Shockingly, Editor Enjoys Electrofishing Survey

For many years of my life, I was afraid to ride on a boat, even the safe and very simple form known as a pontoon.

Swimming in lakes has also generally been a no-go for much of my life. I don't like seaweed, can't stand my bare feet touching mucky lake bottoms and am afraid of little fish nibbling at my toes.

Oh, and I don't consider myself a strong swimmer.

A lot of that has changed, however — thanks to water shoes, life jackets, adult logic and a boyfriend with a mildly freakish obsession with fishing, kayaking, etc.

The ways my limits have been pushed because of the activities he wants to do (and the fact that I suck it up just to join him) hit a near-ceiling with our , designed and built by Nick. For weeks during that boat's construction, I had been giving myself mini pep talks that — when our boat sank — I would simply be able to swim to the nearby marina edge with the help of my life jacket.

We didn't sink.

My worries tend to be for no reason.

So, after publishing an article about , I thought ... why not?

Nick and I signed up, and there I found myself on a Friday morning pulling my legs into oversized waders and holding onto an electric-shock-inducing probe while shuffling downriver.

There was more than one time when the group of volunteers to the left shouted, "He's coming right at you, it's a big one!"

"He" is a fish, a large-size fish that could likely bite rather than nibble my toes.

Sometimes, I was able to control the startle factor and net him.

Sometimes, not.

Either way, it was a fun experience and an easy way to volunteer. I recommend the activity to anybody interested in the preservation of nature (or interested in getting over your dislike for mucky waters).

Ryan McCone, a program assistant with the Fish Passage Program, helped coordinate the volunteers and the survey.

While results for our specific survey — done in Ehlers Park on part of the Milwaukee River in Saukville — are still being evaluated, McCone was able to provide some initial thoughts from the survey.

"Species caught in the reach adjacent to Ehlers Park included: greater redhorse (a threatened species in Wisconsin), golden redhorse, white sucker, smallmouth bass, rock bass, pumpkinseed, green sunfish, northern pike, black bullhead, stonecat, blackside darter, emerald shiner, mimic shiner, rosyface shiner, sand shiner, hornyhead chub and common carp.

"The reach has relatively calm, laminar flow patterns with considerable aquatic vegetation. Northern pike and smallmouth bass appear to be the dominant predators (but) northern pike were considerably less abundant than smallmouth bass. Forage fish species (shiners and chubs) were very abundant.

"Additionally, it was exciting to see a very diverse cross-section of volunteers attend last Friday. Volunteers included a college professor, students, Trout Unlimited members, program partners (Milwaukee Riverkeeper), local residents, members of the press and county employees."

See the attached PDF for more information about the Fish Passage Program. McCone said that the next volunteer dates are still undecided, but if interested in participating you can contact Matt Aho, program manager, by emailing maho@co.ozaukee.wi.us or calling 262-623-2103.