A Brief History of Electrofishing [History]

As an electrical engineering undergraduate at the University of Illinois, periodically, I needed to take an R&R weekend to clear my mind from my studies and enjoy some time in nature—he’s “gone fishing.” I would collect my casting rod and reel and a bamboo pole from my parents’ home in Chicago, IL, USA, then head down to the bait shop at Montrose Harbor at Lake Michigan to collect some earthworms. Then, it was off to the fishing pier to try my luck. Rarely did I catch a fish, and if I did, it was quickly removed from the hook and returned to its habitat unharmed. Around 5:30 a.m., a purveyor of coffee and donuts loaded on a coaster wagon arrived at the pier to wake us fishermen from bobber watching and provide the morning sustenance to continue our day’s adventure.