Zebra Mussels on Eagle Mountain!

What does this mean to you as a fisherman? Good, bad, or different?

i saw it on the news today

EM, Lake Worth and Livingston......

It's funny the news said that now three lakes were confirmed to have them. I think they forgot a few.

Yeah, these are the "new" finds outside of Bridgeport and Ray Bob. Doesn't Benbrook have em too?

Good for bass. Bad for boats being stored on water?

Make sure you wash good they spread quick

I might have read this and forgot but what happens to the grass when these get in a lake. Do they take over where the grass should go and kill it off? I can imagine that they will eventually make it to lakes like toledo and rayburn but what will the effects be on the grass? Not that rayburn is really a grass lake anymore

Should make the grass grow better as the water gets clearer.

not a grass lake since when? Was just there flipping hydrilla up to 15ft. Water was so clear in that area you could mistake it for drinking water if you got some in a water bottle

It doesn't have 1/2 the grass it used too if that. Sure there is still some but it's not a grass lake anymore. When the grass starts getting really good on the main flats and points then it will return to a grass lake.

has not hurt ray bob and last time i was out there i never had a single issue with them while fishing. Seem to be worse for pipes, boats and docks than fishing.

Ummmm, hasn't there been a sign at EM for several years stating that it had zebra mussels in it? if Bridgeport had them in the past then most certainly EM and Lake Worth and Benbrook has them as well, even if they aren't seen yet. No way to stop the spread on downstream lakes.

How would Benbrook get them outside of transfers. There isnt a creek or river that flows from EM or worth into Benbrook?

You must not have been fishing around any stumps.

HUH? Benbrook is on the Trinity. Zebra mussels are in the Trinity River basin.

http://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/benbrook/Information/index.asp

http://texasinvasives.org/zebramussels/

Sandbass, Zebra mussels... Goby's next?

They dump into the same river. It's still upstream of infected water. But, yes it will have them eventually.

Remember Benbrook flows backwards, the creeks that feed it are on the south end. The dam dumps water into on the north side, which later meets up with the river from Worth. Then they go downstream, Benbrooks water doesn't come from EM or Worth.

They van pump water to benbrook from cedar creek. Big project a few years back.
Arlington also has water pumped in from east texas and dumped into village creek a mile or so up stream.....

All these lakes are interconnected regardless of the water table.

It's the basin, doesn't matter about flow. Zebra mussels will get there if it's in the same system.

East Fork of Trinity River comes down thru Ray Bob, Lewisville and then south thru Dallas, and then all the way to Livingston.
West Fork of Trinity River comes down thru Bridgeport, Eagle Mountain, Lake Worth, and then goes East to Dallas,
Clear Fork of Trinity River comes thru Benbrook and then dumps in the West Fork around Fort Forth.

Water also is pumped and piped up from Richland Chambers to Benbrook. Cedar Creek and Lake Arlington are also in the 72inch pipeline link chain giving north texas versatility for water demand. Water is also pumped and piped in from Lake Benbrook to Eagle Mountain with a 72inch line in drought situations. Most all of the pipe and pump stations was manufactured by NW pipe company here in Saginaw texas.

Maybe they will clear up lake livingstunk

Birds will spread them.

Birds will spread them.

David I know you meant to say the Elm fork feeds Ray Roberts and Lewisville and the East fork feeds Lavon and Ray Hubbard

That's what I'm thinking. Will make for some interesting dock fishing if they really take hold though.


Just curious are there any lakes in Texas where they are as bad as what you see up North? Can they thrive here when the water gets to 90+ degrees for months at a time?

This explains why TPWD was out checking boats at Lake Worth last weekend.

Just a money maker for them

Zebra mussels had "infested" Lake Lavon in January 2014. Haven't heard a word since other than changing the classification from "infested" to "positive." Just sayin.

Weatherford dumps to Benbrook, too

Belton has head them a few years now. The fishing hasn't changed much, if it has it has been for the better. The smallmouth really seem to like it. The problem is bait presentation, some areas have them so bad you can be reeling a crankbait along the bottom and your line will just go slack because the zeebs will cut it. Also have lost a lot more fish on any bottom presentations on the hookset due to nicks and cuts in your line. You literally have to retie on just about every other cast in some areas.

Uh oh, gotta watch out for zebra muscles