More NZ Mudsnails

[Cruzin4Metalheads]

New Zealand Mudsnails found in the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz.

Just what all us coastal guys need...It's hard enough for these fish over on the coast. Now they have to deal with these darn things too. What's next???

We all just need to be more careful!


http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/story.php?storySection=Local&sid=51338

[jhaquett]

Does anyone know if NZMS are an issue at Baum Lake?

There are no warning signs or anything like that, there are a crap load of snails in that lake but I don't think NZMS are included...

[dryflier]

[quote="Cruzin4Metalheads"]New Zealand Mudsnails found in the San Lorenzo River in Santa Cruz.

Just what all us coastal guys need...It's hard enough for these fish over on the coast. Now they have to deal with these darn things too. What's next???

We all just need to be more careful!

This isnt meant to flame you, or start a flame war, you are being naive! Remember NZMS reproduce asexually and it only take one uncaring sob to ruin a stream.
Yes, treat all your gear after every visit to an infested water, but it wont do any good. On the highway their is that one bastard who will wantonly litter. On the stream their is that one jackhole who will cut right in front of where you are fishing (and I am being conservative, their are really a heck of alot more people that are just JACKHOLES who dont give a flying flip!!). 98 fisherman will dutifully due what it takes to prevent the spread of NZMS, and 1 will be such a jackhole he wont care, and 1 will be ignorant of it. And all it takes is one teeny tiny asexually producing snails to take hold of stream. It has spread from the eastern sierra to Putah, from putah to the lower american. Hell knows where the 2 fisherman will go. Fish a locally infested stream then go on a trip to the lower sac? Or maybe 1 or the 2 from the others states will decide to fish ???

[Ed Wahl]

I believe the snails in Baum are the "good" ones, meaning fish food. Ed........Dryflier, we all agree and are just as passionate as you on the slobs who are spreading the snails around,(it kills me that it's fishermen, probably fly fishermen, who are doing it) just bear in mind that several members here have kids that read this also. No one wants to have to explain to their child what someone else's words mean. I personally think your guesstimate of 98 to 2 is about right, but all it takes is 1. Ed

[jhaquett]

Yea Ed there are definitely a ton of "good" snails and I don't think there are any NZMS there because there are no warnings, and I believe there are warnings in all infected areas.

[Ed Wahl]

I'm pretty pessimistic about the NZMS and the DFG. I really think they're behind the eight ball on their postings. I'd be really surprised if those little buggers haven't been in the American for a couple of years. I've run into enough people who fish Putah regularly on the American the last couple of years who never mentioned the snails. Something like that normally would be high on the conversation ladder. Luckily it doesn't seem to be the "armagedon" for Putah. Maybe other streams will be a bit more inhospital to them yet. Ralph Cutter had an article in Ca. FF magazine a few years ago about fishing snail patterns in Armstrong Spring Crk in Montana, Baum is very similar, maybe a snail pattern in the surface film would work. Ed

[smokeater]

Just for clarification, are there New Zealand Mudsnails on the Lower American? And if so, what are the minimum accepted methods of decontaminating your gear?

[Nip Hadlock]

Found this on the web:
Clean and dry anything that came in contact with the water.
(boats, trailers, equipment, dogs, boots, clothing, etc.). Basic procedures include: Use hot (< 40° C or 104° F) or salt water to clean your equipment.
Wash your dog with water as warm as possible and brush its coat.
The following recipes are recommended for cleaning hard-to-treat equipment that cannot be exposed to hot water:
Dipping equipment into 100% vinegar for 20 minutes will kill harmful aquatic hitchhiker species.
A 1 % table salt solution for 24 hours can replace the vinegar dip. This table provides correct mixtures for the 1 % salt solution in water:
Gallons of Water Cups of Salt
5 2/3
10 1 ¼
25 3
50 6 1/4
100 12 2/3

If hot water is not available, spray equipment such as boats, motors, trailers, anchors, decoys, floats, nets, with high-pressure water.
DRY Equipment. If possible, allow for 5 days of drying time before entering new waters.


I know there's a 409 solution treatment too maybe someone else can recommend... 8)

...and they say that freezing works... :thumbsup:

Smokeater,
Got a source of high pressure water? :shock: :lol:
Nip

[Hairstacker]

Just curious but. . . yes, it could have been a careless angler. But couldn't it just as eaily have been a careless duck? Just wondering.

[Nip Hadlock]

...soooo, one duck does not a fowl river make? :lol:

[Hairstacker]

Apparently, one duck could a fowl river make. :lol:

[PaulC]

That joke was fowl.

[Scott V]

I hope it didn't ruffle any feathers.

[jhaquett]

Tristan, what proof is there that ONLY freezing kills the snails and the other recommendations are ineffective?

[Mrs.Finsallaround]

That's interesting, because when we were on Putah creek with Granite Bay Flycasters and DFG and a biologist from UC Davis, we used the 409 and copper sulfate solutions, and they were both 100% effective.

There was a study done by CA DFG:
"CONCLUSIONS ~ We believe that the use of copper sulfate, benzethonium chloride or Formula 409® Disinfectant immersion baths or in dry sacks provides an acceptable alternative to the current physical methods of removing NZMS from wading gear. Copper sulfate was also effective when sprayed on the gear. These have the advantage of requiring less than 30 minutes to complete versus freezing (4 to 6 hours) or desiccation (possibly days) and cleaning can be done in the field. However, it may be necessary to carry a container to place the gear in during cleaning. After cleaning, the gear should not be rinsed with site water as this may place NZMS back on the gear. Care must also be taken to ensure that the cleaning solutions not enter surface water. We propose that a possible cleaning protocol based on the results of this study could be distributed through an outreach program to various fishing groups, consultants and researchers that may visit NZMS infested waters (Appendix 3)."

The whole study can be reviewed at http://www.dfg.ca.gov/invasives/mudsnail/NZMS%20Final%20Report%2003.pdf

Hope this helps... 8)

[dryflier]

Yea Ed there are definitely a ton of "good" snails and I don't think there are any NZMS there because there are no warnings, and I believe there are warnings in all infected areas.

Hope you havent fished the lower A without cleaning your equipment in the last 6 months, or else all those "secret" spots you post about will soon be swelling with NZMS :cry:

[jhaquett]

I don't remember posting anything about lower pressure ("secret" as you call it) areas that I fish and any concern of NZMS there. :?:

If you are attempting to imply that Baum Lake is where I just recently posted about in the "trout" section, you are actually wrong. Although I do in fact fish there a lot in the winter, obviously I wouldn't call Baum a place that can't take a lot of pressure because, well, it gets a TON of it and always produces! :wink:

I live in Chico and don't fish anything South of here. As for being responsible, I'm a big boy and clean my gear every time I go out 8)