I think everyone needs to quit arguing and pointing fingers. Thats gettin childish how insulted people are getting and how nit-picky every one is bein with the finger pointing. Chances are the ones who have been whining the most are the lazy ones who helped spread the little critters. Fishing boats themselves are the MAIN spreading entity. Boaters that recreationally haul tubers and skiiers tend to stay on their favorite lakes and return to that lake for more recreation. They too can pass the mussels along but not at as high of a rate as fisherman. Many fishermen (with -and with out boats like my self) lake jump. and jump.. and jump… EVERYONE needs to check boats, tackle, bait buckets, tanks, trailers, stringers, water craft and water toys. I check my tackle, and tend to leave my tackle box open in the sun. the hot Sun can help dry out little critters like the mussels and water flea etc (and yes mussels can live a while in cool damp temps out of water). We use worms and leeches and sane/trap minnows from only the lake we are at. The trap then gets cleaned and sunned. Eliminating bait buckets. Our stringers are usually metal. Easy to clean and check. my cloth stringer gets cleaned and bleached (can carry vinegar with too for lake hopping days) after we use it at one lake. We always check our line and reels too. part of that is just good equipment maintence part is to keep creepy crawlers off our stuff. We carry bottled water (well water from farm too) for washing up us and our stuff as well as for what our caught fish stay in as to not dry out or spoil on hot days of long fishin. used Water gets disposed of away from any water sources. Usually on the rhubarb plants as they like fish water and fish partd get buried in garden. IF we did use a boat, everyone would be required to participate in the cleaning off of it as well as we wouldnt need to lake jump as a whole lake is plenty enough to hunt a few fish for eats. _we have a book and a map as well as the DNR fishing rules as our pre-planners and populations and heads up of what we want to do. It is alot of work, and this problem has made fishing a bit more expensive but if nothing like this is done we and my friends kids and their future chldren wont have what I grew up with. The lazy needs to stop! Another side note…its lazy or inattentive folks that have also spread meat grubs and other parasites to other lakes via bait and releasing/culling fish from other lakes as well as from the live wells and boat water.
Critters cling in holes, on wiring, in buckets, wells, inside and out side of boats, motors intakes, exhaust ports, blades, tires, hollow trailers, lights housings, bearing caps, divits, rails, skis & ski boot pockets,bait tubs, sane nets, minnow traps, reels,docks, lifts, bumpers… EVERYTHING that has touched the water! High horse or no horse EVERYONE needs to buck up and quit the lazy. Quit the arguing. Quit the whining. And yes.. up the fine. Make a point! it costs alot to keep our lakes good. Why should one lazy jack#** after another get away with it.