Nels Kramer knows there are northern pike in Pushaw Lake. He knows that because he saw the photos. He knows it because he talked to the man who took those pictures. He knows it because he believes both sources … and because he’s been a fisheries biologist for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for 21 years and knows more than a bit about matters like this.

Still, Kramer was out there the other day, piloting the state’s new electro-fishing boat on murky Pushaw, dredging through lily pads and around stumps and into the shallows where pike might be hiding.

Northern pike, you see, don’t belong in Pushaw. They ended up there after a journey … from somewhere … in a live well or a bucket. And now, biologists like Kramer are reacting to the problem.

“[This effort is] just to try to confirm the presence of northern pike in this lake,” Kramer says as he motors across the lake. “Not that we have any illusion that we are going to be able to shock all of those that are here. But as biologists we want something that we can hold in our hands that will confirm to us that what we suspect is the case.”

An electro-fishing boat is kind of like a humane floating bug zapper. Or, if you prefer, a stun gun with a 75-horsepower outboard attached.

Wires hanging off long booms are “anodes,” with positive charges. Wires attached to the boat are “cathodes,” or negative. Any fish that swims within the field after Kramer fires up the generator? Well, he’s likely to be gills-up before long.

“It should stun the fish, at least momentarily,” Kramer says. “Then these two fellas can net ’em. That’s our hope.”

The other two DIF&W workers, Brian Campbell and Jeremiah Wood, lurk in the bow, armed with long-handled nets.

There are, of course, things you might want to keep in mind while electro-fishing.

“Keep your hands out of the water,” Kramer warns. “It’ll lift you.”

Kramer knows of what he speaks. He has never “lifted” another DIFW employee, but he does know you shouldn’t test his theory.

“I lifted myself once,” he says with a chuckle. “I went to rinse out my soda can after lunch. It didn’t make me any weirder than I already am, but it smartens you up.”

On Tuesday, the electro-fishing was slow. At least, it was slow for pike. It was quite brisk for sunfish and bass and pickerel.

Kramer wasn’t overly surprised.

“Probably the best chance for us to get our hands on a pike will come next spring, when they’re in the shallows, in the weeds, spawning,” he says.

Then what?

Sadly, there’s not much else biologists can do.

Eradicating a single illegally introduced species from a large body of water – Pushaw stretches for miles and covers portions of Orono, Glenburn, Hudson, and Old Town – is virtually impossible.

“Unless we’re talking about a farm pond or a small body of water, there’s no way you’re going to get them out of a system like this,” Kramer says. “Even control is doubtful. And that’s the real crime behind the whole thing.”

State officials have seen a rash of illegal introductions lately, including the case of pike being dumped into Sebago Lake or one of its tributaries.

Peter Bourque, a longtime DIFW employee who serves as director of fisheries program development, says a change in angling priorities has played a role in those introductions.

“There is a contingent of anglers whose focus has shifted to big fish, tournaments, trophies, and [who see] what is going on in some Midwest and southern states and say, ‘Well, how about Maine?'” he says.

With the proliferation of affordable boats equipped with live wells making transportation of live fish simpler, some anglers have chosen to take matters into their own hands, Bourque says.

He holds out hope that with a new, strict law that makes merely possessing live fish and transporting them illegal, someone will be caught in the act.

And he hopes that person serves as an example for others.

“I think that’s gonna happen,” Bourque says. “I think the facts are that people need to know that we mean business on this. It has a terrible, devastating effect on what can be a whole drainage system.”

A bit more information on the release of the any-deer permits by the state.

As you may imagine, folks weren’t too pleased when they opened up their newspapers on Thursday morning and found that the permit winners – which typically have been printed in this paper – were missing.

The reason: This year the state released a cumbersome list of more than 71,000 names, instead of the more concise (but now obsolete) list that corresponded to the last two digits of a hunter’s license number.

I spent the better part of the day answering phone calls and e-mails from readers who noticed that the Internet link that we promised was not on our Web site.

Computer woes delayed the process, as many of you found out. There is a lesson here regarding “promising” anything that relies on computers or the Internet … but we’ll forget that for the moment.

Since Thursday, I’ve received a dozen (sometimes angry) e-mails and another dozen (mostly good-natured) phone calls. Before I even got a chance to sit down at my desk, we had decided that providing callers with their doe permit information when they called to complain might be a good idea.

If you called … and I was able to tell you that you got your doe permit … good luck this season. If you didn’t call … and you don’t have access to the Internet and still don’t know if you got a permit? Well, the state will mail you a letter in two weeks … or, you’re welcome to try to contact me at the number below. If I can help you, I will.

Two local youths enjoyed a bear season they’ll remember this year, proud grandfather Phil McTigue reports.

Brent Williams, 11, and his 13-year-old brother, John, each bagged a bear. The brothers are the children of John and Eileen Williams of Clifton.

Brent Williams bagged a 220-pounder with a .44 magnum handgun after spending a total of 11 hours maintaining his bait and six more hours sitting in a tree stand.

John Williams used a bow to shoot a 310-pounder that field-dressed at 272 pounds. His grandfather reports that he spent 17 hours baiting and a total of 28 hours sitting in a tree stand waiting for the hefty bruin to arrive.

Both Williams boys are well-rounded students at Holbrook School in Holden. Brent is a sixth-grader, while John is in the eighth grade. Both are honor roll students and accomplished swimmers who participated in the Beach to Beach Swim for Cancer at Green Lake over the summer.

Congratulations to both.

Coming up next week: An assortment of moose and deer stories (I haven’t forgotten that I promised you the tale of the monster doe that was recently harvested) are on tap.

In addition, at some point over the next couple of weeks (depending on the moose tales I end up sharing), I’ll give DIFW biologist Paul Johnson the chance to address the issue of illegal fish introductions a bit more fully.

A few weeks ago a reader asked for a fuller explanation of illegal stocking. Specifically, he wanted me to cite proof that it was more than illegal, but in fact damaging to the ecosystem.

Johnson, who has been a biologist up in Greenville for years, has never been short of opinions, and I think you’ll find his arguments persuasive.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.