The Home Page Network

Have YOU ever heard of “electrofishing?” Hi everyone, I’m Rhonda Pearson – and today we’re looking back into our Home Page Network Vault of Treasured Broadcasts – to answer the question: “what IS electrofishing?”
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Electrofishing is a fascinating subject. Do you know what it is? Well, today on The Home Page Network Sara Vogt joins Biologist and area fisheries Manager of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Robert Wunk to discover it’s importance.

Fisheries biologists use electrofishing to sample fish populations in bodies of freshwater as a means of making sure the fish population is healthy and in balance. The biologists catch fish by putting electric current into the water. This process temporarily stuns the fish at which point they will float to the surface. The fish are then placed into tubs and examined.

At one point in today’s broadcast biologists Rob Wunk and Aaron Frey, along with Summer Ranger Ethan Thoms invited Sara to join them on the lake to get a first-hand look at this process.

The goal of this particular electrofishing run was to find out if muskellunge are reproducing in Cowanesque Lake. The team was looking for fish measuring a specific length which could help them determine if they are reproducing naturally. If muskellunge are not reproducing, then they will have to be re-stocked in the spring at additional costs. Muskellunge can get to be fifty to sixty inches long and are valued by fisherman throughout the region.

We hope you will enjoy this fishing adventure with Sara and that you will find the information here both useful and educational.

Special thanks to Rick Moran, Carrie Thomson, Meghan Henneman, Annette Miles, Makanna Johnson and Tom Jones for contributing to this broadcast and having some fun with the Home Page staff.

For more information about fishing in this area, please visit fishandboat.com.