Florida Strain Bass

[Topwater2004]

Does anyone know if you can buy Florida Strain Bass and put them in lakes in Indiana, if they will actually get bigger than normal Indiana bass?

I know it has really worked well in Texas on Lake Fork and others, but I would like some research if it has ever been tried in Indiana.

Trying to build a new lake this year, and we want to really stock it up well. We have 4 small ponds that drain into each other in like a stair step series of ponds. The plan is to dam up the last one and back them all up together, and the pond should end up being about 9 acres.

The ponds have bass and bluegill in them, but I have never caught a bass in any of them over 4lbs. I believe they are genetically inferior since they have been left alone for over 50 years in these ponds.

I would be willing to buy and ship Florida strain bass in, if I had some good information that it would work.

Any help on the subject would be appreciated.

topwater

[lov2fish]

Call the Biologist for your area. The IDNR is usualy very helpfull when building your own lake. I highly doubt you have an inferior strain as much as it is the bass has grown to his maximum potential giving the size of the area alloted. I know alot of other factors will come into play such as, forage, selective harvest,water quality, etc.etc. The answer could be limitless. I will bet though the IDNR would be happy to give you assessment of your lake.



Ray Rigby

[Team9nine]

Don't waste your money. Numerous studies have been done and the questionable point in the US seems to be the 37th parallel (Mid-TN to OK). North of this line would be highly unlikely to be beneficial. They are genetically suited to warmer climates, and the only chance of anything meaningful would require a heated water system like a Power plant lake. If water temps get below 40 degrees, you're basically toast.

Feel free to check with the DNR as posted already, but I'm guessing you'll get the same or a similar answer.

-T9

[Moose1am]

Check with the State Fishery Biologist and I think you will get the same inforamtion that Team9 just gave to you.

Those Florida Bass have Genes that were selected for a Florida type lake environment. Natural selection at work here.

Even with the right Genetic material the colder water will slow the bass's growth rates significantly.

This is a good topic for discussion and lots of new research for all the State Fishery Depts.

I often wonder if we are taking the best genetic material out of our waters when we take trophy fish out of the lakes. I think that the main reason why the Genetic Material is not being depleted is due to the fact that most big fish have already spawned a few times and pass on the good genes before they are caught. So therefore the good genetic material is not being depleted. And with catch and release and size limits we have protected our good fish.




Regards,

Moose1am

[Topwater2004]

Well, I did some more research and found the only the first spawn will produce larger fish. This first spawn is called F1.

Then progressively, the other bass in the lake will begin to dominate the gene pool and all the bass will be the same size again.

I am just going to start moving some of the bigger fish I catch from other waters into there. That should break the in-bred school that is in there now. It will just take a long time, and I was wanting to do a general stocking.

Thanks for all the responses, when we get the lake built, I will invite you guys to come and fish it. With the research we are putting into it, we are trying to produce the best bass pond in Indiana. One that would qualify to be used to produce a Bill Dance episode when he is selling a new lure with his name on it.

[Topwater2004]

Thanks Ray, I have spoken the the IDNR a couple of times regarding the pond management. They have been helpful.

Mostly, the DNR has told me to stock only 3 fish per pond. The more fish the more it could get out of control. They recommend bluegill, bass, and channel cat only for small ponds.

All the ponds already were stocked back when they re-claimed the mine field, so we are working from an established fishery in each pond, with its own problems in each one.

Two problems I am particularly dealing with, are lots of small bass in many ponds. One pond that has a lunker bass fishery, it has many small bluegill. I stocked magnum gills from another pond in it, but the bluegill are still relatively small.

Anyway, it is very interesting to work with. We were just thinking of some new ideas that would make this new pond a big trophy bass type of pond. The cover is already going to be condusive for this, so we may not need to do anything but let a few good spawns take care of it.

Thanks,
topwater

[jlaw29]

Here is my question: If the temperture has that much effect on these Florida strain bass growing larger in northern states, I wonder if they would produce larger bass in a power plant heated lake like Turtle Creek or the the one in southern Illinois? The water temperatures there never get below 55 degrees in most of the lake.

[Topwater2004]

They probably would produce a bigger fish, if you could start from scratch with the initial stocking.

What I found last night on a website basically said, the existing bass will eventually dominate the gene pool since they are the overwhelming majority of brood stock.

I thought possibly if you could stock enough that the Florida strain was the most numerous it would make a difference.

I might still try in a small pond to stock some. You never know, it might produce enough big fish to make it interesting.

[jimmy701]

I dont have a pond but I think the main thing you need to do is keep the bluegill in check.I have read that to many bluegill will stunt the bass size.I SEEN ON A SHOW WHERE THEY WERE FISHING JUST FOR SMALLER BASS TO TAKE OUT OF A POnD BECAUSE THERE WERE TO MANY OF them.depth,size,and amount of fish in the pond need to be taken in consideration.I have looked up some things on the net about building and maintaining a pond(wishfull thinking)and there are some good articles there.maybe a start for you.If you have the money I would go with a pond management company.

[idbefishing]

Too many bluegill can't stunt bass growth because bluegill is the food source not the food competitor with bass. Too many bass in a pond will definetely stunt their growth. You don't want Florida anyway because 1: they don't grow big in Indiana, 2: they're hard to catch, much harder then the northern strain. What you will want is a mix northern breed called Tiger Bass, or a hybrid of a Florida strain and Tiger called Gorilla Bass. There was an article on this hybrid in bassmaster mag. last year. These fishes are supposed to growth faster then normal northern strain and as aggressive as a smallmouth. Ray Scott, I know how much we're all hate him right now, but he has a good video series called Great Small Water. Here is some info on the super bass. http://www.strikeking.com/journal/00022/1.php

[BigDust]

You may want to look into the following website:

http://www.nighthawkpublications.com...urnal166-1.htm

I find it very interesting.

[meathead]

Stock normal northern strain largemouth bass from a local hatchery and keep a good balance of prey. Local fish are designed to grow best around here. A 14 pounder as the state record, that's pretty darn good! Plenty of forage and limited numbers of bass will equal big fat happy toads!