Unified Method - Pisgah Bay and Smith Bay - updates

Please share any updates or info you might have on the unified method that is happening now on Kentucky Lake.

Public access to Smith and Pisgah bays are restricted during carp removal effort starting FEB 3rd. At this time the project is scheduled to last for 3 weeks.

Recreational boaters should avoid the embayments to minimize risk of damage and disruption to the research operation. Access by road to the ramps and campgrounds in these bays will also be restricted. As a result it may not be possible for the public to directly observe the removal, but the Kentucky Afield tv show crew and local tv crews will be there.

The method involves setting a series of nets and using boats equipped with underwater speakers and electrofishing gear to drive the carp to sequentially smaller compartments, where they can be removed from the water.

The Asian carp harvested using the Modified Unified Method will be taken by Silver Fin, a non-profit research entity which has contracted with the state to test experimental gear. Silver Fin has purchased equipment to facilitate harvesting what is anticipated to be hundreds of thousands of Asian carp, more than the method has harvested in a single water body to date. Silver Fin has purchased expensive equipment to test during this event, and although they can sell the Asian carp to any vendor of their choice, there is not a market lucrative enough for Asian carp that will provide the company compensation to cover their costs for this initial effort. Additionally, Asian carp harvested will be sold to companies that are not current buyers in Kentucky, so Kentucky's commercial fishermen will not be negatively affected from a sudden increase in Asian Carp availability. The price that will be paid by buyers for the carp harvested by the Modified Unified Method will be a fraction of the regular price. Silver Fin Solutions of Troy, MO is a non-profit organization building a foundation for integrating partners, training fishermen and creating infrastructure; all to serve a new global fishing industry.


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Artcarney, Many thanks for the info. Will look forward to the KY Afield show that may show the effort and how successful it was. This has got to be the best effort I've read about to remove the carp. Just don't know why they would block the roads to the site(s) of the efforts. I would agree that the ramps should not be used to launch a boat in the area, but man, just a person who wants to drive down to the ramp to observe should not be restricted (IMO).

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Originally Posted by perchjerker108

Artcarney, Many thanks for the info. Will look forward to the KY Afield show that may show the effort and how successful it was. This has got to be the best effort I've read about to remove the carp. Just don't know why they would block the roads to the site(s) of the efforts. I would agree that the ramps should not be used to launch a boat in the area, but man, just a person who wants to drive down to the ramp to observe should not be restricted (IMO).

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The way I understand it, there's a LOT of equipment and people on the shoreline moving. I'd say keeping the public away from the shoreline operation is for safety more than anything. Imagine trying to handle/move a million pounds of fish and then having people getting in the way while trying to do it.

From a news article I just read, I think the use of the sound of an elevator is quite interesting:


Ron Brooks is the Aquatic Nuisance Species Program Director for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and helps coordinate efforts to combat Asian Carp. He said the “Modified Unified Method” originates from large nets fishermen in China have used to catch carp.


The nets are modified to have tighter meshes so that less carp can escape, and are combined with electrofishing equipment and underwater speakers to corral the fish.


“They found two effective sounds that really cause the fish to move out. One of them, the U.S.G.S. figured out several years ago is just an amplified boat motor noise,” Brooks said. “The other one that they started using is the sound of industrial elevators, when the two doors come together and they make that metallic slamming noise.


They figured out if they use that noise and repeat it rapidly, that also does a good job of scaring the fish.”

Ok, truly understand now. I hope this event is at least a moderate success. If so, I think we all we be very happy with the results.

They are in Pisgah Bay today. A guy went out there and took a couple of pictures from Pisgah Point. Still no word yet on what they've caught so far.

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Originally Posted by artcarney_agr

They are in Pisgah Bay today. A guy went out there and took a couple of pictures from Pisgah Point. Still no word yet on what they've caught so far.

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Looks methodical


Sent from my iPhone using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

More photos coming out, these are from Smith Bay:

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From the beach in Smith Bay:

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Guys, I'm excited about this effort and truly hope it has some success. Hope to see some results soon. It looks like a MAJOR effort and hope it works to help the situation. If anyone has a future link to the results of the effort, please post. I think I saw a post that this event would be on a future show of KY Afield. This would be great!

They had a big political day out there yesterday. Said that only 17,000 lbs have been pulled out so far, but they have WAY more corralled in the nets yet to be removed. It should be interesting to see what the finally tally is.

It's kind of neat how they are getting the fish out of the "pens" - they have a giant vacuum/pump that sucks the fish out of the water.

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Great video to watch:

https://www.facebook.com/KentuckyAfi...3502508378186/

From Wade White, Lyon County Judge Executive:

"We had a very good visit from Senator McConnell to see the Unified Modified method thats taking place on Kentucky Lake which he made happen. Congressman Comer came and we all took a boat ride to view what was taking place. They have several hundred thousand pounds of carp corralled in an area and will start pulling them out soon. We will see the results soon and the videos that sports afield is making and I will share that when they are done."


"Then we had a press conference and Governor Beshear also attended and committed to this War on Carp effort which was also good to hear. We had a lot of folks there working together led by Ron Brooks from KY and TN Fish and Wildlife, US Fish/wildlife, USGS and The Forest Service took care of ground operations. It was a multi agency work thats good to see."


"How effective will it be? We will know soon. I'd say the money spent versus the pounds recovered will not be very efficient. But they are doing this also to practice new methods and see what can work. I think they also want to try new things with our commercial fishermen too which should be the goal."


"There are also issues going on with the market and buying of fish from our commercial fishermen. They are under a maximum per week which is so low it will force our daily fishermen who cant lots of fish either to go somewhere else or not work enough to support themselves. This has just happened and Fish/Wildlife is aware and looking into it and I've spoken with vendors who may come help the situation but its too fluid right now to say what will happen. Either way - we must provide a mechanism for the commercial fishermen to sell their fish because they have become very good at removing them thousands of lbs per day in each boat. We can't slow down while we are making such good progress. I will keep you informed and do my best to remove rumor from reality."

Art, many thanks for the most recent posts. Again, just wish we had a viable market for these dang things. Somebody out there if they can figure out a way could make some good money. (Huge supply of edible fish at one fairly central location)

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Originally Posted by perchjerker108

Art, many thanks for the most recent posts. Again, just wish we had a viable market for these dang things. Somebody out there if they can figure out a way could make some good money. (Huge supply of edible fish at one fairly central location)

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It's an uphill battle for sure with the food grade market, especially when these fish spoil so quickly after they die. Most fish are going to fertilizer and other non-food grade uses, which do not pay all that much.....if it wasn't for the subsidies currently available to inflate the price paid to commercial fishermen, the commercial fishermen wouldn't even be going after them.

Hauling them out!!

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Art, those pics look familiar

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Originally Posted by kylakelover

Art, those pics look familiar

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Ha! I suppose you frequent the Fishermen Against Asian Carp (FAAC) page on Facebook? :)

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Originally Posted by artcarney_agr

Ha! I suppose you frequent the Fishermen Against Asian Carp (FAAC) page on Facebook? :)

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Well that, and I'm the one that took them :)

I guess that makes you Mike then.

To All, kinda a 'bump' for this topic. Hope to hear/see more posts on this. I think this project will determine what we as a our area will be attempting to be done going forward for the Asian Carp problems. Please post any more recent info as it comes available.

From Thursday, at the ramp at Moors Marina....Silver Fin unloading totes onto the shore to be hauled off. I meant to go this weekend and see if Silver Fin is still emptying the pens or if they were done but never got the chance.

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