Page 1 of 1

Bigger bass coming soon

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 3:58 am
by WB Staff
Bigger bass coming soon.jpg
The largemouth bass is unquestionably America’s favorite gamefish. Virginians, too, have a love affair with these freshwater fish which leap when hooked and can grow to impressive sizes. In a few years, if things go as planned, there may be even more large bass in Virginia waters.

Here’s the deal.

The Division of Wildlife Resources (previously known as the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries) is experimenting with a strain of largemouth bass called F1. The F1 bass is a cross between a northern strain and a Florida strain largemouth. The fish will not be hybrids, but “intergrades,” because they are not a cross of two different species, but rather two different subspecies.

But why the experiment? Because the first generation of F1 bass have shown the ability to grow quickly and reach larger sizes than either the northern or Florida strain. This means that in about five years, Virginians should begin to see more 5-pound plus bass than before. The idea, therefore, is not to grow more bass, but bigger bass, and every fisherman alive enjoys catching bigger fish.

About 20 years ago, the DWR stocked Florida strain bass in Briery Creek Lake, and some huge bass—16-plus pounds—resulted. But that pure strain died out. If successful, the F1 bass may grow faster and possibly reach even larger sizes than the Florida strain.
Full story: https://dailyprogress.com/community/gre ... 5c411.html