The 2019 Electroshock Season Comes to an End

After another grinder of a season the Spring 2019 electroshock season has come to a close or at least it appears. AES shocks around 100-120 lakes per year. Not many companies come close to us in terms of lakes shocked. The lake electroshocked in this blog is one of our favorite sets of lakes located outside of Orangeburg, South Carolina. With a storied history of producing giant bass we are always stoked to get out.

Getting Dialed In

south carolina pond management — The pulse box is the heart of the operation. It’s a $10,000 heart but worth every penny.

When Managing a Lake it’s Important to Think Long Term

It has been a long season for the electrofishing team. With the amount of time spent on the road and water it now becomes time for report writing. The reports contain all the information to turn lakes around and improve them based on each clients request. Unlike many companies AES hand writes each electrofishing report. AES does not circulate cookie cutter reports. Each report has unique information and resources. One of the perks to this job is no two lakes are the same.

2019 Crayfish Stocking

Chilly Start

Another spring has wrapped up and with that comes crayfish stocking. This spring was odd and it even continued into our stockings. Past crayfish stockings are usually accompanied with Gatorade, 90 degree temps, and the dreaded swamp funk we get from releasing a couple thousand pounds of crayfish. The very first delivery went down in 46 degrees with the smart ones wearing pants and boots. Luckily it got warmer.

Why Crayfish?

If it seems strange to be putting crayfish in your pond and not in your low country then keep reading. Bass are incredibly poor at converting food into body mass. Like we’ve said in the past that it takes 10 lbs of forage for bass to add 1 lb of body mass. That ratio makes this battle uphill for any lake owner that wants a quality fishery. We always want the bluegill to bass ratio to be in balance first. Once that has been dealt with we can get creative. Threadfin shad do great in fertile lakes that have plenty of open water. Rainbow trout keep the kids busy in the winter and the bass full going into the spawn. Goldfish are slow swimmers and great entertainment for the kids due to their high visibility. However, the king of additonal forage is crayfish. Stocking crayfish is the cheapest option for lake owners yet they have more protein per gram than rainbow trout. That’s a game changer.

georgia pond crawfish stocking — The crayfish truck from southern Louisiana dodged flash floods in their area to meet us. The driver was in shock when he opened his door to such cool temperatures. Cajuns like it warm.

georgia crawfish stocking — Using a boat to stock crawfish is the best way and takes the least amount of time.

georgia pond crayfish stocking — Crayfish stocking is much simpler than many people think. This picture shows how many crayfish are truly in the sack. The biggest factor is making sure too much ice isn’t on the crayfish during transport process. Cold crayfish in warm pond water is deadly.

georgia crayfish stocking — 41 lbs gone in a few seconds.

Crayfish stocking has wrapped up for the year. If you missed the boat get in contact with our office as we are constructing the list for 2020.

***All photographs shot on Kodak Tri-X 100 ISO Black and White Film***

Late Season Electrofishing in East Georgia

Bass Harvest…..it never stops

The pond being electrofishing today has a common problem that not many property owners think about but something we see often. The lake was stocked a few years back and everything was great. Owners get caught up in the excitement of seeing bass, bluegill, shell cracker, and shad going into the pond. The real work starts a few months later. Among a new lake owners duties is bass harvest. The initial bass that are stocked in a new pond will be the best class ever.

Georgia electrofishing shock team — After a long week of electroshocks it was time to hit the road north for some decompression.

If you own a lake less than ten years old your best bet is to harvest bass aggressively and add habitat. Shoreline trees are a great start as the are usually small and will fall directly into the water. Digest these two tips then make them happen on your home water.

Lake Liming for New Lakes

New lakes are a beautiful thing. They are ripe for the imagination. Property owners can make humps and points to bounce a football jig off or sticking tree tops mid-lake that will one day result in a bass crushing a top water plug. However, till that point we have to do the small things that make those big dreams possible. One of the small things that results in big dividends is lake liming. Proper alkalinity also fertilization programs to be effective. Fertilized lakes can hold 300-400 lbs per acre of fish while unfertilized lakes hold 40-100 lbs per acre. Lime is a composed of basic compounds so it keeps pH cycle much more stable. Stability is king in nature.

Break in the Rain

Anyone living in the Southeast is probably wondering if our temperate deciduous forests is slowly becoming a rain forest with the amount of rain we are battling. After a few dry days we tip toed the lime barge across the virgin ground.

Georgia Lake Construction — New lakes in the North Georgia mountains are prime candidates for liming. There are a few veins of good soil in North Georgia but for the most part the soil is poor.

Today’s lake only needed fifty tons so it was a quick job. The tonnage was a little overkill but liming at high rates will last longer. Other companies will suggest one or two tons to the acre. It will appear cheaper at first. However the catch is it needs to be done every year so the company makes more money on application fees. At our tonnage rates we lime lakes every three to five years.

Summer

As we head into the summer this is the time we lime the bulk of our lakes. We also lime in the winter. We are booking up quickly for the month of June and July so get in contact the office if you would like your lake limed.

South Alabama Aeration Installation for Cyanobacteria Prevention

With cyanobacteria becoming more and more wide spread we are taking preventive steps for our clients. Lake aeration is a great way to keep water from becoming stagnant.

Why is Cyanobacteria Bad?

Cyanobacteria grows in stagnate and nutrient-rich waters. Cyanobacteria produce toxins that affect people and pets. The most common and serious health effects are caused by drinking water containing the toxins or by ingestion during swimming or playing in contaminated water. Not all Cyanobacteria produce toxins but many do. Lakes near heavy agriculture are more vulnerable due to the amount of fertilizers used. South Florida has been the hot spot in the last few years with poor water management, heavy organic loading from agriculture, and development. With few treatment options prevention is the best treatment.

Installation

With days of rain in Georgia is was exciting to be installing a lake aeration system under sunshine and not worrying about getting a truck buried in mud. Today’s installation had two cabinets and twelve total bottom diffused aeration stations. With the heat of a Southern Alabama summer the lake owner wanted to protect his investment from Cyanobacteria and fish kills. He plans to push this fishery to the max with future lime application, fertilization program, and heavy fish stocking.

alabama pond management — Located near Mobile, Alabama the lake had great Southern charm with plenty of live oaks.

This is a sample of what the bottom diffused stations look like. The black membrane has tiny holes in it that produce fine bubbles. The fine bubbles are what break up the layers that form in lakes.

vertex aeration — The bottom diffused stations are easy to install. Vertex are so simple they don’t even require hose clamps or Teflon tape.

lake management in georgia — We always bury the lines so the landscapers don’t hit the lines and it also looks more aesthetic.

After a few thousand meters of tubing the team successfully installed all the units. The lake owner was very pleased knowing his investment is being protected. If you would like to protect your investment give the office a call. Don’t let a family member get sick be the reason you get your lake worked on.

Mid-April Electrofishing Recap

The electrofishing team has been bouncing around middle and south Georgia for the first part of April. The team has been tackling many diverse fisheries from lakes less than two years old while others have run their course and need to be drained.

Georgia electrofishing — The weather was erratic at best. The weather fluctuated between down pours and gorgeous early spring skies.

Post-Spawn Conditions

The spawn was very flat this year. There wasn’t much of a buildup. With the amount of rain and unusual temperatures the bass spawned when the conditions were right. Many of the fish we shocked had fresh sores and flat bellies indicating the spawn has already happened. Some lakes had schools of bass fry with males guarding the school.

Seasonal Growth

This time of year we get lots of calls about algae growth. With the warming water algae is starting to grow again. There are some species of algae that grow in specific temperatures but die in warmer or colder temperatures.

Wrapping the Week Up

With a long week week of electrofishing coming to an end the team saved the best lakes for last.

After four days of electrofishing and being on the road the team heading back to Ball Ground. Electrofishing is all fun till the boat is hooked up and pointed home. The real work starts now with report writing. We are booked out till mid-May so if you have any interest in getting your lake shocked now is the time to get in contact with us.

Start of 2019 Electrofishing Season

The Start of 2019

With water temperatures creeping up to the magical 60 degree mark, the shock team has been on the move. The electrofishing team was recently in Cartersville, Georgia. The client being serviced has an unconventional goal of wanting to grow large Redear sunfish. Redear sunfish feed primarily on mussels so they become very large but the growth takes a while. As of now, no fish food company has figured out a food that Redear will consume.

Texas Hunter Fish Feeder — The lake has a small creek that runs close by. The creek is a tributary to a major creek in the Cartersville area so it floods easy. All fish feeders are built up to keep them dry.

The Shock

The fish are staging in preparation for the spawn. All winter they have been in deep water seeking shelter from the weather. People ask us why we don’t perform lake audits year around and the reason comes back to the fish. In the winter and summer, fish seek deep water. Deep water is more stable than shallow water. Our electrofishing equipment has an effective range of 4-6ft so our catch rates wouldn’t be high. Summer time water temps can be stressful to fish while they are in the lake so shocking fish in the heat of the summer can be deadly.

gizzard shad in a pond. — With low bass density and a pond full of gizzard shad, it’s no wonder this pond produces huge bass. The gizzard shad are in the 6-11″ range which makes them perfect forage. We did remove some larger ones since they were too large even for the biggest bass. Gizzard shad in a pond environment get a bad rap. Many biologists cite gizzard shad lock up as a major issue since it can negatively effect juvenile recruitment. The reward of stocking gizzard shad is trophy bass. Threadfin shad, bluegill, and other forage are great, but to get to trophy status, bass need large forage. Certain states are known for growing big bass while others aren’t. Florida has golden shiners that exceed 8″, Texas has tilapia, and California has rainbow trout.

The lake gets flooded so some unusual species come into the pond. This is a Spottail Shiner.

Big Bass in Georgia Pond — Till the Redear sunfish get big enough to catch there are still plenty of fish to put a bend in the rod.

big bass — With the full moon coming soon, the fish are starting the stage for the spawn. Since the population is small, we tag a large portion of shocked bass. Our previous catches from last years electrofishing survey have grown 2 lbs in a year, which is phenomenal. Well managed lakes with an established bass population average 1 lb of growth per year.

As the weather continues to warm, keep up with the AES shock team this spring. Spring is when the largest bass are shocked.

Seneca, South Carolina Lake Liming

Trophy Bass Start in the Dirt

When you think of growing trophy bass, dirt isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Bluegill, crawfish, shad and other forage grow big bass but have you thought about what grows a bass’s food?

All fish start out as fry and feed off their yoke sack. Once they are done with the yoke sack they move onto small aquatic insects. Lakes with poor soil don’t support as many aquatic insects. When we attempt to fertilize these lagging lakes our fertilizer has no affect because alkalinity levels are low. Luckily for lake owners there is an easy solution to get top notch dirt.

Liming your lake is an easy job assuming there is proper boat access and a good tractor operator. Liming food plots is a normal fall ritual for hunters, but liming lakes is mostly unknown. Unlike food plots, lakes only need to be limed once every 3-5 years with the rates we recommend. Lake liming ensures the fertilizer will be effective and produces an algae bloom.

lake liming — The first few loads are always the hardest. The ground is very saturated so carrying such a heavy load makes operators nervous.

The lake being limed is a classic South Carolina up state lake with red clay composing the bulk of the soil. Red clay isn’t good for growing crops or big bass.

In a few hours the pile of 24 tons was in the lake and working on the soil. We like to lime lakes in the cold months because lake owners won’t be losing growing season. We start fertilizing lakes once the water temps reach 60 degrees, so ideally our owners start fertilizing in April.

Lake Aeration in Jackson, Georgia

Aeration and lake liming are two lake improvements that generate the least amount of enthusiasm from clients. Unlike fishing stocking where there’s instant gratification of seeing 10,000 bluegill go into the lake, seeing 800 meters of weighted airline sink into the lake is a big let down. However, subtle improvements are the difference between phenomenal fisheries and mediocre ones.

Today’s job was an aeration installation in Jackson, GA. Aeration installations are simple to install but they take lots of prep work to make for a smooth day. Outdoor Water Solutions is the company we used for this client. They provided AES with a detailed project map of where each bottom diffuser is to be dropped as well as the amount of air line.

The Parts

pond management — The tubing comes in large spools for big jobs while for smaller jobs they come in 100 meter boxes. The tubing is weighted so it sinks to the bottom.

bottom diffused aeration — These are the diffusers that go on the lake bottom and produce the fine bubbles.

The Installation

Pond aeration — Aeration systems only require PVC glue, teflon tape, and hose clamps.

The Worst Case

This particular client has a lot invested in the fishery both in time and money. Aeration systems prevent summer fish kills among other things. They also help break up bottom muck, reduce foul odors, and limit the amount of biting insects. If your lake water resembled a bowl of pea soup last summer, an aeration system is something that should be seriously considered.

Below is a client that had four years worth of management invested in his lake. He sent us these horrific pictures of his lake one summer morning. This is why we aerate lakes.

Threadfin Shad — These are dead threadfin shad.

This shoreline was where the bulk of the bluegill washed up. This client loves to fly fish for big bluegill. Seeing crows and buzzards fly off with your dead 1 lb bluegill cuts deep.

The reason this lake experienced a fish kill was because the lake flipped. There was a period of cloudy rainy weather during the heat of the summer. Oxygen levels crashed and the fish had nothing to consume. Call the office this spring before it’s too late for your pond.

Society of Lake Management Professionals Summit

Each year SLMP holds a summit to allow industry professionals an opportunity to discuss the latest in industry trends and new advancements. The summit was held in Memphis, Tennessee this year. Lake management is still a young industry. The industry started firing on all cylinders in the mid-1980s so there is plenty of room for growth. There were many topics discussed at the summit but the topics of cyanobacteria and trophy bass garnered the most attention.

Day One- Starting Things Off

It was only fitting to have Bob Lusk, the grandfather of the lake management industry, to start the conference off. Bob has been in the game since the late 70’s so he knows his stuff. Many of the industry standards we take for granted these days Bob learned the hard way.

After a few talks on the first day the audience broke for some free time to talk with vendors. This is a prime time for companies to get to know their vendors. Often times in our line of work companies are just an email or phone call. It’s good to put a face to the email address.

Fish Food — Optimal fish food is a quality fish food company located in South Dakota. They are dedicated to making the best feed and constantly pushing the boundaries.

Air Max — Having one on one time with vendors is great for us to discuss concerns and questions we have.

Solitude Lake management has been heavily invested in cracking the cyanobacteria code as this issue becomes more common. They presented their findings and what they hope to do in the future.

Evening Social

After a long day of travel and talks it was fitting to have an evening out. A vendor generously provided appetizers, BBQ, and brews for the summit attendees. Socials are a great way for people to get to know each other. Pulled pork and Budweiser are the best ice breakers. SLMP is all about exchanging ideas so events like this are critical to group cohesion.

Memphis night lift — Capt. Matt is usually on the shock boat in hot pursuit of bass and bluegill but tonight pulled pork was his quarry.

Ice Breaker — Outdoor Water Solutions was the sponsor for tonight’s social. As a perk of being president Greg got the first plate.

America — Lots of knowledge was exchanged as people get a feel for everyone. We might live in different parts of the country but we all have the similar problems that unite us.

SLMP — Bob Lusk and Dave Bealsey enjoying the evening.

Day Two

Day two was a mixture of presentations and round table discussions. SLMP has the round table discussions because they give vendors one on one time with clients. Vendors can also hear issues that clients have with products so they can give feedback to developers. This is the time of year that vendors unveil new products which is always exciting.

Tom handing the mic off to Wade. Wade had some exciting news as he has been developing an app so clients can record relative weights from their mobile device.

Trent gave a talk concerning EPA regulations and how they effect our industry.

Aeration — Outdoor Water Solution’s round table.

fish feeder — Texas Hunter feeders are our favorite feeders are the market. A five year warranty and world class customer service makes them a crowd favorite.

Dredge life — The dredging industry has a lot of mystery surrounding it so it’s good to have a sit down with them.

pond dye — Dyes are not our favorite but they do have a place in the lake management industry. The chemistry behind dye is fascinating to watch.

Wrapping Things Up

President — As the outgoing president Greg was honored for his dedicated service to the organization.

college scholarship — During the summit a silent auction was held to raise funds for the SLMP scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to outstanding students that in actively involved in the lake management world. The highest bidders were reveled during the dinner.

back ground — After a long week and many months of planning the summit came to an end. It was all smiles from the people that worked in the background to make sure everything went off perfectly.

It was an informative week but as all good things do it had come to an end. Next year’s Society Lake Management Professional Summit will be held in Florida. After the near Arctic conditions of Memphis a warm coastal breeze will be welcomed.

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