Underwater drone films the fish

WAUPACA - In late May, Paul Skawinski, an educator with the Wisconsin Citizen Lake Monitoring Network at UW-Stevens Point/Extension Lakes, deployed an underwater drone to investigate aquatic life around the numerous “fish sticks” that have been placed in the Chain O’ Lakes.
“Fish sticks” are dead trees placed to create fish habitat. Often they are skidded onto the lake in winter with a tractor and then cabled to a boulder that will sink them as the ice melts. Other versions are more man-made and have a log cabin shape.
“Hopefully this can demonstrate the importance of woody habitat for fish, in addition to its benefits of erosion reduction, reduced sediment re-suspension, habitat for birds, turtles, frogs, invertebrates, etc., and more,” wrote Skawinski in an email where he shared the video footage from the drone.
The drone was sent underwater in Sunset, Beasley, Long and Sunset Lakes. Fish identified in the footage include northern pike, largemouth bass, rock bass, black crappies, bluntnose minnows, yellow perch and lots of bluegills. The drone also filmed a pockmarked area on the lakebed that was a spawning colony. Bluegills protecting their redds (spawning bed) hovered over the crater-like indentations were the eggs were placed.
The film is high-quality and the fish can be easily identified. The footage can be viewed at https://youtu.be/LQxXyo86sUM.