In some cases, ponds and lakes need a little extra care and attention before bringing home a forage fish package and eventually the sport fish of your dreams. This can involve an array of different management practices, such as water testing, vegetation control, lime or alum treatments, and today’s feature: electroshocking surveys!
Electroshocking surveys are a management practice that show you the type and quantity of fish in a body of water. They are conducted on a “shocking boat” which is usually a basic flat bottom boat with the added attachments needed to produce an electric shock that stuns the fish long enough to be observed or netted. Those shocking components consist of an efficient generator, the shocking control box, a foot pedal, proper personal protective equipment, and a “spider”, which is a cluster of cables that is lowered to a certain depth in the water to attract fish through electric currents. When the foot pedal is depressed, the electric current from the control box temporarily and painlessly stuns any fish within a certain area around the boat. Categories such as species, size, quantity, and sometimes weight and length are recorded and the fish is either captured and placed into a live well for removal or left in the water to come out of the paralysis.
Electroshocking surveys are a great method to determine if the fish in your pond are worth keeping, or if they need to be removed in preparation for the sport fish and forage of your choice. These unwanted fish species typically include Alligator Gar, Buffalo fish, Common Carp, and mud cats (also known as Black Bullheads). Removal of these species is essential, as they hinder pond production by eating desirable fish or destroying important vegetation. In addition, if you have no undesirable fish that need to be removed, electroshocking is a wonderful way to take “inventory” of your pond. You may have some cool things in there that you don’t even know about!
Our experts here at Henneke Fish Hatchery are ready to help you determine if electroshocking is right for you. Give us a call or shoot us an email today to find out!
Author: Jordan Moore