FWC Black Bass Management Plan (Working Draft)

[SoFlaBassAddict]

A while back the FWC sent out emails, and asked people to do an online survey about Black Bass here in Florida.  Looks like they've got up a working draft from the results of the first survey.

http://myfwc.com/BassPlan_survey/BBMP-WorkingDraft-30August.pdf

[FrankY]

Cool, hopefully they can put the information to good use.

[salmicropterus]

That plan looks good. What I like is the proposed cooperation between the FWC who I have a lot of confidence in and the Water Management People (not so much on the confidence thing) and the Corps who have had their own agenda. I think we are seeing some of this already the way the water level is being managed at the Lake this past year. 2 years ago they woulda drained the Lake down to 11 or less during the storm season.

[Catching]

I printed out and will go over it over the weekend, I have a big concern since one of the guys in charge of the survey results is promoting what a great fishery we have in South Florida because of the diveristy of fish we have in South Florida

Sorry but if we want a good largemouth bass fishery down here again we can not promote the introduced species as a game fish, such as Snakeheads, and Peacock bass.  We need to figure out how to get rid of them!! Sorry I am not a big fan of introduced species and can not wait for a little ice age to kill them all !!

50 degree water temp kills them all and bass fishing should be like the old days again  8-)

[salmicropterus]

Is there any science or data to support your contentions about Peacock Bass and Snakeheads? I can see where you are coming from on the Snakeheads and FWC's response on them is pretty much "they're here, let's try and limit the spread (usually futile) but with the eco-system so diverse and with so many same- tier predators, they are not a threat and besides there is nothing that can be done anyway to single out the species" With the Peacocks, they were specifically introduced by FWC to predate on dumped invasive fish usually introduced by an aquarium and they would contend that this one of the most successful targeted interventions in fish management history. Are you aware of a scientifically based study to the contrary?

[Catching]

Is there any science or data to support your contentions about Peacock Bass and Snakeheads? I can see where you are coming from on the Snakeheads and FWC's response on them is pretty much "they're here, let's try and limit the spread (usually futile) but with the eco-system so diverse and with so many same- tier predators, they are not a threat and besides there is nothing that can be done anyway to single out the species" With the Peacocks, they were specifically introduced by FWC to predate on dumped invasive fish usually introduced by an aquarium and they would contend that this one of the most successful targeted interventions in fish management history. Are you aware of a scientifically based study to the contrary?

Yes the Snakeheads are here but we can slow down the spread, if we can keep the main breeding population in the canal system they are in I would consider this a success for the recreational fishing community. If we do not try to control it now by keeping the population small and contained they will find their way into the glades and since that canal system in all connected they will eventually get to the Lake since they can tolerate colder temperatures and I do not think anyone wants that to happen.

Yes I know Peacocks were introduced by FWC but they were only introduced to certain bodies of water in Dade County where they could not spread throughout South Florida. They spread with a little help from anglers catching in Dade and releasing them in our canal systems in Broward because they are fun to catch and they did not want to drive to Miami :,Which is the problem FWC is fearing with Snakeheads, they have explosive strikes and are easy to catch, very similar to a Peacock bass. For example I was fishing the other day and bumped into a guy I thought was fishing for catfish and he saw the snakehead in the bucket I was carrying with me and asked me what I was doing with it, told him that we are not supposed to release them because they are a invasive species. The guy responded and said that is not true FWC does not say to kill them, which is true but they do recommend that you do not release them. Long story short the guy was not happy with me keeping the fish because that was his recreational fish he likes to catch and release. I see a problem with that I hope you do as well.

We as responsible anglers concerned about out fishery should not be promoting the catch and release of any invasive species, if you have a problem killing a fish I think you should find another sport because not every fish you catch will survive the stress of being caught anyway.

I do not have any scientific data to back this up, but I do have 30 years of fishing South Florida waters. It has been about 10 years since I have caught a bass over ten pounds south of the lake, and rarely do you here about it anymore why do you think that is? We do not have enough forage fish in our waters to support it. Yes they will eat each other fry but peacocks and Snakes grow twice as fast therefore outcompeting Largemouth bass? When was the last time you saw schooling shad in the canals in Broward? I do not remember the year but it was shortly after I caught my first Peacock bass. Why do think California, Georgia, NC, and TX have such huge bass on a regular basis? The lakes are stocked with trout!!!

If FWC wants to do something to get South Florida back in the game they should be releasing forage fish back into system in mass quantities and I guarantee we will start seeing massive bass pulled out of South Florida once again making South Florida the #1 place in the country to catch a bass over ten pounds again.

[salmicropterus]

You make a lot of good points and your idea in the last paragraph is a definite yes!. I guess I just don't see the peacocks in the same category of threat as the snakes and I think FWC has a good handle on the balancing act that peacocks represent (eating forage vs eating other invasives) Definitely agree that the P's should never have been transported north-that was a serious violation of the regs related to the P's.

Anyway, it's a please to have a thoughtful conversation with a fellow South Florida angler, even if we may not agree 100%-that's the reason this forum is my only forum

[evrgladesbasser]

Is there any science or data to support your contentions about Peacock Bass and Snakeheads? I can see where you are coming from on the Snakeheads and FWC's response on them is pretty much "they're here, let's try and limit the spread (usually futile) but with the eco-system so diverse and with so many same- tier predators, they are not a threat and besides there is nothing that can be done anyway to single out the species" With the Peacocks, they were specifically introduced by FWC to predate on dumped invasive fish usually introduced by an aquarium and they would contend that this one of the most successful targeted interventions in fish management history. Are you aware of a scientifically based study to the contrary?

Yes the Snakeheads are here but we can slow down the spread, if we can keep the main breeding population in the canal system they are in I would consider this a success for the recreational fishing community. If we do not try to control it now by keeping the population small and contained they will find their way into the glades and since that canal system in all connected they will eventually get to the Lake since they can tolerate colder temperatures and I do not think anyone wants that to happen.

Yes I know Peacocks were introduced by FWC but they were only introduced to certain bodies of water in Dade County where they could not spread throughout South Florida. They spread with a little help from anglers catching in Dade and releasing them in our canal systems in Broward because they are fun to catch and they did not want to drive to Miami :,Which is the problem FWC is fearing with Snakeheads, they have explosive strikes and are easy to catch, very similar to a Peacock bass. For example I was fishing the other day and bumped into a guy I thought was fishing for catfish and he saw the snakehead in the bucket I was carrying with me and asked me what I was doing with it, told him that we are not supposed to release them because they are a invasive species. The guy responded and said that is not true FWC does not say to kill them, which is true but they do recommend that you do not release them. Long story short the guy was not happy with me keeping the fish because that was his recreational fish he likes to catch and release. I see a problem with that I hope you do as well.

We as responsible anglers concerned about out fishery should not be promoting the catch and release of any invasive species, if you have a problem killing a fish I think you should find another sport because not every fish you catch will survive the stress of being caught anyway.

I do not have any scientific data to back this up, but I do have 30 years of fishing South Florida waters. It has been about 10 years since I have caught a bass over ten pounds south of the lake, and rarely do you here about it anymore why do you think that is? We do not have enough forage fish in our waters to support it. Yes they will eat each other fry but peacocks and Snakes grow twice as fast therefore outcompeting Largemouth bass? When was the last time you saw schooling shad in the canals in Broward? I do not remember the year but it was shortly after I caught my first Peacock bass. Why do think California, Georgia, NC, and TX have such huge bass on a regular basis? The lakes are stocked with trout!!!

If FWC wants to do something to get South Florida back in the game they should be releasing forage fish back into system in mass quantities and I guarantee we will start seeing massive bass pulled out of South Florida once again making South Florida the #1 place in the country to catch a bass over ten pounds again.

Well said.....

I tend to agree with you on this issue. South Florida has really lost it's big fish appeal

[Catching]

Read  most of the Plan tonight while pouring baits this evening, there is a lot waste of our money in this plan.

Habitat Restoration, are you kidding me bass will adapt, I can not tell you how many fish I have caught off shopping carts, bicycles, sunken cars, cinder blocks, pavers, dumped concrete, etc., etc. Structure is structure and bass will take advantage of it no matter what it is.

Vegetation Control is another big loser, my god learn how to fish thick cover. One of my lunch time holes was sprayed this week and the fish were nowhere to be found. It was sad looked the banks were sprayed with RoundUp and the canal only had grass on the edges, what a waste of money and destroyed habitat for grass shrimp, crawdads, and minnows (forage food for juvenile bass).

There are more ideas that just do not make sense but I will submit them to FWC  but these stood out and I need to get up at 4:30am to go fishing.

Have a great weekend everybody

Dan