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made large-bodied fish captures difficult. Since we decided to focus mostly ~ stages anyway, this was not a serious impediment. We experimented with a variety of gears in 2003 and 2004, including elecotrofishing (Coffelt and Smith-Root units), shore-based, generator- gear (Smith-Root unit), and an electric seine. Comparisons of electrofishing small-bodied life backpack electrofishing and seines conducted in 2003 suggested that electrofishing captured more species (N = l7 + hybrid suckers) and individuals than seines (N = 6, Table 1). Seines were effective only in 1~ types with sand or silt substrate, a relatively rare substrate type in this river r mostly sand shiners, a species that is typically found over sand substrate. Se effective in areas with heavy cover (some pools) or coarse substrate where s~ tended to occur. In 2004, we made additional comparisons of backpack elec based electrofishers, and electric seines. Each gear type captured about the species, but backpack shockers were limited by the small effective sampling velocity habitat h, and captured s were less lmouth bass shore- number of and limited battery life. The large generator and heavy cable required by the shore-based electrofisher limited mobility of this gear type, even when floated in a barge, which was p oblematic in this mostly shallow and difficult-to-navigate river. The electric seine was a good compromise because it efficiently captured the species in the habitat type, was canoe-port ble with the small and lightweight generator, had a large effective sampling area, was reliable a d relatively efficient in open areas as well as those with cover. In 2005 and 2006, we sa pled exclusively with the electric seine. A down side to the electric seine (or any electrofishi g gear) was that fish capture success was reduced when the water was turbid. With a few exc ptions (e.g., autumn 2004), water was generally clear. At each habitat location, a discrete area was chosen (e.g., a shoreline reach, a single eddy, one pool) for sampling so fish abundance could be related to habitat type. Sampling usually proceeded in an upstream direction and the area was thoroughly covered by the sampling gear. All fish available for capture were netted during a timed sampling effort and the dimensions and characteristics of each habitat area were estimated. Fish were identified to s ecies and if samples were large, a subsample of each was measured and weighed. If fish (were relatively few, 5