Passive gear will be used to monitor and collect Asian carp in the study area.  Passive sampling devices will include entanglement (trammel nets) and entrapment (mini fyke nets) gear.  The minimum deployment period for the passive gear will be 12-15 hours, overnight.

          The mini fyke net used in the fish survey has a single 15-foot long and 2- foot high lead with small egg-type floats fastened on the float line.  The frame is constructed of two steel rod rectangles (2 feet X 4 feet).  The lead continues into the net to the rear of the frame.  Inner wings, spaced 2 inches from the lead, extend from the outer corner of the front frame to the middle of the rear frame.  The cab is made of spring steel hoops, 2 feet in diameter.  A single throat, tapering to a 2-inch diameter opening near the cod end, extends between the hoops.  The cab and frame measure 9 feet in length.  A 6-foot long braided nylon drawstring secures the cod end of the net.   Netting is 1/8-inch ace-type nylon netting.

At each monitoring station, a mini fyke net will be deployed in approximately 4-5 feet of water, perpendicular to the bank.  The end of the lead will be set on the bank or fastened to a steel rod driven into the bottom close to the bank.  As the boat moves away from the bank, the lead, frame, and cab are lowered into the water.  Fully extend the lead, frame, and cab.  Avoid setting the net over large rocks or tree branches.  Attach 30-50 pounds of weight and a marker buoy to the cod end of the net.  Allow sufficient length of rope in order for the buoy to float at the surface.  Using the line attached to the marker buoy, retrieve the net by lifting the cab into the boat.  Fish are removed by untying the drawstring at the end of the cod end of the net.

This is an excerpt of an email suggesting Asian Carp capture through the use of both Fyke nets and electrofishing simultaneously

Following deployment of trammel and mini-fyke nets, personnel should
electrofish surrounding waters.   Asian carp are very
sensitive to the electric current in the water, causing them to rapidly
move away from the current.  It is therefore recommended that immediately
following deployment and as soon as possible before retrieval of the nets,
electrofishing should occur for approximately 15 minutes in waters adjacent
to the nets.  The assumption is that the electric current will drive the
Asian carp into the trammel and mini-fyke nets. Therefore, beginning with
August 2003, electrofishing should be added to the Asian carp monitoring
program.