Water Strainer

[MN Ryan]

Our lake has had a pretty gross algae bloom this year--it's unlike anything I've seen on the lake in the past 18 years. Hopefully, it's weather-related and doesn't become the norm. My raw water strainer was looking pretty gunky (though my temp was running fine), so I pulled to clean yesterday. Ugh, the algae stank was awful, and there were even tiny zebra mussels in there. Glad I cleaned it before it became an issue! I'll have to keep a closer eye on it.

[BigRedSV211]

Watch it closely, mine looked exactly like that a couple of weekends ago on a mucky Florida lake and I actually started to overheat. Shut down quickly, cleaned it out and started the engine to cool it off... temp came down pretty quickly. The next time I went out I must have checked it 15 times.

[Scooter G]

Thanks for the heads up MN Ryan, definitely something to watch for as the lake temperatures increase this time of year. That looks pretty nasty, good thing you didn't get in the water, lol.

[SilentSeven]

If you move from lake to lake, having zebra mussels in the filter is a problem. In the PNW, there are marine inspection stations at highway points where you have to pull off and have your watercraft checked for invasive species like zebra mussels. Many of the sites have a mussel sniffing beagle that can quickly check your craft.

[MN Ryan]

SilentSeven Yes, we have similar in MN. Our lake became infested a few years ago, and they suck. I have taken to wearing dorky aqua socks in the shallows so I don't get my feet shredded.

Scooter G Yeah, I didn't get in the water at all. Our dog finally got a bath last night after a few weeks of accumulated lake stank.

[Scooter G]

Too funny.

And then a Zebra Mussel sniffing Beagle small enough to crawl through the engine compartment, now I've heard it all. As long as he doesn't find the drugs, we don't have a problem here, haha.

[SilentSeven]

Scooter G It's actually kinda cool...the dog can just walk around the boat and alert - no need to get inside. You live in Idaho right? Bet you've seen a station or two.

The inspection stations are serious business...I accidentally drove past a station in Idaho and a wildlife sheriff pulled me over and I had to return to have the boat checked. Officers were cool about it but didn't want to miss any boat.

Ski boats with ballast tanks are considered suspect as the tanks can transport live mussels long distances. In Glacier NP in Montana, you have to quarantine your boat for six weeks (!) before you're allowed to launch in any NP lake (doesn't impact ski folks much...)

Here's the state of Idaho page with details - funny that they show a strainer just like MN Ryan's

https://invasivespecies.idaho.gov/wa...tion-stations/

Sadly, I fear it's a loosing battle with the veracity of the critters combined with the current anti government thinking prevalent in this country and this being perceived as affront to 'muh boating freedoms'. Fingers crossed the stay where they are. And someone figures out a way to get rid of the ones that are here.

[Scooter G]

I like it SilentSeven. So what happens when the dog sniffs you out with a positive, is it don't past go situation?
Dogs have crazy noses, always love to watch them work on our trips to Mexico, it's almost worth the cost of admission. Not my bag, not my bag, good dog, lol.
6 week quarantine, that's over the top.
We've definitely spent some time in the inspection line, between here, Washington (your stomping grounds) and Oregon. I blew past one once, can't remember why, I'm sure I had a valid reason. Kept watching in my mirror...
One of our lakes Redfish, that we are very proud of, has an inspection station right at the boat ramp. Be there in 2 weeks.
Agreed, the bags have to be an unstoppable source of spread. Next stop, please pull forward to the bag port bleaching station.

Redfish - Skidim's 2017 Calendar January Supra Poster Child Shot

[SilentSeven]

I can't recall the exact remediation if you 'tested positive'. The web page talks about hot washes and tank flushing so I think they have mechanisms to try to get you green. Might depend on how bad the situation was. Our boat had no issue and they passed us right through - I think my total delay was maybe less than 15 minutes including pull off, drive a couple blocks to the inspection location, watch beagle work and then get back on the freeway time. And the wildlife officers gave my kids some nifty invasive species educational coloring book and sniffing doggo stickers. Except for the fact they are teens and were embarrassed about the kiddo swag, it was a well managed experience.

What a cool lake. It would be horrific if that got filled with those nasty mussels.


Edit: zoinks! I clicked on the map in the link above and got this inspection dashboard. cool beans.

https://idaho.maps.arcgis.com/apps/d...07c06dccd4044f

[Scooter G]

Laughed at "Kiddo Swag".
I did a night dive with a Nephew at the inlet about were the boat is in the pic, we were spear fishing trash fish. The light would pickup these red flashes of Sockeye Salmon swimming by, pretty neato (just trying to keep up with kiddo, zoinks, & cool beans, lol). He speared a huge Sucker Fish and stuck the flashlight in it's mouth. We got to laughing so hard under water that he lost his regulator and had to surface. Good times, just had to share.
Love the map, bookmarked that. Cool stats, good share.