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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.



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



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).



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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