Thread: Annual SD Trip

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  1. #1
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    Annual SD Trip

    So we made our annual trip to SD the last week of May and as usual we weren't disappointed. It was a great week of smallies and largies, and a few walleye by accident. Staying in the Waubay area we went to launch on Enemy Swim the first morning and were greeted by a parks and wildlife crew checking all inputting boats for Zebra Mussels. They wanted a name rank and serial number on me and the boat. Inspected live wells, tilted the motor down for any residual drainage and wanted to know the last body of water I had been on. Since the wind was blowing 45 mph from a different direction everyday we didn't have the opportunity to fish any other lakes so we fished ES everyday and everyday it was the same thing with the P&W crew there to greet us at 6am every morning. Same questions, same checks. I asked them on the first day of our inspection if and where there was a zebra mussel issue and they told me that they have been found on Pickerel but no other lake yet and they were trying to keep it that way. Understood. My inquiring mind immediately asked that if Pickerel was the only lake with a known infestation problem, wouldn't all of the other lakes be better protected if they set up a boat cleaning station on Pickerel and hot washed every boat coming off instead of trying to post a team at every launch on every other lake which is an impossible feat. They said the funds weren't allocated to support such a cleaning station. Mmmm? We had planned to fish Pickerel during the week but when they told me that if I go there they would be required to hook the muffs up to my motor and run hot water through it for about ten minutes. I wasn't trying to be an a$$ about it but I had to ask, "and who is responsible for replacing or rebuilding my motor if it craters while you're running it?" They hadn't even thought about that and said they would have to ask and get back to me. Sorry, but I've never ran an outboard on water muffs. It may be perfectly safe but I never have and never will for ten minutes running a 120 degree hot water solution through it like they wanted to do. Needless to say we didn't fish Pickerel that week because I would not have been able to lie about being there when asked and I was not going to run/flush my motor. For what it's worth, we did check out the east ramp on Waubay one morning but the wind was going to keep us from where we wanted to fish so we didn't launch. There was no GP&W team there checking boats. We did fish Roy one day and same, no crew checking boats. Pickerel is not a huge lake so if this is where the infestation has been identified then why not clean the boats that are coming off it? This could be a manifested and more costly problem in the future for more SD as well as out of state lakes. The logic defies me

  2. Member Macsimus's Avatar
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    #2
    Common sense is a flower that does not grow in everyone's garden.
    Here in MN, if there's an inspection, they record your boat and vehicle license numbers. For over 10 years I've been asking them what they do with the data and have yet to receive a straight answer.
    There was a time that I didn't fish but I cannot remember it.


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    #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Macsimus View Post
    Here in MN, if there's an inspection, they record your boat and vehicle license numbers. For over 10 years I've been asking them what they do with the data and have yet to receive a straight answer.
    Yes sir. I recall such an inspection as we came off of Leach a few years ago. They also had a hot wash set up to clean boats that were inputting depending on where they had launched last.

  4. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    Yeah I like the hot water rinse sometimes, but not in a running motor. In MN they literally take the information as proof they talk to boaters... it's ridiculous. But the hot water rinse crew is only there 8am-5 pm and there is setup and tear down time included. So that's a waste.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fishysam View Post
    But the hot water rinse crew is only there 8am-5 pm and there is setup and tear down time included. So that's a waste.
    I can understand the concern with infestation, but without resources and funding its an insurmountable task to contain and eliminate the threat on every lake. Especially when its just an 8 to 5 job. Your tax dollars at work will ensure the bureaucrats will impose restrictions and limitations in the future.

  6. Moderator Fishysam's Avatar
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    Yeah Nd is even worse. We are SOL.
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  7. Member bigbitef11's Avatar
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    #7
    Pickerel is not the only lake in the NE SD area with muscles. Cochrane and Kampeska as well.
    To fish or not to fish?
    What stupid question.

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    Quote Originally Posted by bigbitef11 View Post
    Pickerel is not the only lake in the NE SD area with muscles. Cochrane and Kampeska as well.
    Good to know. I sure hope SD gets a handle on the problem. The mussels kept me from fishing Pickerel when we were there. Not only was I concerned with being a spreader on the wonderful SD lakes, I didn't want to risk spreading to my home state. SD is a destination meca for fishermen around the country. It would be a shame to impose limitations and regulations on resources that would also impact revenue for the state knowing that residents and non residents alike could be spreading the infestation.

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    #9
    im all for stopping the spread of AIS but from a pure fishing standpoint zebra muscles will most likely make fishing better in alot of our lakes.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sdfisherman1995 View Post
    im all for stopping the spread of AIS but from a pure fishing standpoint zebra muscles will most likely make fishing better in alot of our lakes.
    Unfortunately it doesn't. I read quite a few articles on the problem after my experience in SD. What happens is the mussels consume all of the plankton in a lake. This results is the clearing up of many murky or muddy waters which we fishermen think is great, for awhile. Once the water is void of plankton the ecosystem begins to die. The plankton eating aquatic life and bait fish begin to disappear when their food source has been removed, then the bait eating fish, the ones we fish for, begin to disappear because their food source has been depleted. True, some fisheries would have the ability to sustain fish populations better and maybe longer than others but the end results is still an eventual decline of quality and quantity of fish. I realize it doesn't appear to be a huge problem, but it has the potential to affect the generations of fishermen long after you and I are gone. If anyone launches on a body of water that is knowingly infested they need to act responsibly and take all precautions to disinfect their boat and trailer before launching on another body of water.

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    Quote Originally Posted by sdfisherman1995 View Post
    im all for stopping the spread of AIS but from a pure fishing standpoint zebra muscles will most likely make fishing better in alot of our lakes.
    Yeah, we’ve had local lake owners think this way too, pristine clear water with zebra mussels… not a good thing for any lake. Read up on Mille Lacs here in MN
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by RangerFive1Niner View Post
    Unfortunately it doesn't. I read quite a few articles on the problem after my experience in SD. What happens is the mussels consume all of the plankton in a lake. This results is the clearing up of many murky or muddy waters which we fishermen think is great, for awhile. Once the water is void of plankton the ecosystem begins to die. The plankton eating aquatic life and bait fish begin to disappear when their food source has been removed, then the bait eating fish, the ones we fish for, begin to disappear because their food source has been depleted. True, some fisheries would have the ability to sustain fish populations better and maybe longer than others but the end results is still an eventual decline of quality and quantity of fish. I realize it doesn't appear to be a huge problem, but it has the potential to affect the generations of fishermen long after you and I are gone. If anyone launches on a body of water that is knowingly infested they need to act responsibly and take all precautions to disinfect their boat and trailer before launching on another body of water.
    I have to disagree with this statement, as it's always the excuse guys use because they can't catch fish like they used to. Yes, the lake gets cleaner, which means the weeds will grow deeper. Deeper weeds mean the fish also change their habits and habitat. The fish are still there, the fisherman need to adapt and change their locations and presentations is all.


    As for the cleaning stations in MN, I see more that sit and take up space never getting used than those that get used. That being said, I pulled up into one a few years ago and my buddy asked me what I was doing. I told him "I'm going to get my boat washed and make those guys get off of their chairs in the shade and actually make my tax dollars actually work!"