Shocking for smallmouth: Michigan DNR surveys the Flat River by electrofishing

Setting their probes to stun, the wader-wearing team pushed upstream, leaving a trail of stiff fish in their wake.

Scooped up in nets, smallmouth bass were then transferred to measuring trays for their scales to be scraped and tail fins to be clipped and studied.

On Thursday, the Michigan DNR stepped into the Flat River in Kent County as part of its survey work on the state's streams and inland lakes.

"If only every day could be a survey day," said fisheries biologist Addie Myers. "That's the mantra. You get to be outside. It's beautiful."

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In 2023, Michigan DNR crews completed 171 surveys across the state, typically documenting the abundance of smallmouth bass or trout in various waterways. The health of these fish, Myers says, speaks to the health of their environment.

"They're a good indicator species," Myers said about smallmouth bass. "They require really clean, well oxygenated water similar to trout."

For the Flat River survey, a team of ten stayed connected — literally, in some cases — to a black sled that floated a generator upstream. The rig produced an electrical current of around 10 amps and 330 volts, strong enough to temporarily incapacitate both fish and humans.

"That translates to don't touch the water if you're not wearing safety gear," Myers said. "If you weren't grounded, the current could go through you and it could kill you. It wouldn't, most likely."

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While some crew members passed electrified probes along the brush-filled banks of the river, others waded close behind to net the stunned fish for mid-stream measurement and documentation.

"This smallmouth here is four inches long," said Myers, clipping off its tail fin and placing it in a small folder. "We know that we've marked it and we won't be recapturing it. Then we let it go."

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By her own estimation, Myers says smallmouth bass numbers are "potentially a little higher" this year as compared to the previous year. The DNR plans to return to the Flat River next year, too, before taking a three-year break (as part of its planned, three-year on, three-year off cycle.

In addition to these repeated survey sites, the DNR also conducts random and discretionary surveys often to address a specific conern such as an environmental disaster or endangered species.

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"I've lived a lot of other places that didn't ahve everything that we have in Michigan," Myers said. "Once you move away, I think you really realize and can appreciate what you have back home."

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