Survey Shocking fish??

[Flash]

Always wondered how that fish shocking for survey works. I was thinking the catfish would be the only ones that would float up.

Does every kind of fish float to the top?
Are they only stunned for ???? then swim away?

 

[NCHillbilly]

Always wondered how that fish shocking for survey works. I was thinking the catfish would be the only ones that would float up.

Does every kind of fish float to the top?
Are they only stunned for ???? then swim away?

They all float to the top, or close to it. It stuns them for a little while, but doesn't permanently harm them.

 

[Big7]

DNR came out to my friend's lake and threw a cast net in about 10 places then counted the fish.

They gave him recommendations and one was to keep every bass and not put a single one back for a given period of time. It was free but I don't know if they still do that or not.

Worked out good for me. I ate all the bass I could hold for a while.

 

[Flash]

They all float to the top, or close to it. It stuns them for a little while, but doesn't permanently harm them.

I've heard old timers say they would telephone catfish. Sounded like the cats were the only thing that would come up. Wonder if others did and they weren't after them and just didn't mention them or cause they shocked at the bottom and mainly/only got cats???

 

[NCHillbilly]

I've heard old timers say they would telephone catfish. Sounded like the cats were the only thing that would come up. Wonder if others did and they weren't after them and just didn't mention them or cause they shocked at the bottom and mainly/only got cats???

Probably. I've seen and participated in a few fish shocking studies over the years. All species come rolling up, whatever's swimming in there. Even crawfish and stuff sometimes.

 

[menhadenman]

Bigger the fish, the more they get shocked (surface area). Have done a bit of those surveys in the late 90s.

 

[K80Shooter]

I wish that I had one of them old timey phones with a crank on it. I would do a survey also.

 

[antharper]

I done it many times years ago . Maybe it was a different type but I’ve seen the bottom of the boat covered in catfish and never seen any other kind of fish come up .

 

[NCHillbilly]

I done it many times years ago . Maybe it was a different type but I’ve seen the bottom of the boat covered in catfish and never seen any other kind of fish come up .

Was that with a phone? I'd say that's a different voltage from the backpack and boat-mounted units that the biologists use. Because when I've seen it done, trout, bass, bream, crappie, carp, catfish, horneyhead chubs, dace, suckers, darters, shiners, all kinds of stuff rolls up.

 

[Shotgun1]

I went (telephoning) once upon a time with some (good ole boys). The only thing to come up were catfish. They were caught using dip nets. The old crank phones probably did not have as much "juice" as the profesional eqpt you saw in action.

 

[basshappy]

The charge will only affect fish up to about 6 feet deep and shallower. So most fish deeper than 6 feet will not be impacted and therefore not float up. A seine net if possible to move fish from deeper water to shallower water would be better, or lowering the water level

 

[pjciii]

My Grandfather only needed a field phone and 2 grandkids with dipnets. We were treading water. He would crank that phone and then send a charge. Copper wire and 2 large nuts and drop in the water. He lived on lake Greenwood.

 

[Flash]

I'm thinking the telephone version like @pjciii said had the nuts and they dropped them to the bottom and called. Cats hang more down there. Course the voltage could make a big difference as well

 

[Buck70]

My father called it monkey fishing and used an old truck generator with a welded on hand crank.

 

[buckpasser]

Here’s what every pond survey I’ve been a part of said:

“You’ve got too many bass. Keep some. We offer fert, lime, and bait fish stocking. How may we make more money off of you?”

 

[antharper]

Was that with a phone? I'd say that's a different voltage from the backpack and boat-mounted units that the biologists use. Because when I've seen it done, trout, bass, bream, crappie, carp, catfish, horneyhead chubs, dace, suckers, darters, shiners, all kinds of stuff rolls up.

Yes sir , I wasn’t real familiar with what we used . But it was called a phone and I’ve used one with a hand crank and others with a windshield wiper motor on it . And I’m sure they are different than what the dnr or biologist uses. I’ve watched them do a survey years ago on my local lake and everything came up .

 

[Anvil Head]

We did some shock surveys back in '70, in some of the smaller rivers in south east GA while I was at UGA. The units we used were adjustable but 6-8 feet was pretty much it depth-wise. Everything in that range came up. We kept all the flatheads for fish frys - invasive specie. Even brought up some very large eels, but they were hard to net. Many flatheads in the 40 -50# range and every once in a while, some much larger that just came up to have a look-see then took off, to big for the nets we had anyway.
Ate a lot of fish that summer.

 

[27metalman]

No comment.

 

[MudDucker]

I've heard old timers say they would telephone catfish. Sounded like the cats were the only thing that would come up. Wonder if others did and they weren't after them and just didn't mention them or cause they shocked at the bottom and mainly/only got cats???

No, the electrodes were dropped in close to the bottom, where the cats dwell, but I know someone who has done it and had nearly every kind of fish rise up, just like the shock boats do when they survey a lake.

 

[Flash]

I wish that I had one of them old timey phones with a crank on it. I would do a survey also.

pond??