The Great Lakes have had them for almost two decades now and they have spread across the USA from a freighter dumping another continents bilge wash into those Great Lakes. They have spread aggressively in Bull Shoals and even the docks have panels they are marking the growth of larvae on. The level of growth is surprising. Shell Crackers and Gobies are apparently their major predator though these species a void in Bull Shoals for the most part. AGFC did stock some sunfish seen as a predator, though a bandaid on a broken leg is a parallel. No one knows where they came from though with house boats and others moving around they did show up. They could have even come from Dardanelle or the Arkansas River, though not as likely. The AGFC net pens at Pot Shoals are now virtually landlocked as fish can no longer be transported between reservoirs. It has forced a major change in the net pen operation that employed several and was a benefit to the state stocking program.It might eventually be one of the best things Bull Shoals itself has seen for fishing, with yellow perch exploding at the same time. Again the population is short in comparison and the only folks who know where the yellow perch came from are the ones who transported and planted them. We must be very careful as anglers transporting water , equipment and boats from Bull Shoals to Table Rock, Norfork and other reservoirs. Eventually a lax use on a trailer, boat, engine or something will transport larvae to Norfork and we should work now to attack the larvae with predators before it explodes in that reservoir. The same goes for the south end of Table Rock where anglers encircling Harrison fish both reservoirs weekly. Using Tucker Hollow, Beaver Creek and Lead Hill then drive the next day to Cricket, Eagle Rock, Kimberling area or State Park. Under any case they will not stay only in Bull Shoals. Requiring a 21 day dry dock, or inspection of any pontoon or boats stored in the reservoir over 48 hours, would be seen as over regulatory and most likely become a more intrusive process under any agency and mired in bureaucracy. In other words, button up for the ride guys! We are going to have more spreading of zebra mussels. Its probably already too late and there is no way we can monitor all the poor practices from those who think no big deal or it wont really happen.
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