Whether you’re interested in creating a prized trophy fishery or just want to improve the health and longevity of your fishing pond, electrofishing is an essential tool for fisheries managers. This method is the primary sampling technique used to gather necessary information about the current state of a waterbody and determine what can be done to meet or exceed the goals of the specific fishery.

What exactly is electrofishing?

Electrofishing helps biologists track reproductive success and survival rates of fish species. The assessment is performed by sending an electric current into the water in order to safely stun any nearby fish. Stunned fish can then be easily scooped up in a net and placed in a temporary holding tank where they can revive and be observed for data collection. Most often, fish are measured, weighed and marked with PIT or Floy tags, which are used to determine the health and growth of the fish year over year. Then, they are released back into the water completely unharmed.

How far we’ve come—from a one-man operation to a team of more than 350 scientists and aquatic management professionals. As we greet 2019, two of SOLitude’s leading lake and pond experts each celebrate the completion of 25 years in the field. With half a century of knowledge and experience between them, they reflect on the infancy of the freshwater management industry and forecast the exciting innovations held in the future.

Marc Bellaud, SOLitude President, has been a leader in the lake and pond management industry since 1993. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in biological sciences and a concentration in natural resources, Marc worked for two non-profit organizations before joining Aquatic Control Technology (now SOLitude Lake Management). He started as a field biologist and quickly became immersed in every aspect of the business. His roles and responsibilities expanded as the company continued to grow and he was named SePRO Applicator of the Year in 2006. He was later promoted to company President in 2013. Throughout his career, Marc has been actively involved in advancing the science of the aquatics industry as a good steward and widely-respected thought leader.

Glenn Sullivan, Certified Lake Manager and Environmental Scientist, has more than 25 years of hands-on freshwater management and industry leadership experience. Glenn Sullivan joined the lake and pond management industry in 1993 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Before joining SOLitude, Glenn served clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic as the President of Allied Biological. He is very active in the industry and has won several SePRO awards for his environmental stewardship and best practices approach to lake and pond management, including the Aquatic Environmental Stewardship Award (2003), Best Management Practices Award (2005), Sustainable Leadership Award (2008), and, most recently, the 2015 Applicator of the Year.

How has freshwater management changed since you joined the industry 25 years ago?

Marc: For me, the biggest overarching change that I’ve witnessed is the industry movement towards

Written by Industry Expert Dave Beasley, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Fisheries 

When picturing a perfect day on the water, do you envision the warm sun on your face with a gentle breeze in the air and the relaxing sound of small waves rolling against the shoreline? Or is it the sound of children laughing as they play with a bullfrog being held captive by their curiosity? Maybe it’s the anticipation of the next trophy fish you will catch as you pursue another lasting memory on the water. Regardless, lake and pond owners don’t need to look far to find motivation.

Unfortunately for many property owners, the achievement of goals is not easy, and the path can become plagued with struggles that negatively impact the desired outcome. This is because each aquatic resource is a complex system that experiences continuous physical and chemical changes. As a result, each waterbody is at a unique place in time relative to its own historical experiences. Due to this, people run the risk of making assumptions and drawing conclusions from their past experiences, rather than gathering the facts required to make the right decisions.

To successfully manage lakes, ponds and fisheries, you must first

AS SEEN IN Quorum, Washington Metropolitan Chapter and Community Associations Institute: Written by Industry Expert Shannon Junior, Aquatic Ecologist

The last decade has brought major changes to the pond and lake management industry. Every community that has privately maintained ponds, lakes or stormwater best management practices has responsibilities to manage the structural, functional and aesthetic integrity of the facilities. The primary ongoing maintenance issue in these facilities is typically the prevention and control of nuisance aquatic vegetation.

AS SEEN IN Pond Boss Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Dave Beasley, Fisheries Biologist & Director of Fisheries 

Chasing the dream of growing trophy caliber Largemouth Bass is becoming more common throughout America. Although managing for trophy bass is an acquired skill that takes years of practice (and patience), we live in a time where pond owners can learn, via a variety of sources, enough to figure out a reasonable plan for success. As many have come to realize, managing for trophy bass can seem as much art as a science. There are multiple paths a pond owner can take to achieve a trophy fishery, none of which is guaranteed to work. Although you can implement various processes and still find success, some strategies are better than others. 

AS SEEN IN Association Help Now PA/NJ: Written by Industry Expert Kyle Finerfrock, Environmental Scientist

When communities begin anticipating and planning for possible future expenses, they will likely discover that the removal of accumulated sediment in stormwater management facilites has a very large price tag. In fact, dredging is often one of the largest expenses a community will ever face. Luckily, there are things that can be done to help reduce costs and prolong the time span between dredging. By better understanding the purpose of a stormwater management facility and employing proper stormwater management techniques, a community can rest assured that the best decisions are made for the pond, the surrounding environment and the community’s budget.

While a stormwater management facility can be a beautiful asset to a community, it also has specific engineered and environmental purposes. First, it is used to slow down and dissipate the energy of the flowing water from rainstorms, which picks up speed and energy as it passes over a community’s impervious surfaces such as roofs, streets, driveways and sidewalks. If the water doesn’t get slowed down by a stormwater pond, it can

AS SEEN IN The Angler Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Steven King, Field Manager

Many lake or pond owners interested in growing bigger Largemouth Bass would usually consider stocking forage fish as a primary method. However, there are several limiting factors that can affect growth rates, and the maximum potential size of Largemouth Bass, that should be considered first. For example, when a lake or pond already has a substantial population of forage fish such as Bluegill or other smaller species that Largemouth Bass feed on, adding more fish into the ecosystem could actually have an adverse effect by causing an overpopulation issue. Before implementing any fisheries management strategies, an assessment of your aquatic ecosystem and fish population should be performed by an experienced lake management professional to help determine the best strategies for managing your fishery.

AS SEEN IN Pond Boss Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Dylan Kwak, Wildlife & Fisheries Biologist

Lakes and ponds are scattered across many a countryside. Anglers often seek trophy fish and spend considerable amounts of time and money to create trophy fisheries. Although it is widely understood in professional circles that multiple strategies need to come together to establish and maintain a trophy fishery, many lake and pond owners struggle to reach their goals. Sure, pond owners understand the basic value of habitat, and know it takes ten pounds of baitfish for a game fish to gain a pound. They often seek the perfect mix of stocking rates, genetics, and water quality to create the best fishery possible, but don’t understand the importance of aquatic vegetation management as a crucial element that ties a system together to produce and grow those special fish.

When thinking about what an ideal lake looks like, the image of a clear lake with fishable banks and abundant wildlife often comes to mind. However, when managing a lake for fish production, it is important to take a step back, or in this case, a step into the water, and look at the lake from a different perspective—a fish’s perspective.

AS SEEN IN Various Community Associations Institute Chapter Newsletters: Written by Industry Expert Gavin Ferris, Ecologist

I was on a genealogy website not long ago when I was reading about an ancestor, and this line stuck out to me: “…the first year after his return from the army he was able to do but little work, as he suffered greatly from fever and ague, which he had contracted in the service.” Fever and ague was, at the time, the terminology used to describe what we now call Malaria, and the war in which my ancestor contracted the disease was the American Civil War. He probably was bitten by an infected mosquito somewhere in Virginia.

Zika virus is making a lot of news lately, but mosquito-borne diseases are nothing new in the United States. Malaria was common over most of the country up through the 1800s, and wasn’t eradicated here until the early 1950s. Other mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, and more recently Chikungunya, are currently carried by mosquitoes in the United States, and can pose a serious threat to public health. Preventing the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases, and the other unpleasant consequences of mosquito infestation, requires a proactive multi-pronged approach. It is important to understand the biology of the mosquitoes involved, their behavior, and how environmental conditions contribute to mosquito problems.

AS SEEN IN Quorum Magazine: Written by Industry Expert Shannon Junior, Aquatic Ecologist and Senior Business Development Consultant

There are numerous reasons why a homeowner’s association would hire a professional company to do certain jobs rather than having the work done “in-house” by members of the community. It may be that the task requires technical expertise or special training, and there may not be residents qualified to perform the service. Or perhaps the nature of the job would require extensive manpower or specialized equipment. But let’s face it—sometimes the job is just so unpleasant that no one from the community would be willing to do it.

Welcome to a day in the life of a lake and pond manager. Our job requires all that was noted above - education and technical certification, physical exertion, training with specialized equipment, and yes, the willingness to perform services that others might find objectionable. One of the necessary tasks performed by our aquatic specialists is the application of herbicides and other products used for water quality management. In every state where we work, pesticide applicators are required to receive extensive training and to pass an examination prior to receiving a license to apply the products. And while all of the substances that we apply to the waterbodies that we manage are completely safe for humans, wildlife, and the environment when used according to the product label, many of the products do require that personal protective equipment (PPE) is used by the applicator when handling the products at full strength, and during the mixing and application process. Although there is increasing concern from the public regarding the use of pesticides, the process is very safe for the aquatic ecosystem when the appropriate product is selected and applied properly by an experienced licensed technician.