Steve Foster, Limnologist, Huntington District, holds two Largemouth Bass captured during electrostatic survey training that were later released with hundreds of other fish into Lick Creek Pond to help ensure the success of the upcoming Youth Fishing...
Every year since 2001, East Lynn Lake has helped sponsor a youth fishing tournament at Lick Creek Pond, a 5-acre impoundment located 6.5 miles south of East Lynn in Wayne County.
This year's tournament was almost a bust due to an act of vandalism. At some point over the winter, someone opened the pond's drain and released much of the pond's water. This lowered pond level caused the pond to miss out on normal spring management activities including the stocking of fish.
Then Dale Smith, Resource Manager, East Lynn Lake, sprang into action. He met with a representative of a local coal mine, Rockspring Development that was shutting down near the East Lynn property. They needed to reduce their liabilities at the former mine site by draining a pond that it held that provided fresh water for the mine. This pond held thousands of fish of several species that would simply go to waste when the coal company pond was drained.
Smith then went to the Huntington District's Water Resources Engineering Section to get their assistance with capturing the fish. The water resources section has an electrofishing survey boat. Electrofishing surveys are usually used on established lakes to determine and diagnose problems and are also used as a routine management tool to identify issues before they become large and expensive problems.
The Water Resource Team saw this as a tremendous training opportunity. They spent two days collecting hundreds of fish by stunning them and gathering them with a net. The captured fish were then placed in a transfer trailer and released into Lick Creek Pond.
"It was an incredible training opportunity on operating our boat electrofishing unit and sampling lake habitat," said Steven Foster, Limnologist, Water Resource Branch. "Being able to operate continuously in the same area without collecting restrictions enabled us to gather months of experience in just two days. It's great when training can have the additional benefit of helping out others."
In addition to donating the hundreds of fish, the coal company built the transfer trailer and the roads to Lick Creek Pond that made the stocking possible.
The 16th Annual Kids Fishing Tournament at East Lynn Lake in East Lynn, W.Va., is scheduled for Saturday morning, June 11, 2016, at Lick Creek Pond.
The tournament includes four age categories: 3 years old and younger, 4 to 6 years old, 7 to 11 years old, and 12 to 15 years old. Prizes will be given to participants who catch the most, the smallest, and the largest fish within the four age categories. Sign in begins at 8:45 a.m. and fishing starts at 9:30 a.m. The tournament will end at 11:30 a.m.
Refreshments, lunch, and prizes will be provided by local sponsors. Bring your fishing gear and enjoy the day at the pond. Lick Creek Pond is located off Route 37, approximately 18 miles east of Wayne.
The Kids Fishing Tournament coincides with the West Virginia Free Fishing Weekend on June 11 and 12, 2016.
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