[Paul Francis]

1. Today Aug 20, 2025 we assisted the AGF in documenting the Shad release.  The AGF is very methodical in what they do.  Each year in the nursery pond, off Potters Point Road, the AGF raises and releases different fish into the lake.  For the last 4-5 years Threadfin Shad have been their fish of choice.
   In the fall they drain the pond.  Sometime in the spring they fertilize and fill the pond, then introduce bait fish or other species into the pond.  They measure the fry and leave them to grow and mature.  Late summer they release these fish into the lake.  When they release them they take samples of those fish to see how well they have done.
   That’s where we come in.  A group of members helped using a seine net to catch some samples.  We gathered 120 samples.  Each sample was measured and recorded.  The size ranged from 50mm to 84mm, the average being in the low 70’s.  For us fishing folks that’s between 2-3”.  Last year the size average was in the low 60’s.
   They know what was put into the pond, what amount and kind of fertilizer used and the size of the fry.  By gathering exit data they can measure Their success rate and fold that info into next year’s plan.  It was fun and interesting to assist in this event.

This event folds into our “Education”  motto.  The more we know about what is happening in the lake, the better prepared we will be to catch our fish of choice.  We are Stewards of this body of water and should do everything we can to make Greers Ferry a better fishing lake no matter what your desired catch is!

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