What a shock: 'Electrofishing' safely removes fish populationfrom NJ lake

The fish of Lake Surprise got quite the shock last week.

In preparation for construction of a new dam this summer, the fish in the narrow Union County lakeare being safely removed using a method called "electrofishing," where they are electrocuted andmomentarily float to the top to be gathered up.

Beginning this month, the dam project will replace an existing structure at the end of the lake, onthe western edge of the Watchung Reservation. While upgrades have been made to the dam over theyears, its earthen core dates to 1845. This project will update it further with modern safetystandards, county officials said.

Electrofishing in Lake Surprise Before they couldstart construction on a new dam at Lake Surprisein Watchung Reservation, the county hired acompany to use "electrofishing" to remove all thefish from the lake. (Tom Wright-Piersanti/The Star-Ledger)

LoraineMizak, president of Great Blue Lake and PondManagement, the company contracted to remove thefish, was at the lake Thursday morning to begin theelectrofishing process, which she said causes no harmto the fish.

"It's called cheating," Mizak joked about the process."People say, 'Do you go fishing?' The only fishing I dois with a boat and a wire."

Brandon Swet and Austin Harris, two natural resource students at the State University of New YorkCollege of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, manned the boat for Mizak, trawlingthrough heavily vegetated water, zapping and scooping as they went.

About four feet off the bow hung a circular contraptionwith small bars dangling from it into the water, looking likea giant set of wind chimes. The device worked incombination with a conductor on the hull to create anelectrical field in the water wherever the boat traveled,with an on-board lever controlling the current.

Swet and Harris, dressed in neoprene chest waders andarmed with long-handled nets, made large circles through

the lake, one steering and operating the electrical lever while the other snatched up the stunnedfish.

They started with a current of about four amps -- "just enough to tickle them," Mizak said -- andsteadily raised it until fish began rising to the surface. That came at about nine amps in LakeSurprise, but the current can be dissipated by minerals or plant life in the water, Mizak said, soevery lake calls for a different charge.

The fish are stunned for about 30 seconds, just enough time to get them into a bucket before theysnap back to life. On the first pass through the lake Thursday, Swet and Harris pulled in about 50fish -- including catfish, pickerel, largemouth bass, sunfish, crappies, perch and more.

Nick Healy, a senior wildlife worker with the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, was on hand totransport the fish to other Union County ponds. He said the order called for 50-100 bass to be movedto Best Lake in Watchung, and the others sent to Seely's Pond and Nomahegan Pond.

"They're all nice fish, they're all mature adults," Healysaid of the first 50 fish loaded into the tank on the backof his truck. So, you are welcome to Fishing Tackle ifyou fancy deep sea fishing tackle Dungeness andDistrict. We have been located at Greatstone-on-Sea 5minutes across the bay from ..The house of Okuma Seafishing tackle Tackle, manufacturer of deep sea fishingtackle rods a and reels.has one of the best displays of

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Though no one knew for certain how many fish would be pulled from Lake Surprise, Healy estimatedthe haul would be sizable.

"It's a large pond, so it's safe to say there are severalthousand fish in there," he said.

Mizak said her team would return the next day, and thenagain after construction workers drained part of the lake,when the remaining fish will be concentrated and easier tocollect.

"Our goal is to get as many fish as we can," Mizak said. "Wego until there's no more fish."