Invasive Mussels And How To Get Rid Off Your Boat

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

This was just reported and we all need to do all we can to prevent the spread to Stockton!! Make sure your boat is cleaned before you put your boat in the lake if you fish in ANY other lake. It does not matter if you are going from there to here or here to there, if everyone will get the word out and everyone will take the time to do what they know needs to be done, then it is possible to stop the spread to Stockton Lake.

Here is a copy of the article. you can google invasive mussels in missouri and see how to clean your boat.

A non-native species that poses a threat to Missouri's sport fish population has been found in a local lake. KSMU's Michele Skalicky has more...

Zebra mussel larvae or veligers have turned up in samples taken from Pomme de Terre Lake north of Springfield. Tim Banek is invasive species coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation…

"Pomme de Terre wasn't a reservoir that we expected that would turn up positive for zebra mussel veligers, so I was quite surprised that they were found in those samples."

According to Banek, three different samples were taken with a plankton net, and all three turned up positive.

Samples taken from Stockton and the Truman Reservoir were negative for zebra mussels. Lake of the Ozarks samples were positive.

Two-thirds of water samples taken this summer remain to be checked for zebra mussel veligers including Table Rock, Lake Taneycomo and Bull Shoals.

Biologists are concerned about their spread because they pose a threat to Missouri’s economy as well as its ecology…

"Zebra mussels are filter feeders. They filter and feed on the plankton that's in the water, and that's the same thing that a lot of our aquatic animals feed on--larval fish and other things feed on the same types of things. And, some of the things that they do is they compete with our native species for the primary producers in the food chain."

Banek says zebra mussels can have a significant impact on the sport fish ...

"Certainly it would have not only an economic effect on those locally making their living on the reservoir marinas and bait sales and things like that, but also on the state economy as a whole."

Zebra mussels are believed to have come to North America from Eurasia in the 1980s. It’s believed they arrived in the Great Lakes in the ballast tanks of oceangoing ships.

According to Tim Banek, copper sulphate has been used in smaller lakes to eradicate the zebra mussel, but that method is cost prohibitive for larger lakes.

He says research is ongoing to find new techniques for eradicating them.

Meanwhile, boat owners need to take precautions to prevent the spread of zebra mussels. Banek says they should allow boats and other equipment to dry in the sun for at least five days before re-launching in another lake or stream.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Zebra mussels have taken over the Great Lakes, from what I have seen, most of the press has been about Lake Erie. Smallmouth are thriving in this situation it appears. I don't want this invasive species in our lakes and especially rivers. I really think it's just a matter of time before they get established here. Anybody have opinions on how it will effect the fish population? Also, what fish will it effect? And... will it effect the smallmouth bass in our part of the country? Wondering if it'll have an impact on crawdads, minnows, etc.?

[oneshot]

I can't see how they are not already in Truman,plus I think you will find they are already in Table Rock.

oneshot

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

But for now they are not in Stockton. If all the fisherman will take a role in making sure boats are cleaned out, and ask the recreational boaters if they have been on any other lake for the past 4-5 days then we might be able to stop them from getting in this lake. Maybe they are already here, but until it's proven I think we have a duty to keep our lake clean. Why cant conservatioin put up stations at each boat ramp to inspect and clean boats for the rest of this year. Has anyone tried putting a boat wash in where you back in your boat, start it up run pumps etc and then you are allowed to use the boat ramp. There is a way to stop these from entering our lake but it will take a huge effort on all our parts to keep it from happening.

What does everyone else think? I don't want to see this lake any different. The fishing is great now, perfect color, and big fish. We don't need mussels.

Keep posting ideas other than we are going to get them anyways and just maybe we can get it stopped.

Good fishing to all, but if you are coming from another lake please respect STockton and clean you boat as instructed.

Thanks for reading. Here is the way to clean you boat per the mdc.

How You Can Help Prevent Their Spread

If you are a water recreationist (boater, angler, water-skier, scuba-diver, sailor or canoeist) there are some important things you can do to prevent the transport of zebra mussels and other harmful exotic species from one lake or river to another. In some states and provinces it is illegal to transport harmful exotic species.

Zebra Mussels: In-Depth Prevention Tips

Click to view full frame

To prevent the spread of zebra mussels throughout Missouri and North America - and to keep your own equipment from being fouled - please observe the following "clean boating" suggestions when transporting your boat from waterway to waterway.

Inspect

Thoroughly inspect your boat's hull, drive unit, trim plates, trolling plates, prop guards, transducers, centerboards, rollers, axles, anchor, anchor rope and trailer. Scrape of and trash any suspected mussels, however small. Remove all water weeds hanging from the boat or trailer before leaving any water body.

Drain

Drain water from the motor, livewell, bilge and transom wells and any other water from your boat and equipment while on land before leaving any water body.

Dump

Trash leftover bait on land, away from water, before leaving any water body. Leftover live aquatic bait that has contacted infested waters should not be taken to uninfested waters.

Rinse

When you get home - before launching your boat into uninfested waters - thoroughly rinse and dry the hull, drive unit, livewells (and livewell pumping system), bilge, trailer, bait buckets, engine cooling system and other boat parts that got wet while in infested waters; use a hard spray from a garden hose.

If your boat was in infested waters for a long period of time, or if you find any attached adult mussels, use HOT (104 F) water instead of cold, or tow the boat through a do-it-yourself carwash and use the high pressure hot water to "de-mussel" your boat. Do not use chlorine bleach or other environmentally unsound washing solutions.

Dry

Boats, motors and trailers should be allowed to dry thoroughly in the sun for at least five days before boating again.

In the Slip

In infested waters, the best way to keep a hull mussel-free is to run the boat frequently (small juvenile mussels are quite soft and are scoured off the hull at high speeds).

On boats which remain in the water, zebra mussels can attach to drive units, cover or enter water intakes, and clog, overheat and destroy the engine.

If possible, leave outboards or outdrives in the up position. Periodically inspect hulls and drive units, and scrape free of mussels. Pump hot water through your engine's intake on a regular basis to prevent mussel growth inside the engine's cooling system.

Identify the Enemy

Learn what these organisms look like (at least those you can see). If you suspect a new infestation of an exotic plant or animal, report it to your natural resource agency.

Consult the agency for recommendations and permits before you try to control or eradicate an exotic "pest."

Remember, exotic "pest" species thrive on disturbance. Do-it-yourself control treatments often make matters worse and can harm native species.

Where to Look for Zebra Mussels

* Boats

* Bait bucket

* Recreational watercraft

* Sailboats

To report a potential zebra mussel sighting or for additional information, contact your nearest Missouri Conservation Department Office or:

The Invasive Species Coordinator at Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 or Phone: 573-522-4115 ext. 3371

Several Missouri Stream Teams already are helping by monitoring streams for zebra mussels. If you would like to join the effort, call (800) 781-1989 or visit the Stream Team web-site at www.mostreamteam.org.

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

Hey and I don't want anyone thinking I am trying to be a jerk about this or anything. I believe that someone from somewhere probably won't care enough and will just launch their boat and we will get them here one day. But I would hope that anyone that reads this doesn't want that someone to be them. If everyone will work together then maybe we can get the doc or corp to do something. I don't understand why they didn't put in an area that you are required to back your boat into and flush everything prior to entering the lake.

I just want to see everyone put forth the best effort to stop them from getting into our lake. Stockton is the best lake in this state for fishing, scenery, and we even got a dollar general in greenfield and stockton. What else do you need? It does appear that it will happen someday, but if we can change that attitude to we don't want them in this lake, then we just might either delay it long enough until a solution is found to stop the spread. They are working on all kind of things now, so the possiblility does exist that we can stop this from happening.

My last post on this was not meant to offend anyone, I just don't want these things messing up our lake.

Thanks and hope everyone is willing to get involved and help stop them.

[walleyerich]

I'm not sure they will affect the lake in a negative way. I think they will change the way you have to fish because of the clear water - especially on Pomme. I don't think it hurt the population of walleye on the Great Lakes and I bet if you asked the local angler they would say it helped the fishing. Please don't get mad and correct me if you think different.

[Moflash]

What impact are they having on the ecosystem?

One of the most well documented impacts is on our native mussels. Zebra mussels are anchoring themselves by the thousands to native mussels making it impossible for the native mussel to function. As many as 10,000 zebra mussels have attached to a single native mussel. Our natives have all but disappeared in Lake St.Clair and the western basin of Lake Erie. Zebra mussels also are filtering the Great Lakes at an amazing rate, making the lake very clear. Most people assume that this increased visibility in the water must mean the water is "cleaner". Not true. All they have done is filter out all the algae which normally would be food for native microscopic organisms.

[Stockton Lake Guide Service]

I have to agree moflash. I don't want these things in the lake. I wish there was a way to convince everyone of this, but it I don't know if everyone knows how serious this will be if they take over the lake. And hopefully everything that I have read on these things are wrong, because it really doesn't appear that enough people care if they contaminate our lakes.

Most people believe there is nothing that can be done to stop them from getting into the lake. In reality, they are probably going to win this argument, but until they are proven to be right I would like to see everyone make an effort to keep their boats cleaned out if they have been to any other lake. It's the only way to keep them from getting here.

[Flysmallie]

There has to be more education on this to the non-fishing crowd or your just wasting your time. The fisherman that give a darn are already aware of the potential hazards and don't want it to happen. But the real problem is the casual boater. They have no idea about things like this. They are not conservation minded people. They go to the lake to drive around and enjoy the water, some enjoy it a little too much but that's a whole different problem.

So what's in for the casual boater and how do we educate them?

The real problem is the people who just don't care. They have been to LOZ and haven't seen a problem. It's these ignorant people that will bring them to Stockton.

But don't worry it won't be me. My boat doesn't get wet often enough to keep something living in it.

And it's usually at Stockton when it does!!