Are you looking to maintain a balanced, healthy fishery or perhaps your goal is a trophy fishery? Either way, you can benefit greatly from electro-fishing.
Electro-fishing is a fish sampling tool used
to gather fish population data which allows pond managers to make accurate
decisions and improve management techniques. Using an electro-shocking boat, the
electric field produced affects a relatively small area of the water in front
of the vessel where fish are momentarily stunned and safely collected with dip
nets. The fish are placed in a live well
on the boat where length and weight data is recorded, observations are made,
and then the fish are released, without harm, back into their environment. The data provides insight to current and
future issues, giving pond managers the needed facts to make a pond productive
and keep it productive. In addition to
collecting data, undesired species of fish or over populated size classes of
predators can be removed from the water body.
For owners looking to restore a fishery to a
balanced state, an initial survey will provide the needed information to make
improvements. The frequency in which a
water body has an electro-fishing study completed is directly related to the
goals of the water body and the available budget. Those who want a balanced, healthy fishery
should consider a 3-5 year rotation between studies where as those who want a
trophy fishery or want to make big improvements in a relatively short period of
time will require electro-fishing once or twice per year.
When developing a fishery, it is important to
stay ahead of potential issues. As more
is learned about the fish community, management decisions can be tailored to
meet the pond’s needs. Electro-fishing
is a very important tool used in the process of managing a fishery.
Contact a Fisheries Biologist with SOLitude LakeManagement to discuss your fishery goals.
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