Zebras in Lake Winnipeg

Riggen&Jiggen

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A year ago when I first heard that Zebra mussels were discovered in the Red river I wondered how long we would hear about them in Lake Winnipeg. Last week I talked to a guy from Winnipeg and he said Zebras are so bad up there that people can't leave their boats in the water for any length of time or it will start getting covered in Zebras. So I googled it and sure enough a bunch pics come up with boats covered. So this makes me believe that Zebras were in the Red probably a year or two before they were actually discovered in the Red. I wonder how many boats in the past 2 years have been in the Red and at Devils Lake and never thought twice about draining anything. Anyways I believe there a lot of lakes close to Lake Winnipeg with connected water ways. Should not be to long before a bunch of lakes in Manitoba and Ontario are infested. Hope the scientists can come up with something to kill those dam things.
 


SDMF

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If they're that thick in 'Peg, there's great risk to the Winnipeg River, LOW, Shoal Lake, Rainy Lake, The Wabigoon (I think) and English River systems, as well as Lac Seul. That's an awful lot of top quality fishing in Sunset Country at risk.
 

Enslow

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Good thing the NDGF is having youth volunteers doing ANS education at popular boat ramps this summer in lieu of boat inspections. I mean after 20 years of seeing the infestation move west why even try right?

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Back in 2004, when i lived in devils lake, i would go to anglers club meetings at felix's. There was a NDGF employee name lynn that was an ANS coordinator. He was warning people about the dangers of ANS for ND waters way back then. Here we are in 2016 with youth volunteers doing ANS checks at popular boat ramps. Evidently the top officers thought that the money coming from the east for all those years couldnt support a viable ANS inspection program. You cant make this stuff up.
 

Bri-guy

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I was at the main launch at Stump on Saturday and there was no ANS person there. The kid was there on Sunday and he never said a word to us. So the volunteer thing is kind of worthless.
 


scrotcaster

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Its been 20 years since it started coming west and still not here.. that impressive!, Go NDGF, Good job !
 

gonefshn

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I'm sure all that "talking about them" in Bismarck has them scared $hitless and jumping ship so to speak before they get drug here by some boat owner in their state into ND.
 

Enslow

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Its been 20 years since it started coming west and still not here.. that impressive!, Go NDGF, Good job !

I dont blame the NDGF for the zebras in the red. The tributaries feeding the red from mn are connected to zebra mussel infested waters. The tributaries feeding the red from the west like the wild rice and sheyenne will allow zebra mussels to make it deep into ND. The spread can be stopped it just will take very serious and stringent checkpoints. If nothing is done then all ND waters will eventually get zebra mussels. We have the best fishing right now why not protect that?
 

Migrator Man

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Thankfully over 99% of boats in the red are not kept in the river long enough to have adult zebra mussels attach. Leaving your boat in the water for days, weeks and months is much worse correct?
 


Captain Ahab

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I dont blame the NDGF for the zebras in the red. The tributaries feeding the red from mn are connected to zebra mussel infested waters. The tributaries feeding the red from the west like the wild rice and sheyenne will allow zebra mussels to make it deep into ND. The spread can be stopped it just will take very serious and stringent checkpoints. If nothing is done then all ND waters will eventually get zebra mussels. We have the best fishing right now why not protect that?[/QUOTE

From what I have read/heard, zebs cannot move upstream on their own. So they shouldn't invest tribs flowing into the Red without help.
 

Enslow

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Thankfully over 99% of boats in the red are not kept in the river long enough to have adult zebra mussels attach. Leaving your boat in the water for days, weeks and months is much worse correct?

They get in the bilge and stay alive. Even if you pull the plug all the water doesnt come out. You have to crank the front end of the trailer way up.
 

Traxion

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Thankfully over 99% of boats in the red are not kept in the river long enough to have adult zebra mussels attach. Leaving your boat in the water for days, weeks and months is much worse correct?

Incorrect. While an adult mussel can attach at any time, the real threat is the immature mussels found in the water that may be in your boat. These immature velligers can live for a couple weeks in the water in the bottom of the boat or livewell. You go fishing in a new lake, fill and drain the livewell, and there they are introduced to a new body of water.

Imminent or not, I sure like to do what I can. To sit around and say "it's just a matter of time" isn't how I want to live my life.
 

shorthairsrus

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open drain -- take cormorant lake mn little 12 inch fish out (if you keep them). Close drain pour a 1/4 bank of pool shock and a cup of muratic acid in livewell. EOS - open drain when loading. DNR try to fine you -- in face of DNR officer ---- no fine.
 


Mocha

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I dont blame the NDGF for the zebras in the red. The tributaries feeding the red from mn are connected to zebra mussel infested waters. The tributaries feeding the red from the west like the wild rice and sheyenne will allow zebra mussels to make it deep into ND. The spread can be stopped it just will take very serious and stringent checkpoints. If nothing is done then all ND waters will eventually get zebra mussels. We have the best fishing right now why not protect that?


You say the spread can be stopped?

If that is true I am sure every state with fishing/tourist waters would pay you huge cash for that secrete. Give us an example where and how it was stopped please!

Google Christmas Lake in MN and see what the most protected lake in MN did and how it failed.
 

Enslow

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You say the spread can be stopped?

If that is true I am sure every state with fishing/tourist waters would pay you huge cash for that secrete. Give us an example where and how it was stopped please!

Google Christmas Lake in MN and see what the most protected lake in MN did and how it failed.

What was done on christmas lake?

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I dont blame the NDGF for the zebras in the red. The tributaries feeding the red from mn are connected to zebra mussel infested waters. The tributaries feeding the red from the west like the wild rice and sheyenne will allow zebra mussels to make it deep into ND. The spread can be stopped it just will take very serious and stringent checkpoints. If nothing is done then all ND waters will eventually get zebra mussels. We have the best fishing right now why not protect that?[/QUOTE

From what I have read/heard, zebs cannot move upstream on their own. So they shouldn't invest tribs flowing into the Red without help.

I could see that when the rivers are flowing well but this spring the tribs of the red coming from the west had virtually no current.
 

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