Author Topic: zebra mussels (Read 3139 times)

BIGTWINK · « **on:** Jun 05, 2006, 12:19 PM »

Went out fishing yesterday caught a few perch and walleyes, while cleaning them I'm always curious what they've ate so I cut there belly's open and was shocked to find that they had zebra mussels in there stomachs. Didn't know fish ate them? Has anyone else come across this??

TWINK

walleyechaser · « **Reply #1 on:** Jun 05, 2006, 12:32 PM »

I know perch eat them. But I've never heard of walleye eating them. I guess thats one positive thing to come from them.
They are providing food for gamefish.

flockshot · « **Reply #2 on:** Jun 05, 2006, 12:39 PM »

ive read a few articles regarding drums and other bottom feeders going to town on them..but never heard anything about perch and walleyes eating them..i wonder if they ate gobys..wich have been eating zebra mussles..which in turn you found???

pikemaster789 · « **Reply #3 on:** Jun 05, 2006, 01:59 PM »

Ill tell you this, I caught a gobie over the weekend, and he passed several whole large zebra muscles. I bet your fish ate some gobies and the shells never digested

Buckski · « **Reply #4 on:** Jun 05, 2006, 03:24 PM »

Wow never thought the food chain, but I was thinking the fish may attack bait near the bottom and ingest them. Would tend to believe the top one.

1tigger · « **Reply #5 on:** Jun 05, 2006, 05:16 PM »

I think pikemaster is rite on !
Never heard of any gamefish eating muscles .

BIGTWINK · « **Reply #6 on:** Jun 06, 2006, 07:23 AM »

It was a inland lake pretty sure theres no golbies in it. Plus the perch that had them were not monsters at all, really doubt it could be a golbie.

billybono · « **Reply #7 on:** Jun 06, 2006, 05:50 PM »

Quote from: walleyechaser on Jun 05, 2006, 12:32 PM

I know perch eat them. But I've never heard of walleye eating them. I guess thats one positive thing to come from them.
They are providing food for gamefish.

well if shells are in there stomachs whole....im nit sure about the nutritional value

the gobie theory is most likley dead on

billybono

JerryofWNY · « **Reply #8 on:** Jun 06, 2006, 06:31 PM »

While ice fishing Black Lake in northern NY we had perch spit up zebra mussels. There are no gobies in there and the small perch were only as big as some of the gobies I've caught on Lake Erie.

billybono · « **Reply #9 on:** Jun 06, 2006, 06:33 PM »

Quote from: JerryofWNY on Jun 06, 2006, 06:31 PM

While ice fishing Black Lake in northern NY we had perch spit up zebra mussels. There are no gobies in there and the small perch were only as big as some of the gobies I've caught on Lake Erie.

perch are not sport fish

an eye from black, that ate a perch would then have gobie in its stomach

billybono

fishingonly2002 · « **Reply #10 on:** Jun 06, 2006, 07:22 PM »

never heard of sportfish eating muscles?

ever used clam bellies for stripers?

~Neal

billybono · « **Reply #11 on:** Jun 06, 2006, 07:25 PM »

ive used dollar bills for stripers, then used muscles for sport

billybono

JerryofWNY · « **Reply #12 on:** Jun 08, 2006, 12:59 PM »

Quote from: billybono on Jun 06, 2006, 07:25 PM

ive used dollar bills for stripers, then used muscles for sport

billybono

I think those stripers have 2 p's.

GAMBELL · « **Reply #13 on:** Jun 08, 2006, 02:27 PM »

I have seen zebra muscles in the following fish: Lake trout, gobies, sheephead, perch, and rock bass. The zebra muscle were digested (only the shell left and it was soft). The lake trout in Lake Ontario feast on them regularly in the late fall, winter and spring. They will crap them out when you get them in the boat.

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