Monday December 9, 2024
San Luis Obispo Tribune —
Zachary Crum looked like a member of the Ghostbusters as he sloshed through San Luis Obispo Creek wearing an electrofisher backpack — an instrument that safely stuns fish so he can study them.
The backpack contained a battery, a control board and a 6-foot fiberglass pole topped with a metal ring. When the biologist dipped the pole in the water, an electrical current briefly stunned the nearby fish.
A handful of silver, speckled steelhead trout floated to the surface of the creek for a moment — just enough time for Crum to net them and drop them into a bucket of water.
“It’s actually very athletic,” Crum said with a laugh. “Generally, you only have a very short second to scoop up the fish before they’re swimming as normal.”