Understanding Prespawn Activity of Fish and Anglers
By Mark Bilbrey
A mild winter for much of North America could mean several things to anglers. The natural cold water shad kills did not happen in much of the cotenant. This has given bass an abundant forage base on which to feed in the warmer than usual winter lakes. The mild winter and warmer water could also affect the prespawn activity among bass as we approach February and spring gets closer every day. The activity of bass is primarily controlled by the temperature of the water.
As bass move toward the shallow areas in the prespawn it is important to read the temperature of the water. Anglers should realize that not all bass have the same urge to begin prespawn activity at the same time. Smallmouth will become active before largemouth and not all of these will become active simultaneously. Some will move shallow and back to deep as seasonal weather patterns change, while others will wait out for the perfect conditions. The prespawn activity can span a period of several weeks on any given lake as water temperatures rise from the exposure to longer periods of daylight warming and warmer temperatures and rain. The trick anglers must be looking for in the early prespawn area is the depth at which the concentrations of fish will be holding.
It is impossible for an angler to predetermine whether or not he will catch one fish or fifty fish based solely on the surface temperature of the water. Experience and education have taught many anglers that fifty degrees can be the magic number; however, this temperature can be good or it could be bad depending on which direction the temperature is moving. Forty nine degrees or lower means it could be difficult to catch fish at any given time of the day. However as the temperature of the water reaches a sustainable fifty degree and the mercury trends to be moving upward the activity of fish will rapidly change. A bass’ metabolism changes when their cold blooded bodies warm up. Rapid digestion means more frequent feeding, and at a time when Mother Nature is telling them that it is nearing the time to reproduce, this activity is enhanced even more. A south wind and some sunny days when the water reaches the fifty degree range, tells many anglers to begin to fish in areas that are near known spawning areas with a hard bottom on the northwest side of the lake. The slightest variation in temperature will attract bait fish, and thus the bass.
Wise anglers not only try to remember successful locations, but keep a fishing log each year as winter passes the torch to spring. The knowledge of air and water temperature, prolonged weather conditions, water clarity and the size and color of bait used on successful days will take hours of guesswork out of your fishing. This is what often separates the Joe's from the pros on the water. Record notes of structure from your electronics or topo map. Use your GPS to mark the location if possible. The prespawn migration routs hold important clues that will be useful throughout the year.
Prespawn anglers normally understand the importance of catch and release at this important time of the year. Sewing the seed for the future of your fishery is an important part of being a sportsman. As the bass make preparation for the spawn, please be responsible in your cull. Tournament anglers take steps to correctly maintain your live wells to protect the future of the fishery. Being both ethical and responsible is the responsibility of all sportsmen, please take the time to share catch and release habits, handling and measuring tips and live well health with new anglers.
Happy Fishing!
Mark Bilbrey-
Growing up on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake fishing with his family at Horse Creek Dock– and in the shadow of the legendary Billy Westmorland – gave young Mark Bilbrey a solid foundation in the sport of bass fishing. Now, after many years as a businessman, Bilbrey is preparing for a career as a outdoors writer, currently featured on the World Fishing Network. He will soon be a full-time guide having completed professional training through the Foley-Belsaw Company.
The Float n' Fly for Winter Bass
by: Mark Bilbrey
One thing the rapidly dropping temperatures have brought to my mind was what else but fishing. In particular bass fishing came to mind. And in winter there is not a better technique than the float 'n' fly technique. This technique is one of the most innovative methods for catching bass in cold water. This style of fishing is not only for smallmouth bass but also attracts largemouth and spotted bass just as effectively. In the areas with out a closed season on bass, it was only natural that the local anglers would perfect the chilled water technique.
The float 'n' fly technique is credited to have been developed by Tennessee angler Charlie Nuckols who gained fame for catching lethargic smallmouth in the clear icy waters of the Tennessee reservoirs. Nuckols, who was the owner of Bullet Lures, discovered that after the water temperature had dropped below forty-five degrees that the suspended cold-water smallmouth bass were very difficult to catch. He then began to experiment with smaller baits such as crappie jigs mimicking small minnows and slowed the presentation by suspending beneath a bobber at the depth that he was seeing bass on his electronics. With some trial and error, Nuckols method of “Float n’ Fly” was born.
Soon after Nuckols new technique was gaining popularity he was accidentally drowned in a boating accident in 1996, his brother Eddie took over Bullet Lures, and continued his brother’s legacy of the technique and the company which continues to be one of the premier suppliers of specialized lures and equipment used with the float 'n' fly system.
Punisher Lures also located in Tennessee near the legendary smallmouth lake, Dale Hollow, also continues to prefect the components of the technique. Owned by The Smallmouth Guru himself, Stephen Headrick the Float n’ Fly has gained much popularity during the winter months. With professional guides such as Bob Coan and Jim Duckworth and fantastic outdoors writers and editors like Don Wirth and Ken Duke keeping the technique alive, Charlie Nuckols name has been recorded in fishing history to stay.
The workings of the float n fly system are a small hair jig suspended beneath bobber eight to twelve feet deep in the clear, cold water. Traditionally the rig uses a small plastic fixed bobber with long eight foot fly rods equipped with spinning reels, but newcomers prefer setting a slip bobber with bobber stops and a bead much like fishing for crappie. The “slip” bobber allows adjustment and fine-tuning the depth to match that of the fish. A long flexible rod is still a must for long cast and playing the large bass. A spinning reel loaded with four to six pound test line is the tool of the trade for many Float n Fly enthusiasts.
As many bass anglers know when the water is below forty-five degrees, bass often get lock jaw, but the pulsing and flaring of the hair jigs tail in the motion of the frigid water as the bobber bobs on the surface gives life to the jig and this motion will coerce the bass to feed on the suspended offering of the imitation lake minnow. On the overcast windy days of winter, anglers often fish these rigs near bluffs, rocky points, and steep banks. With this technique, bass anglers can get more time on the water during the winter months. One of the best things about this technique is that it can be executed from the bank or dock near the deep water areas where cold water bass are suspending.
Happy Fishing!
Mark Bilbrey-
Growing up on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake fishing with his family at Horse Creek Dock– and in the shadow of the legendary Billy Westmorland – gave young Mark Bilbrey a solid foundation in the sport of bass fishing. Now, after many years as a businessman, Bilbrey is preparing for a career as a outdoors writer, currently featured on the World Fishing Network. He will soon be a full-time guide having completed professional training through the Foley-Belsaw Company.
Hot Lures for Cold Water – The Crankbait
By Mark Bilbrey
Crankbaits are considered one of the hottest lures for fishing cold water by many anglers. Lethargic bass will become active on the warmer days following a cold front. The warmer air temperatures will generally cause the bass to feed. It is in these conditions that the crankbait anglers like the best.
When fishing a crankbait the best place to start is near clear water rocky point. Clear water warms faster than clouded water. The heat energy from the sun can penetrate through clear water uninterrupted warming the rocks below. The rocky points and humps in five to ten feet of water are the best targets for winter cranking. Locating clear water points and humps near deep water is critical because the bass will move from the deeper water to the shallow points to feed.
A slowly worked crankbait is the most successful in cold water. Select lures that dive slightly deeper than the areas that you are fishing so the bill of the lure will chick up a trail of silt and mud in the clear water. Bass will actually follow a trail like this looking for the creature making it. Many anglers in winter will throw a larger bait to offer lazy bass a larger meal, while other anglers often down size their lures when the water is below fifty degrees. Experiment until you find the size and color that you have confidence in. If you do not get a reaction when fishing a crankabit with a tight wobble change size for a wider wobble. Vibration is key in the low light of stained water. However understand that the vision of the bass allows them to see as far as fifteen feet in water that a human would have zero visibility. Brighter colors are also helpful in these conditions.
When there conditions are not cooperating other cold cranking tactics need to be considered. In dirty water, bumping rocks and other hidden cover on the bottom gives an erratic action that bass cannot resist. Bass will use the stained areas for cover to ambush prey. In the colder water, bluffs and steep banks are the next features to look for on maps or electronics if bass are not on rocky points and humps. Look for structure and study the bottom composition, fishing the transition areas where rock piles meet the gravel or from gravel to larger rocks. It is advisable to use crankbaits for bottom fishing when you can find a hard bottom.
Fish the crankbait slowly and parallel to structure stopping and starting frequently. I can’t stress enough the importance of slowing down your presentation and keeping the lure in the strike zone as long as possible when fishing the along the edge of the structure such as a bluff or drop off in cold water
When fishing cold water crankbaits we have another thing that has helped our cold-water strategy is the use of lighter fluorocarbon line. Even though it stiffens in cold water, the sinking nature of this line along with a slow retrieve will add to the depth that the crankbait dives. Anglers must also remember that long cast also keeps a crankbait in the strike zone much longer and adjust to equipment that gives the maximum distance. For those of us that fish in the cold, crankbaits can change the mood of the day. Don’t just sit and look out the window, get out on the water and crank in some cold water bass.
Happy Fishing!
Mark Bilbrey-
Growing up on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake fishing with his family at Horse Creek Dock– and in the shadow of the legendary Billy Westmorland – gave young Mark Bilbrey a solid foundation in the sport of bass fishing. Now, after many years as a businessman, Bilbrey is preparing for a career as a outdoors writer, currently featured on the World Fishing Network. He will soon be a full-time guide having completed professional training through the Foley-Belsaw Company.
The Bottom Line – A look at the different types of fishing line
By Mark Bilbrey
There are many lines on the market and each one of the claims to be the best. I took the question for just monofilament to the experts (pros and recreational anglers who are my friends on Facebook) and the responses were overwhelming and actually came in faster than I could read all of them. Even pro fishermen and guides and one of the famous Linder Brothers, Ron, joined in on the conversation. In this post we can compare the pros and cons of different types of lines, and discuss which type of line is best for specific applications. I will stay away from the brand names, as this seems to spark passion in anglers as to which manufacture is the best. (The lines pictured are lines I have in my box not endorsements.)
As a rookie angler it took me a little while to understand the differences of the type of line and that other characteristics such as the size of line greatly affected the retrieve speed of a lure. For instance, if you spool eight – ten lb the retrieve is much slower than it is with ten – twenty lb tests. The larger diameter makes the spool size smaller by as much as ½ on long cast. This will increase the retrieve speed when reeled in. These are the types of things that only experience can answer. As for what line to use for specific conditions and certain cover it can be very confusing. With a little help from my friends lets look at the types of lines, Monofilament, Fluorocarbon and Braided, and their best and worst attributes. Some opinions vary widely on this topic; please feel free to add your comments in the tread of this post.
Monofilament – This line has many applications that it has served well over the years, and the invention of nylon line had to be one of the greatest innovations to fishing since the hook. Mono has great abrasion resistance, with 18-35% stretch. However the properties of nylon line has a “rubber-band” stretch and it does return somewhat. Mon has good knot strength, and because it floats, it is preferred for topwater anglers. Mono is also preferred for use in cold water by many anglers. The downside of mono is the line when used for long periods of time will absorb water. This with the stretching properties of the line will alter a hook set and limit sensitivity. Even with these negative attributes Monofilament definitely has its place in fishing.
Fluorocarbon – This line adds new meaning to the phrase, “You get what you pay for”. Many anglers pass it buy because of the cost, but manufacturing of this line is costly. Fluoro is another great innovation to fishing. It is less visible and sinks fast making it a great choice for crankbaits and other deep running applications. It is more durable than mono, which makes up for the difference in cost. Fluorocarbon is abrasion resistant and very sensitive to vibration and it is known for better hook sets and superb knot strength. Fluorocarbon has a stretch ration ranging from 28-38%, which is good for fast moving lures with treble hooks such as crankbaits. The stretch in this application will prevent the hooks from ripping out of the fish’s mouth as they usually hook them selves with treble hooked lures. This makes this line perfect for keeping large fighting fish hooked. On the other side of the coin, fluorocarbon gets stiff in cold water and develops some line memory. But over all for the correct application fluorocarbon cannot be topped.
Braided or Supper Lines – We have an antique reel over our mantel that belonged to my wife’s grandfather. The reel is still spooled with the original braided line. This line is not a new thought, but technology revived its use greatly. Originally braid was not very popular, but now innovations in the industry have changed things greatly. Supper Lines as braided is being called offers many advantages to anglers. It is abrasion resistant and requires less retying and re-spooling. It has unbelievable sensitivity with only 2-7% stretch. The stretch to diameter ratio for braided line is 20 lb test equaling that of 8 lb mono, and 40 lb test braid equaling that of 12 lb mono. Braid works well in cold water for both spinning and casting equipment. The sensitivity makes it good for deep water and for heavy cover it could be the best choice. As for the downside of braided line, in the early test of braid the line would bury into the spool making backlashes even more frustrating, however technology has taken the super lines a long way. The line is hard to cut and heat is the best way is to “melt” it. The lack of stretch can cause lost fish. This can be compensated with your choice of a rod. Changing to a medium action from a heavy action may be needed.
The Bottom Line – All of the lines mentioned have their place in fishing depending on the application the angler chooses. Anglers should follow the specs listed for the reels they are using when re-spooling a reel. Take it from an angler who has spent a fortune in trying to find the perfect line for all applications that line may yet to be invented. All of the lines mentioned have good and bad points, several we may have not mentioned.
I have intentionally not mentioned Nanofilament lines. That is for another post by another ambassador as I personally have not tried it yet and probably may not for a while until I use some of the many spools I have acquired the last year. I have learned that a quality line treatment like Blakemore’s Reel Magic, makes line more manageable and gives some distance to a cast.
Happy Fishing!
Mark Bilbrey-
Growing up on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake fishing with his family at Horse Creek Dock– and in the shadow of the legendary Billy Westmorland – gave young Mark Bilbrey a solid foundation in the sport of bass fishing. Now, after many years as a businessman, Bilbrey is preparing for a career as a outdoors writer, currently featured on the World Fishing Network. He will soon be a full-time guide having completed professional training through the Foley-Belsaw Company.
Finding Old Bass in New Water
By Mark Bilbrey
By Mark Bilbrey
Every angler gains confidence when fishing his home lake, but take him to new water away from his “honey hole” and some of that confidence will diminish. Anglers do not learn a lake in just one day even with side imaging and structure scan anglers can have trouble adapting. The fish however are basically the same in all bodies of water and will relate to conditions of light, temperature, oxygen, PH and bait. In this post let us look at some great tips for locating bass in new water.
The surrounding terrain holds a clue as to what the structure of the lake will look like. Take the time when on a new body of water to study the points, wood structure and cover, rocks, and sloping banks. Learn to read the banks, as they will often maintain the same grade of the slope that is visible above the waters surface.
It is also important to decide which bass you will be fishing for. Many anglers confuse the tactics needed when fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass. If fishing for largemouth look for areas of thick grass and heavy cover, and for smallmouth look for rocks, points, and steep drop offs where smallmouth often feed. The biggest mistake anglers make is trying to force largemouth tactics on smallmouth bass. Smallmouth relate to fifteen feet of water just like a largemouth will relate to a stump in three feet of water. They are completely different fish and people think to them selves, this is what always works when I’m fishing for bass (largemouth). However, anglers can use the same lures, but they must use them in different locations.
When fishing a new body of water anglers should pattern the fish as they find out what the bottom structure is like. Test the points and structure with different lures to determine what the fish may be holding on. By fishing different lures you can give the fish different presentations until they tell you exactly what they want. As you try different lures and you find something that works continue using it. It is all about learning as you go when fishing a new lake.
When fishing shallow woody cover near deep water for example, nothing performs like a spinnerbait in this area. The speed can be varied and it will go through the cover easily. And when fishing off shore structure a crankbait performs well in twelve to fourteen feet. With these two lures an angler can cover much water quickly not only learning the contour and structure of the lake but also catching some fish as you go.
The bottom line is this; no one masters a body of water in one day. It takes patience and discipline to study first the fish, and then the terrain surrounding the lake. And then using search baits such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits an angler will begin to understand the bottom structure, drop offs and cover of the lake. These are the principles that can be used any time you head to a new body of water to fish. Just remember that most of these need to be done before you get there.
Happy Fishing!
Mark Bilbrey-
Growing up on Tennessee's Dale Hollow Lake fishing with his family at Horse Creek Dock– and in the shadow of the legendary Billy Westmorland – gave young Mark Bilbrey a solid foundation in the sport of bass fishing. Now, after many years as a businessman, Bilbrey is preparing for a career as a outdoors writer, currently featured on the World Fishing Network. He will soon be a full-time guide having completed professional training through the Foley-Belsaw Company.
Cold Cranking for Winter Bass
By Mark Bilbrey
On this cold overcast morning, as usual I am looking out on the lake and wondering why I am not fishing. I was considering writing a post about choosing jig colors for cold water bass, but I realize that if I go out on the water today, I would be tying on a crankbait. The decision is based solely on the versatility of the diving lure for a cold water presentation. Crankbaits are a great searching lure and there is something about their action that will entice a bass to bite, when they ignore all other lures including jigs and spinnerbaits.
My wife being raised in Detroit Michigan fishing Lake St. Clair, has shared some of her cold water cranking tips with me and over the years. Together we have integrated the cold water and the southern style of bass fishing that I grew up with and we have developed cold water cranking strategies that have proven time and time again to produce the cold bass bite in the changing water in any lake we have fished. We have learned that fishing crankbaits is the most effective in periods of low light, such as clouded water conditions on an overcast day. In the stained water the bass relate to the bottom of the murky water and delay suspending until the water clears. Bumping the bottom in theses areas of stained water and keeping the lure in the strike zone is an exciting way to fish for winter lunkers.
Bumping rocks and other hidden cover in the stained dirty water on the bottom gives an erratic action that bass cannot resist as they use the stained areas for cover to ambush prey. In the colder water, bluffs and steep banks are features to look for on maps or electronics. Look for structure and study the bottom composition, fishing the transition areas where rock piles meet the gravel or from gravel to larger rocks. It is advisable to use crankbaits for bottom fishing when you can find a hard bottom. Fish the crankbait slowly and parallel to structure stopping and starting frequently. I can’t stress enough the importance of slowing down your presentation and keeping the lure in the strike zone as long as possible when fishing the along the edge of the structure such as a bluff or drop off. If you do not get a reaction when fishing a crankabit with a tight wobble change size for a wider wobble. Vibration is key in the low light of stained water. However understand that the vision of the bass allows them to see as far as fifteen feet in water that a human would have zero visibility. Brighter colors are also helpful in these conditions. Shooter Crankbaits has a great variety of color and depth choices. Not to mention their innovative flow through design that created turbulence to attract bass.
When fishing cold water crankbaits we have another thing that has helped our cold-water strategy is the use of lighter fluorocarbon line. The sinking nature of this line along with a slow retrieve will add to the depth that the crankbait dives. Anglers must also remember that long cast also keeps a crankbait in the strike zone much longer and adjust to equipment that gives the maximum distance. For those of us that fish in the cold, crankbaits can change the mood of the day. Don’t just sit and look out the window, get out on the water and crank in some cold water bass.
Happy Fishing!
AGFC Biologist Lake Monticello Interview
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Fisheries Division has been actively looking at the largemouth bass population in Lake Monticello . I recently caught up with Jeremy Risley to talk about a three year project that just completed.
Jeremy is now the District Fisheries Supervisor for Northeast Arkansas . However, he was the Fisheries Management Biologist under Diana Andrews, District Fisheries Supervisor for Southeast Arkansas , when they conducted this study.
Monticello Big Bass: Jeremy, give the readers a short overview of the study and how it originated?
Jeremy: Diana and I conducted a three year study looking at the largemouth bass population in Lake Monticello and the anglers that fish for them. When a new biologist starts in a district, the Fisheries Division likes them to conduct an intense study on a fish population to help them get more experience. When I started in District 5, we were hearing a lot of comments about large bass being harvested by the boat loads and how the fishing was poor. So, we decided this would be a perfect time to conduct a study to be able to have a better understanding of the largemouth bass population in the lake.
Monticello Big Bass: Describe the part of the study and interesting results?
Jeremy: When managing fisheries and evaluating a fishery, managers must take into account the three components of a fishery: Fish, Habitat, and Anglers. For this study, we examined each component in order to determine if the current regulation needed to be adjusted to continue the trophy potential of this fishery.
For the fish component, we conducted an age and growth study in 2006 and 2007 to examine the population characteristics of the largemouth bass the lake. We sampled over 1,323 fish via electrofishing, which by the way does not have any harmful effects on the largemouth bass, during this period. Of those, we used 245 fish for aging purposes. Some of the interesting information we gathered was there were two distinct growth patterns occurring in the lake. The female bass appear to have normal growth for south Arkansas and only spent an average of three years in the slot. The males had slow growth and once they reached the slot, they never grew out of it. There appeared to be very little harvest occurring within the lake. We predicted that there was around 8-10% total annual mortality. Total annual mortality is the percent of fish dying from natural and fishing mortality each year. For reservoirs in the SE United States , the average is around 25-30%. Another indication of little harvest was we collected seven 13 year old fish. These were fish that were originally stocked in the lake in 1994. Another interesting occurrence was recruitment was highly variable in the lake. Recruitment is the measure of age-1 fish being recruited to the population. We stock 100,000 Florida bass fingerling in the lake each year to keep the Florida gene influence strong in the lake. Once all the data were collected, we inputted into a computer software program that allows us to simulate the effects of varies length limits on variables that we are interested in. We looked at various slot limits and even some that anglers had suggested.
For the angler component, we did an access creel survey and a mail survey. The creel survey was conducted from March 2008 to February 2009. We conducted the survey during 16 days per month at the two access areas. When the anglers came in, they were asked a series of questions and all their fish were measured. This allowed us to get angler fishing hours, harvest, and satisfaction. We were able to interview 820 anglers from 14 states. The results suggested Lake Monticello receives the highest amount of bass angling pressure in the state compared to other creel surveys conducted. For Lake Monticello , there was an average of 50 angler hours per acre. The average of the other was around 8. The catch rate for bass was about average among the other creel surveys. However, the anglers were satisfied with the number and size of bass caught. Harvest of bass was minimal. It was estimated that bass anglers spent approximately $520,000 dollars during that survey year. The largemouth bass angler mail survey was developed by Bonds et al in Texas and this was the first ever one conducted for bass in Arkansas . This three page survey allowed us to get more in depth information from the anglers without taking up much time at the boat ramp. When the anglers were interviewed, they were asked if they wanted to participate in this survey. Anglers who did not respond to the first survey were sent up to two more follow up surveys. 300 anglers signed up from 11 states and we had a 79% return. We found there was a high diversity among the anglers but they mostly came to fish for trophy bass. They appeared to be extremely to moderately satisfied with the fishery. They had a strong believe in C&R and were knowledgeable about slot limits.
The final component of a fishery is habitat. Due to the need for habitat for the young fish and high amount of suggestions from anglers to re-establish submersed vegetation, we started a project in fall of 2009. We gathered other suggestions to improve the anglers experience at the lake that we are working on as well.
Monticello Big Bass: Were there any regulation changes from the results of this study?
Jeremy: We determined four management actions that needed to be implemented. First the slot limit was changed from 16-21 in. to 19-22 in. That would allow for more fish to be harvested under the slot and would reduce the number of fish stacking and dying in the slot. The creel was increase to 8 fish, thus increasing the potential of harvesting some of the fish below the slot. Also a more effective fertilization regime needs to be developed. This would increase the food availability for the young bass which would increase over winter survival and stabilize the recruitment of age 1 fish in the population. We realize fertilization isn’t popular with anglers but it is very important if they want to increase the trophy potential of the lake. Submersed vegetation needs to be re-established into the lake to increase cover for the young bass and prey species in the lake. Finally we need to increase angler education about harvesting small fish and the management practices being conducted at the lake.
Monticello Big Bass: Were there any other benefits that came out of this study?
Jeremy: Yea, it helped to get the road paved to Hungry Run Access and helped influence the placement of sand at the Plantersville Access. It also helped to get the courtesy dock at the Hungry Run Access. In the future, the results of the study will help the city with decisions about the lake because now we have determined the economic value of the lake to the City of Monticello.
Monticello Big Bass: Were there any other troubling things found in this study?
Jeremy: The biggest thing we found was the lack of harvest. We feel catch and release is an effective tool in most situations. However, in this case, we feel that it is causing trouble. We feel there needs to be more harvest of bass below the slot. We have actually been encouraging people to please keep some fish under the slot. This will allow more food for fish in and above the slot to encourage growth to a larger size.
Monticello Big Bass: Is there anything else you would to comment on the study?
Jeremy
: As you can see we tried to address the three main components in a fishery when conducting this study to examine the largemouth bass regulation on Lake Monticello . By changing the slot limit and creel limit, we feel Lake Monticello will continue to be a great trophy largemouth bass fishery in the future and will benefit the angler base, which is passionate about this resource. In conclusion we hope the results of this study and the regulation changes will ensure there will be more trophy bass for anglers to catch in the future.
Please feel free to contact me at jtrisley@agfc.state.ar.us or at 1-877-972-5438 to talk about the study. I would be glad to discuss more about the results or give you a copy of the 60 page report.
Please contact Diana Andrews or Brad Fontaine at 877-367-3559 to discuss any of the management efforts occurring at the lake.
Finally, I would just like to thank Monticello Big Bass for the opportunity to spread the word about the study and the interesting results we found.
AGFC proposes changes to Lake Monticello Largemouth Bass regulations
On May 6, AGFC Fisheries Division held six public meeting across the state. One of the locations was in Monticello. The purpose of these meetings was to gather public input about the proposed fishing regulation changes for 2011. One of these regulation changes was concerning largemouth bass in Lake Monticello. AGFC is proposing to change the current 16-21 inch slot to a 19-22 inch slot. Also the creel will be increase from 4 fish (4 fish under or 3 fish under and 1 over the slot) to 8 fish (8 fish under or 7 fish under and 1 over the slot).
The proposed regulation changes have stemmed from a 3-year project conducted from 2006-2009 on the largemouth bass population in the lake. Biologists examined all three components of a fishery (Fish, Anglers, and Habitat) in this study. They sampled over 1,300 bass from 2006 to 2007 for the population characteristics component of the study. They found two distinct growth patterns occurring in the lake. The female bass have good growth up to the slot. Once they reach the slot, it takes 3 years for them to grow out. The male bass have slow growth to the slot and then they do not grow out of the slot. Total annual mortality was really low too. Total annual mortality is the number of fish dying each year from natural and fishing mortality. For Lake Monticello, total annual mortality ranged from 8-10%. The average for SE United States is around 25-30%. In 2008, we conducted a one year creel and mail survey. This allowed us to get an idea of angler fishing hours, harvest, and satisfaction. Over that year period, we interviewed 820 anglers from 14 states. Lake Monticello receives more fishing pressure than most lakes in the state. Even though the pressure is high, harvest is low. Only 115 bass were harvested during the interviews. Three hundred anglers signed up for the mail survey and the response rate was 79%. It was shown there is a high diversity among anglers.
Using all the information gathered from this study, the AGFC’s proposed regulation change would reduce stacking of males within the slot and allow for more harvest of fish below the slot. This would help ensure the trophy potential of the lake remains intact for the future.
More detailed information from this study will be posted at a later date.
To submit comments about these regulation changes, please click on this link: 2011 Fishing Regulations Considerations Survey
For questions about Lake Monticello, please contact Diana Andrews at 1-877-367-3559.
For questions about the Lake Monticello Largemouth Bass project, please contact Jeremy Risley at 1-877-972-5438.
