs from snails, but that's just a guess. Does anyone know?

Whack'em

[denjac]

From Indiana, might be the same thing here :

Are there jellyfish in Indiana?

Freshwater jellyfish have been observed in over 43 different water bodies in Indiana in locations that possess relatively high water quality. The freshwater jellyfish (Craspedacusta sowerbii) has a clear or translucent white bell-shaped body about the size of a dime or nickel. Unlike some of the marine jellyfish, the freshwater jellyfish does not pose a hazard to swimmers. Freshwater jellyfish can occur in virtually any type of water body if conditions allow, including lakes, ponds, fish ponds, water-filled quarries, reservoirs, and even sluggish streams and rivers. Only one species of freshwater jellyfish occurs naturally in North America, but this species is found virtually worldwide. They are typically found in late summer during August and September. Their appearance is sporadic and unpredictable. Individuals become apparent as they rise to the water surface in afternoon to early evening, especially on clear and warm days in calm water. Many questions remain concerning the distribution and biology of freshwater jellyfish. If you happen to observe these little creatures, please inform the DNR of when and where the sighting occurred by writing: IDNR Division of Nature Preserves, 402 W. Washington St., Rm W267, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

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What are the strange slimy blobs attached to my dock or washed up on shore?

Lake residents occasionally find blobs of jelly-like material attached to their dock, reeled in on a hook or washed up on shore in the summer. The strange slimy mass, that may range from clear to green or yellow to dark brown is actually a harmless colony called a bryozoan. The mass may attain the size of a basketball. The colony will not sting. Bryozoans are found in ponds, lakes and slow streams and attach themselves to vegetation or the undersides of logs and docks to avoid strong sunlight. They generally cannot survive in polluted or muddy waters. The colony starts in spring as a single microscopic individual, but grows by budding throughout the summer to attain a larger size by late summer. The ball is made of thousands of individuals that strain tiny plants and animals from the water. Snails, insects and fish may eat them, but predation is not extensive. The bryozoan may harbor insects that provide food for small fish. The colony dies out by late fall, when they are often found as they break up and wash on shore. Individuals are released as a winter-hardened "seed" and may be carried to other waters on the feet of aquatic animals and waterfowl. The individual is able to germinate after passing through the digestive system of animals. In the United States, freshwater bryozoans only occur east of the Mississippi River and north of the 39th parallel.

[Terrapin Station]

Yep, bryozoans. I've heard they taste like chicken.

Here's a pic at the bottom of page 3.

http://www.mdc.mo.gov/documents/conmag/2007/20070601.pdf

[Terrapin Station]

Great picture. Can you eat it?

Naw, I was just playin off your previous post.