300,000 Florida largemouth bass being stocked in Kentucky Lake
Mike Organ
About 300,000 Florida largemouth bass are being stocked this week in Kentucky Lake.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency partnered with a private group led by Charlie Ingram to start stocking the fish on Tuesday.
The stocking is taking place in nine embayments in Henry and Benton counties and is scheduled to be complete Thursday.
“This effort complements TWRA’s ongoing bass stocking efforts by stocking more locations thus increasing the likelihood of Florida bass spawning with the native bass population,” said TWRA fisheries biologist Michael Clark.
Since 2015 the TWRA has stocked nearly 900,000 Florida strain bass in Harmon, Blue, and Eagle creeks, and evaluations of those stockings are ongoing.
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Approximately 150,000 Florida largemouth bass were stocked in Kentucky Lake earlier this month, including 15,000 into the Beech River embayment.
The Florida strain bass currently being stocked came from the American Sport Fish Hatchery in Alabama.
The embayments being stocked include Big Sandy, Bennetts Creek, Lick Creek, Bass Bay (Little Crooked Creek), Sulphur Creek, Beaverdam Creek, Cypress Creek and Birdsong Creek.
The TWRA hopes to increase the presence of Florida genes in the population to produce larger bass.
The stocking of additional bass in Kentucky Lake is not expected to increase bass population abundance due to natural limitations. The success of the project relies on the creation of hybrids when the Florida and native strains spawn.
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“Hybrid bass have demonstrated greater growth potential than native bass in Chickamauga Lake and the TWRA is hoping for similar success in Kentucky Lake," TWRA chief of fisheries Frank Fiss said. "Chickamauga Lake produced a state record largemouth bass (15 pounds, 3 ounces), which was a first generation hybrid bass.”
The TWRA will evaluate the genetic status of the largemouth bass population over time to track project progress which will impact future stocking decisions.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.