Shocking fish (no, the fish aren't shocking)

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My sister was just asking me where we could meet in the event TSHTF. She wants to meet me on my birthday half way between our houses. She lives in Portland, Oregon, wants to meet me in Salem, oregon. She thinks she could ride there in a couple of days on her bike. I told her she'd better ride a couple more days and come here. We are in a much bette place than Salem.

To make a long story longer, I got to thinking about how to feed her and any other surprise visitors, should things get bad for a long time--longer than my food preps will last--and it suddenly occurred to e that there is a creek full of fish just DYING to come here for dinner.

I'm not really into fishing, in the usual "sportsmanly" way. I've heard that it is possible to make a "fish shocker" from an old telephone crank generator.

If you don't think I'm too mean, please tell me if you know anything about this (or any other way to catch the little trouties)

And, as far as sportsmanship goes, is this idea any worse than SHOOTING a deer?

ALK

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), November 28, 1999

Answers

If you have to use them in an emergency, why not?

I have a couple of ponds that have lots of bass and panfish in them, but sometimes they are hard to catch. If push came to shove, I might use similiar means. I have a PTO generator for the tractor and could hook up some sort of shock prods, but I'm not too sure how to go about it. Years ago, I went with fishery biologists on a stream survey where they carried battery operated shockers to stun fish, but can't remember much about them. Any info on how we could do it?

-- (shocking@fish.com), November 28, 1999.


What about a cattle prod?? Do you think that would work? Many people would have those on farms and such.. Just an idea..

-- Lisa (y2ker@aol.com), November 28, 1999.

Its not too hard. Drop both leads into the water and give the phone a good crank. It stuns the fish in the local area and they float to the top. Be forewarned, however, that this is illegal and the game warden would not smile on such practices. If TSHTF, however, I really would not care much about this aspect of the procedure.

-- smfdoc (smfdoc@aol.com), November 28, 1999.

Another way to catch fish, when sport isn't on your mind, is with a seine (cheap) or cast net (not so). You can get them at basspro.com.

Alex

-- alex (cognitiveone@yahoo.com), November 28, 1999.


I have shocked fish for the purpose of counting them when I used to work for the US Forest Circus. (Siskiyou). The shocker we used had a couple of wands, maybe three feet long, shaped kind of like a chain saw "brush bar". But I don't know how many volts, etc. I do know that if you used too much power, you'd kill the fish instead of stunning them. This was fairly likely to happen if there were fish that were bigger than expected when you dipped the wands in the stream.

I'm not particularly worried about wardens. I'm not now; I'm sure I won't be if this becomes necessity. I'm not going to tell you why right now, as I don't want to start a "poaching epidemic". But I'm not asking about the legality--just the technical aspects of this.

Come one--somebody out there must have more info than we do!

By the way; if you do try this, be very careful. The larger the fish, or wildlife biologist, the more of a shock it gets. If you happen to step into the stream while applying the current, you may have some serious problems. Like drowning.

Al K. Lloyd

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), November 28, 1999.



Hey Al...

Didn't your daddy ever warn you about the dangers of mixing water and electricty? And even if you somehow manage to pull-off this little stunt without zapping your own cahonies in the process, exactly how do plan on snagging those limp little buggers out of a rageing winter torrent anyway? Bout all I can think is that you Orygonian boys must have some really swift track shoes (and insulated too)!

Anyway, if you want my advice, I say screw the voltaics and get yourself a coupla of those good ol' "Dupont lures" and just net the critters on their way back down. Yep, explosives, that's the ticket!

-- Purple One (formerly@1555.joj), November 29, 1999.


Re: dynamite fishing--don't do it,or you'll have to change your name to something like "Lefty." People who dynamite fish get the privilege of having long relationships with orthopedic surgeons, and it becomes a lot harder to tap on these computer keys.

-- Hilda (orthopedic nurse@aol.com), November 29, 1999.

Re: dynamite fishing--don't do it,or you'll have to change your name to something like "Lefty." People who dynamite-fish get the privilege of having long relationships with orthopedic surgeons, and it becomes a lot harder to tap on these computer keys.

-- Hilda (orthopedic nurse@aol.com), November 29, 1999.

Purple One,

You're the one who owns shares in Dupont, aren't you?

You of all people should have the info I'm looking for, being as how you know so much about electronics!

If you don't tell me pretty soon, I'm going to have to go get a job with the Circus again, :-( to find out all their secrets.

Are you all prpped yet, purple one?

Have you tapped into that water line, yet?

Hey, purp, I've got a very nice two bedroom house whose chicken renter just left due to fear about the cougar down the street; want a nice place to ride out y2k?

ALK

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), November 29, 1999.


You can buy a cast net at Wal-Mart for less than $20. Cast net is a round net with lead weights at intervals aorund the skirt. Cords are attached at intervals on the skirt (rather like the ribs of an umberlla) adn come through a brass grommet in the middle. They are there attached to a single nylon cord. Grasp at one point on the skirt with one hand. With the other hand grasp at the grommet -- holding on end of the long cord. Swing the net away from you and twirl it. Centrifugal force with cause it to open and hit the water flat. The net will sink trapping any fish in the shallow water. Pull the cord. The net will purse trapping the fish inside. Go there every evening and sprinkle cheap dog food in the water. There will be fish there when you want them. You take the cast net home with you. If you set a trotline someone may have to guard it or it will disappear. A trotline is a long, strong nylon cord with stages at intervals. A stge is a shrot line with a baited hook.

-- Vlad (Strelok60@yahoo.com), November 29, 1999.


Regarding legality, I can't believe it's illegal to stun them on ponds you own. I've never heard of fish farms having to hire anglers to harvest their "crop".

As to what to use, no idea, buuuut, we have two Onan 4kw generators that we got at federal auction from Fish and Wildlife in Ludington, which they used to stun Lampreys. I *think* they used them at either 110 or 220 volts.

One common sense caveat -- in addition to the safety concerns raised by other posters, remember that you'll want to keep your electrodes sufficiently far from each other if you want to flow to go other than directly from one to the other. Place them *too* close, and in addition to not covering any area, you'll pop your breakers from a near dead-short.

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), November 30, 1999.


This may be one solution: An ad in Countryside offers gill nets, 8' deep by 75' long, for $24.95 + $3.95 shipping. Heinsohn's 1-800-330-5081.

-- (fish@catchem.com), November 30, 1999.

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