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Florida Fish Busters’ Bulletin
December 2009
Florida FWC is looking for input on a draft black bass management
plan
Bob Wattendorf
Even though black bass are the most popular recreational fish in the
United States, you might not even know what one is. Florida is considered to
be the Garden of Eden for these fiesty sport fish. In the Sunshine State, black
bass include Florida largemouth, shoal, spotted and Suwannee basses.
Scientists specializing in fish species (ichthyologists) will tell you they aren’t
real bass at all, but rather members of the sunfish family that include
crappie and bluegill. But anglers who have tussled with a Florida
largemouth bass will insist they are the “reel” basses.
In Florida, black bass annually
provide more than 800,000 anglers
with nearly 15 million days of
healthy outdoor recreation and
generate substantially more than a
billion dollars in economic impact for
Florida. So although the FWC and
its predecessor agencies have always
zealously managed these fish to
Sgt. Boardman, who served in the US Army in Irag, looks
orward to returning to Florida to catch another quality
bass like this one. The FWC Long-term Black Bass
Management Plan for Florida seeks to ensure that’s
ossible for generations of anglers to come.
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ensure their survival and sustainable use, it is now time to pull together all
the loosely connected pieces into one cohesive management plan.
Darrell Scovell, Director of the Division of Freshwater Fisheries
Management, decided to announce the framework for such a plan at the first
public meeting of the rapidly evolving Florida Freshwater Fishing Coalition
(FLFFC.org), on Oct. 26 in Orlando. The FWC's Black Bass Management
Plan will ultimately provide the blueprint to ensure Florida's recognition as
"The Bass Capital of the World," according to Scovell. The meeting drew
representatives from 17 fishery-dependent type organizations, businesses, and groups
who actively participated in the discussion and commended the FWC for their outreach
effort.
Tom Champeau, a FWC fisheries administrator, introduced the
concept at the meeting. He emphasized that the prominence of our bass
fisheries cannot be taken for granted. Participation in freshwater fishing has
been affected by societal changes related to urbanization and changing
demographics. Freshwater fishing license sales have shown an overall
decline since the 1980s, although sales have stabilized over the past 10 years.
Development of land and water resources to support our current and
projected population growth threatens lake, river, and associated wetland
habitats. The uncertain impacts of climate change on freshwater habitats
and bass fishing require investigation and adaptive management. To protect
our valuable bass fisheries, the FWC plans to engage more stakeholders
through a 14-month process to develop a long-term (2010-2030) management
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plan for Florida bass species. This plan will provide strategies and programs
to manage for high quality fisheries and increase opportunities for anglers to
pursue trophy Florida bass.
Todd Kersey, CEO of the
FLFFC, said "The FLFFC is ecstatic
about being involved at the grass roots
level in discussing Florida's black bass
management. The enthusiasm of the
participants shows how important this is
and the desire to see all aspects of
management from aquatic vegetation
control, to habitat enhancement and stocking, to regulation management and enforcement
included in the plan."
Todd Kersey, CEO of the FLFFC, welcomes the group to
the discussion about the FWC Black Bass Management
Plan.
That is just what the FWC
biologists wanted to hear, not only from
the FLFFC but from all of the nearly 1
million anglers that enjoy fishing in
Florida for black bass. The plan will
include all those aspects and more—but
the final product depends on good solid
science, knowledge of local fisheries
including the constraints and
opportunities, and what you the public want your fisheries resources to be. From creating
Glen Lau, underwater cinematographer and creator of the"Bigmouth" video series shares his expertise and ideas
about black bass management (Note: his DVDs are on sale
at Shop.WildlifeFlorida.organd profits support the Florida
Bass Conservation Center, a vital part of this plan).
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relaxing, low-pressure aesthetic fisheries where natural scenery is the major draw, to fast-
action schooling bass in the small to average size range, to limited-entry trophy bass
fisheries, the FWC biologists are willing to work with local communities to design a
management plan that, with adequate funding and public support, can provide the
sustainable fishing opportunities that you want.
To see a draft of the plan and the PowerPoint presentation given at the FLFFC
meeting visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and select Black Bass Management Plan proposal.
You’ll also have the opportunity to fill out a survey to provide the FWC with more
information about what you think is important to having quality bass fishing in Florida.
Instant licenses are available at MyFWC.com/License or by calling 888-FISH-FLORIDA
(347-4356). Report violators by calling *FWC or #FWC on your cell phone, or 888-404-3922.
Visit http://www.myfwc.com/Fishing/for more Fish Busters’ columns.
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