In advance of John Rayfield became Oklahoma City’s fisheries biologist, his former work included diving with sharks in the Bahamas, monitoring commercial fishing on the Atlantic Ocean and increasing salmon in Alaska fish hatcheries.
He’s taken work opportunities that have supplied him a broad variety of experience in fisheries administration and conservation.
“I check out to get a small bit of everything,” said the 32-yr-old Georgia indigenous, who arrived on board as Oklahoma City’s fisheries biologist previous yr after the retirement of longtime biologist Bob Martin.
Right after graduating from Ga Southern College, Rayfield accepted an internship as a shark wrangler in the Bahamas at the Bimini Shark Labs, operated by the University of Miami, the place he was associated in shark exploration.
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He afterwards expended pretty much five yrs operating for a corporation that contracted with the Nationwide Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
His occupation was to vacation aboard on commercial fishing boats from ports together the Atlantic Seaboard and retain tabs on how several fish have been being caught, the species of fish and size.
“I would track all the things,” Rayfield reported. “Wherever they were fishing, what they were fishing with.”
HIs stories were used to assist NOAA keep an eye on fish populations.
Rayfield then went to Alaska and worked for six months in the Most important Bay and Cannery Creek salmon hatcheries on Prince William Seem.
Soon after his Alaskan experience, “I was a glutton for punishment and went back to performing on business fishing boats,” Rayfield stated.
He expended an additional yr aboard business fishing boats before staying hired as Oklahoma City’s fisheries biologist. Residing in a metropolitan city is a change for Rayfield.
Doing the job in the Bahamas, Alaska, and on the Atlantic Seaboard might seem more interesting for a fisheries biologist than in the Southern Plains, but Rayfield stated his task in Oklahoma Town truly delivers him additional wide variety and far more obligations than his preceding employment.
“If you are not studying, it really is time to get started shifting on,” Rayfield mentioned.
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As Oklahoma City’s fisheries biologist, Rayfield is in demand of the H.B. Parsons Fish Hatchery on Lake Hefner, in which sunfish, hybrid striped bass, walleye and channel catfish are raised.
Walleye are stocked in Lake Hefner, hybrid striped bass are put in Lake Overholser and channel catfish are put in Lake Draper.
Catfish and sunfish also are stocked in Oklahoma City’s designated “Near to Home” waters: Crystal Lake Dolese Youth Park Pond Edwards Park Fishing Lake Kids’ Lake Kitchen area Lake Route 66 Park Ponds South Lakes Park Ponds and Zoo Lake.
Rayfield is liable for taking care of a lot more than 7,500 acres of fishable waters in Oklahoma Metropolis. He manages the city’s fishing instructional courses and oversees the winter season rainbow trout period, and is building alterations to both of those.
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Rayfield has added extra fishing courses for children and adults, like fly fishing and kayak fishing classes.
This winter season, he plans to transfer the annual trout season from the Dolese Park Youth Pond to the Edwards Park and Route 66 ponds.
By offering a trout-crammed pond on both of those the west and east sides of Oklahoma City, it with any luck , will give much more people chances to fish for rainbows, Rayfield stated.
“We preferred to spread it out,” Rayfield claimed, indicating the new spots also must make it simpler for fly fishing than at the Dolese Youth Park Pond.
Developing up in Ga, Rayfield is absolutely acquainted with the form of fishing that goes on in central Oklahoma.
He attempts to visit local bait and tackles retailers as soon as or twice a thirty day period to fulfill Oklahoma Metropolis anglers.
He does so to learn what is occurring on Oklahoma City’s waters and any challenges anglers may be experiencing. He also invites their viewpoints on how to increase the fishing.
Put smallmouth bass again in Lake Hefner and mature more substantial bass in Lake Draper are the two tips that he hears most generally from anglers in the Oklahoma Metropolis fishing neighborhood.
Rayfield was employed in April 2020 during the center of the COVID-19 pandemic and then the Arctic freeze hit in February.
“We have had a ton of curve balls thrown at us,” Rayfield reported of the get the job done at the H.B. Parson Fish Hatchery. “We are striving to beef up really significantly every little thing, but some matters can appear a little little bit more rapidly than some others.”
Reporter Ed Godfrey appears to be for stories that effects your everyday living. Be it news, outdoors, athletics — you identify it, he desires to report it. Have a tale notion? Get hold of him at [email protected] or on Twitter @EdGodfrey. Assistance his operate and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a electronic membership nowadays.