For decades, the state of Florida has been recognized as the place to go to catch a big largemouth bass. Last fall, on Oct. 1, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) started TrophyCatch, a program to recognize the biggest bass caught by anglers and encourage them to let their trophy bass swim to fight another day.
Already the program is paying great dividends.
Bob Williams of Alloway, N.J. was fishing on Rodman Reservoir Feb. 18 with guide Sean Rush of Trophy Bass Expeditions when he landed a 13-pound, 14-ounce largemouth. Rush picked up his phone, contacted the FWC and a short time later freshwater fisheries staff were on the scene documenting his catch and then releasing his fish.
Rush will get more than $1,000 in rewards for catching and releasing a fish weighing over 13 pounds.
Since TrophyCatch was rolled out, 31 Lunker Club bass weighing 8 to 9.9 pounds and 24 Trophy Club bass between 10 and 12.9 pounds have been verified and released. Those fish can be viewed at TrophyCatchFlorida.com.
Bass weighing 13 pounds or more are Hall of Fame fish. Williams is the first angler to go through the process. His 13.88-pound female was weighed on certified scales, measured at 27 inches long and having a 20-inch girth, and was released near where she was caught. Biologists also clipped a small piece of a fin to look at genetic features of the fish.
Williams, and all anglers who successfully enter a Hall of Fame fish in TrophyCatch, will receive a free fiberglass replica of their bass from New Wave Taxidermy, a custom ProLine rod and US Reel baitcaster, gift cards from Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Rapala Lures, fishing apparel from Bass King Clothing and a DVD of Glen Lau’s “Bigmouth” videos.
Williams and any other angler who catches and records a Hall of Fame largemouth will be recognized at a banquet and memorialized at the Florida Bass Conservation Center in Sumter County.
Just days after Williams’ catch, Tom Champeau, the FWC’s director of Freshwater Fisheries Management; Bass Pro Shops founder and owner, Johnny Morris; and NASCAR champion driver Tony Stewart were fishing near the Three Forks Marsh Conservation Area off the St. Johns River with guide Capt. Mike Tipton when something really memorable happened.
The threesome landed and released 36 bass but Champeau caught a female bass weighing 11 pounds, 8 ounces. His catch was submitted to the TrophyCatch website but because he is an FWC employee, he is not eligible for any rewards, other than a certificate recognizing his catch.
TrophyCatch is a three-tiered conservation program set up to encourage anglers to report and release their fish weighing 8 pounds or more.
Bass in the Lunker Club (8 to 9.9 pounds) or Trophy Club (10 to 12.9 pounds) categories caught in Florida waters simply have to be photographed on a scale with the weight visible and on a tape, showing the length. The documentation can be reported online at TrophyCatchFlorida.com any time of the year.
Bass heavier than 13 pounds caught between Oct. 1 and April 30 must be reported immediately through TrophyCatch for weight verification and release.
The FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management has received positive feedback for its innovative program to encourage bass conservation from not only Florida anglers but also bass fishermen and bass pros nationwide.
