The flood of Zebra Mussels

Now I'm wondering how the floods might be affecting the spread of Zebra Mussels. Thoughts?

My understanding is they can't stick to anything in fast moving water. With all the gates open on the lake north to south I would say there headed down the line.

Any lake below ray Roberts will be loaded because ray Roberts had them on everything.
Johnny

And TPW will continue to fine us if we don't follow their rules, makes sense to me. . .

I am finding mussels in the bellies of the catfish I catch

I would like to see an actual photo of Texas zebra mussels.

So boats are spreading Zebra Mussels and pumping water out of Texoma does not? Come on Man


http://www.kten.com/story/25519956/water-pumps-at-lake-texoma-turning-back-on-this-month

What lake was the photo taken?

They have been showing up on Lewisville this year. Did not see any in 2014.

I wonder if the TPW Clean, Dry & Wipe law is enforceable. If the COE has to dump water with Zebras for flood control, how can individuals be fined? It seems like an unenforceable law. Another gripe is the 300M pipeline from Texoma. I'm glad we had it last year, but such a huge expense and now we have Zebras running down the Red.

If you don't have common sense. you have politicians & government.

Most laws like the Zebra law that is not only not enforceable but stupid. It is not about the spread of Zebras, it is about a lot of stupid stuff coming from politicians, money. If I let my lower unit down for 10 minutes and then pick it up and go home. When I get home I let it down to park my boat and water runs out. Water is in my carpet, water lines to my live wells, where do these people come from. Was at Texoma driving around there is water coming over and threw the dam everywhere. Every lake below Texoma, Ray Roberts and any other lake below them will have mussels in it before long. It is not how they affect the fishing or people that put there boats in and out. It is about the pipelines and peoples boats that they leave in Marinas. Like I said at first, its about the money. We need to learn to live with them or figure out how to get rid of them. I have seen several post where fish eat them. Not seen it yet, but I hope too.

Our fishing has gotten bad this year I feel account of them.

Ray Roberts.

I think it is a problem but I do not know how to stop it. I will let the scientists and higher ups investigate it. For right now I will wash my boat and trailer and do just my small part.

Sallysue: They have been in Texoma a while and this, until the flood, has been one of the best fishing years ever.

The news reported that TPWD was going to start ticketing clouds and birds for spreading zebra muscles

Heres some zebras from Belton. This picture was taken over a year ago. I have found them just about every trip to Belton in the past year. And sallysue is right, the catfish are full of them.

I still support TP&W for making people wipe down boats. Just because the flood water is moving them down stream, doesn't mean boats can't introduce them to new river systems. Keep them out of the Sabine river lakes please.

I clean catfish all the time and I never once desired to open up their stomachs.

Most of the blues & some channels I catch in Belton are so full of them you can see there bellies bulging much more than normal and you can feel the mussels in there stomachs without cleaning them. I have cut into a few to confirm what I am feeling. They are so full of them they look similar to a blue that came up fast from deep water in the winter and needs to be burped. They have a hard crunchy feel in there stomachs.

Zebra mussel law is mute at this point. Now is just a money maker for the state. Do they really expect me to si at the ramp all day while my boat drains. There was a time when I would stop at Grapevine and pick up shad but nowadays I just take the boat home and does not see a another lake for a week.

Shad is tough and they never ran the banks like they have in the past during there spawn While fishing has just been tough I realize the pressure here has double in the past few years

I sorry I am missing something. Every guide post you see has more and bigger fish. My whole family got there best fish ever on Texoma this year and we have been fishing it on and off since 1982. Some of the older guides have said that they have caught more 20#+ fish this year than in all previous years combined. I understand Zebras are a pain for the people that leave their boat in a slip. Only time will tell how they affect the fishery. And that time has not come yet that I can see.