Zebras

[fishinwrench]

3 hours ago, JRay said:

Wrench,

Head down to Bull Shoals and wind your favorite crankbait down the bank and watch it disappear when a bass loads up on it and your line breaks immediately from those little razor-shells......you'll feel a little devastation! 

Dude, you're talking to a guy that fishes over frayed steel cables with ZM on them 75% of the time. Maybe you need some fresh line.  I have a whole jar full of ZM on my desk.  I can take one and attempt to cut 15# P-Line with them.   I have to really work at it.  

Yeah they are sharp if you step directly on top of them, but they are also pretty easily dislodged.  Can you shave your face while holding your razor lightly between two fingers ?  No, not very well.  The line cutting tales are just more BS IMO .  Sure it is possible if the tension angle is just right, but try to do it on purpose and you'll see that it isn't as likely as you think.

[aarchdale@coresleep.com]

They arent half as sharp as people make them out to be. One person blamed losing fish because of them and now its a common excuse. When i dive i get more cut up from brush and rockt.. Half the time ill kneel on them when im spearfishing. I think some fish eat them. Yes they are everywhere but i dont think they are a problem. Fish are thick in bull.........

 

[brian c]

Courtesy dock in Howard creek/cr 15 is covered in them. I doubt there is any part of the lake that doesn't have them.

[JRay]

I stand corrected.....never fished around them.  I'm buying a "Save the Zebra Mussels" sticker for my boat right now! 

 

[Diamond City Fisher]

Now that the water is down in the campground at Lead Hill Park in Diamond City....we can see just how bad the Zebra infestation is. I shot a few pictures with my phone this morning of the picnic table in one of the campsites. In previous years when the water went down we did not see this on the ramps and the campground. Looks like the Zebra's are here to stay.

 

 

[MOPanfisher]

Mmm? Bet that's gonna smell good.

[Mike Worley]

I've seen large clusters of zebra mussles all the way to the back end of Jimmy creek. I dought any place on the lake is free of them. Lets just hope there is a bright side, I seem to have read some place that catfish and some sunfish thrive on zebra mussels as well as freshwater drum. I've fished the Missouri river & Green Bay both of which have had zebra mussels since they were first found.  Both still have excellent walleye & bass fishing. Sometimes we would pull up a few attached to the line or lure, but in general they didn't seem cause a lot of problems as far as fishing was concerned. Dragging a plastic lizard on a Caroline rig or a jig might seem tough but we were able to do both with out much problem.

[Old plug]

I go along with Mike Worly on this. My daughter has I laws who live and fish Lake Erie in Ohio. They told me when the water gets lower the worst thing about zebras is you can smell them dying a mile away. 

[Rob P]

On ‎10‎/‎28‎/‎2015‎ ‎11‎:‎17‎:‎22‎, JRay said:

Wrench,

Head down to Bull Shoals and wind your favorite crankbait down the bank and watch it disappear when a bass loads up on it and your line breaks immediately from those little razor-shells......you'll feel a little devastation! 

yep. once it gets really bad we'll all be switching to braid. Maybe not crank bait fishing but jigs or bottom baits will contact them and cause problems.   The edges on the shell can be very sharp.  As far on shore lines, you cannot walk on them when zebras mussels are present, , the shells are too sharp.  I worry about my kids swimming or my dogs at the water edge.

 

[5bites]

My personal experience with them at grand is they will flat destroy line. Buy quality flouro and it helps. I primarily use sunline structure and shooter. Check often and plan on retying a lot. 

 

A a friend was on crankbait fish at grand last year where there was lots of zm's. He would be cranking and suddenly lose his bait  he'd wait for it to float back up then retrieve it. Another aggravation is them attaching themselves to your crankbaits.

 

They'll be or are in Table Rock without a doubt. Now whether it has a positive or negative impact on the fishery itself despite the some of the annoyances I have no idea. I've heard also that lakes only get better. I don't think we need to wear the foil hat like some are though either way.