A blanket of warm, moist air enveloped the “anglers” as they readied their boat in the gathering dusk at the Allegheny River’s Bradys Bend access area. The night promised to be a sweaty one, with any coolness coming begrudgingly.

Rather than stringing up rods and tying on baits, though, these guys were loading a generator and rigging booms from which pulsating DC current would be conducted into the river’s shallows. The 45-minute setup was being done by fisheries management personnel of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, in preparation for a nighttime electrofishing survey.

The three-man crew consisted of Area 2 Fisheries Manager Al Woomer, Area 2 Fisheries Biologist Brian Ensign, and Three Rivers Fisheries Biologist Bob Ventorini. Woomer and Ensign work out of Tionesta; Ventorini is based in Somerset.

Along with various netting methods, electrofishing is one of the main tools biologists use to evaluate fish populations.

A field of current is broadcast into the shallows, by way of two booms that extend from the bow of the boat. Shocked fish are then netted and transferred to holding tanks, where they are later processed and returned to the water. Since lake and river gamefish tend to migrate into the shallows after dark, it’s common for such efforts to take place after the sun goes down.

The target of this survey was adult smallmouth bass.

As the team finished up the rigging details at the launch, Ventorini explained more of the aspects of electrofishing, noting that fish are actually attracted to the current, caused by an uncontrolled muscular convulsion known as galvanotaxis.

By the time darkness settled in we were about two miles upstream of the Bradys Bend ramp, just below the mouth of Catfish Creek.

Ensign used a bucket to fill the two holding tanks. After a brief safety discussion — the most important item being “don’t touch the water” — Woomer gave the rope on the gasoline generator a pull.

The engine roared to life.

Donning protective ear muffs Woomer kicked the 10 h.p. outboard into gear, Ensign stepped on the foot switch that energized the probes, he and Ventorini grabbed long-handled nets, and the first of three 30 minute runs commenced.

At a pace that I’d use for nighttime early spring walleye trolling Woomer ran the boat parallel to shore. It wasn’t long before netted smallmouth bass were being deposited into the tanks. Bass being the target, they were the only species netted. But others were noted. Ensign called out, “northern pike;” moments later Ventorini shouted “nice walleye” above the rumble of the generator.

In addition to netting fish, the bow crew communicated the presence of submerged hazards like rocks and gravel shoals by vigorous pointing, and when necessary using the net to help push the bow clear.

After a half-hour of shocking the boat was run up on shore for the processing of the collected bass.

The first order of business was to record what species were observed. The list was long, including at least five varieties of redhorse suckers.

Though suckers are considered rough fish, the presence of redhorse is a good one, as the species requires good water quality.

Then one by one netted smallmouth bass were measured for length and weighed. Scales were scraped from each fish’s side and placed in small envelopes. The scales would later be analyzed, telling tales of age and growth rates.

It was interesting to observe the biologists do their work.

The tools at their disposal had plenty of miles on them, but were quite effective for the job at hand.

Throughout the night Ensign and Ventorini compared rigging items (Ventorini also has a survey boat), discussing those little details that makes things more efficient, as you and I might do when talking locations of rod holders and depth finders. And though their work is based on science, where items such as survey sights and times are kept consistent for the basis of year-to-year comparisons, there is also art to it.

The window of opportunity for a netter is small, so he or she must be quick. Just as in traditional fishing, boat control is huge. Like the way Woomer would navigate around a rock or moored boat, push the bow toward shore, and swing it in an arc to cover that shore section. Factors like weather, turbidity, and excessive weed growth play into the effectiveness of nighttime shocking, as they do in classic angling.

Following the night at East Brady, Woomer’s crew was scheduled to also survey the Kennerdell and President sections of the Allegheny for adult smallmouth bass.

Later this year they will look at six Allegheny River sites for young-of-the-year walleyes.

The results of this work will be available in a few months after the data has been processed.

Jeff Knapp is a fishing columnist for the Butler Eagle.