Golden Mussel upending life in the Delta, with no help on the way

[WB Staff]

...The mussels are infamous for voracious appetites that fuel their rapid growth. Now, state and local water managers are battling to keep golden mussels from reaching uninfested lakes and reservoirs. They’re racing to keep them from damaging the pumping facilities that send Delta water to farms and cities in Central and Southern California.

But here, in the web of waterways where the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers meet, a new reality is setting in. Thick colonies of the mussels already coat boats and piers and threaten water supplies for cities and farms...

Read it all: https://calmatters.org/environment/wate ... els-delta/

[birdman920]

the Great Lakes seem to be dealing with the mussels! wonder how they are controlling them?

[Whoopbass]

Those are photos of mussels from somewhere else. Probably from some other state. I have looked for mussels in the port of Stockton and haven't found anything yet. I went to a spot that I recognized where the local news did a story on these Mussels and didn't see anything yet they had video of pilings on the ground that were pulled out of the water that were covered in mussels. Not one piling, dock, or rock in the water had a single mussel on it.
It's been a few months since i've been in that area but I will be out there tomorrow checking things out. If I find anything I will report.

[JVGondal]

How many did you find?

[Whoopbass]

Just got back. No Mussels found and this was at low tide. The water looks identical to how it looked when I was there 3 months ago. You would think the way these things multiply I would be able to find an old wood piling covered in them but no, not even in the spot where the news done a report on them.
I went and tested a boat I recently purchased. The Seller didn't tell me the trolling motor battery was shot even though though the TM spun fine at home. I didn't have much if at all a trolling motor all day. I still caught six bass on a jerkbait near Tiki Lagoon (in that oxbow after the bridge) and a couple stripers in the Stockton deep water channel. The stripers were around Lost Isle. About a mile North and South of it. Look for the birds. For some reason the striper bite died off around noon (just after I got there) and didn't come back but I didn't stay until dusk. I got off the water at 1:00. When I went by that area in the morning there was no activity so i'm thinking the Stripers maybe turned on from 9-10 am or so until noon and then disappeared.

The best part of the trip was a big Mother F'n Sea Lion popped it's head and shoulders out of the water about 15' from the bow of my boat and just stared at me. It felt like he was eye to eye with me. He was a Bull. Wasn't a grey cuddly one but a big brown nasty sucker. I had no idea he was in the area. It spooked me at first. If I was a drunk Sailor I would have sworn it was a mermaid.

The fishing on the delta is pretty good right now. Go out there with a jerk bait, good trolling motor batteries and you can have a good day with the bass and stripers.

[JVGondal]

Thank you for the report. I fish the delta often. I look for the mussels and have not seen one yet. I look at old abandon boats. Sometimes water is clear enough to see the outboards prop. Nothing yet.
I believe they are out there just not like they want us to believe
I saw on the news where they were cleaning them off the screen at the pumping station to the aqueduct
They showed a couple mussels. Not hundreds c
My roots take me back to the show me state of Missouri

There must be something to that because I don’t buy anything unless I see it. No one has shown me a delta golden mussel yet

[Kennortonjr]

So this journalist and photographer are in cahoots to mislead the public? Along with everybody interviewed in the story?

[dwong]

This is an invasion curve. With invasive species you want to address the problem early otherwise you will spend a significant more amount of time and resources just managing the population.

[JVGondal]

So this journalist and photographer are in cahoots to mislead the public? Along with everybody interviewed in the story?

No They are defiantly around. I fish the delta several times a week. I stay and live on the delta for weeks at a time.
I have not seen any golden mussels yet. I can’t say if those pictures are fake. I can yell you I look for golden mussels several days a week since the beginning.
I think I might have had one i reeled up on a plastic bottle I snagged
It was small and when I touched it it was soft and squished in my fingers accidentally
It might have been some sort of seed
I don’t know if they have soft shells as juveniles or what
But it was only one in 100s of outings
I believe they are here. Just not covering pipes or structures
Maybe they will soon? Those pictures are probably from some where else overseas
I don’t think they know what kind of growth they will have here. Like the Covid cold some are afraid of their own shadows. come up with lame saying
like “in an abundance of caution” we shall control and put restrictions on you. Then figure out how to take your money. We all know who they are.

[Whoopbass]

I only believe they're here because a member here had pics of a couple he has caught. Maybe the powers got to him?

Yes, these people are lying and the controlled media pushes the narrative. That's what government does.

The "Invasive Curve"? So what is the state doing to stop these mussels besides banning boats on lakes? I doubt any restrictions or practices have been enacted on these foreign ships. They don't have a clue on how to deal with them. They don't want us on the water. Nothing is going to change in 2026 besides more lies and restrictions.

[JVGondal]

Unfortunately once they put in restrictions it hard to change them.
Did they ever overturn anything down south ?
I don’t think so.

[El Jefe]

How could this happen? I’ve had a “mussel” sticker on my boat for years

[Trace]

I saw 3 cargo ships and never saw a mussel sticker on any of them.

[Wrknap]

Trace
That’s Classic! You gave me a good laugh this morning. The bigger picture is, Ca is missing out on mega bucks by not requiring this stickers on all cargo ships. a big sticker brings big bucks!
I always enjoy teasing the Ranger at Casistas about how my sticker will not allow anything to get on my boat. Even if my boat has gone through a quarantine. No worries here!