Texas Trophy Bass Program

	Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

From the 2000 Joint Meeting of the Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas Chapters of the American Fisheries Society held in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Texas Trophy Bass Program

Forshage, A. T. Owens and R. Sparrow, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center, 5550 FM 2495, Athens,
Texas 75751

ShareLunker program data from 1986-1999 were evaluated to determine benefits of this angler participation program. This program allowed anglers to loan largemouth bass weighing at least 5.90 kg to the department for research, spawning, and public relations/education purposes. During the 13-year period, 298 anglers participated in the program providing the
department an opportunity to analyze a segment of the largemouth bass fisheries that could not be studied using traditional sampling methods. In addition to collecting age, length, weight, and genetic data, these fish were used in our fish hatchery program for production and future brood fish programs. The program also resulted in education about the value of catch and release plus marketing of the department’s management and culture efforts. Results indicate that carefully designed angler participation programs allow state agencies to collect life history and performance data while providing a program that increased public participation in catch and release fishing of trophy largemouth bass.

Back to Abstract
Index

Back to ArkLaTex 2000
Home Page