One way to ring in 2014 might be to go fishing on New Year’s Day at Beaver Lake, catch a mess of spotted bass and celebrate with a fish fry. It may be easier to do this Jan. 1 than any in the past.
That’s because the 12-inch length limit on spotted bass at Beaver Lake is going away. Starting Jan. 1, anglers may keep spotted bass of any size up to a daily limit of six. The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission voted earlier this year to remove the length limit on spotted bass at Beaver Lake.
It’s a move Ron Moore and Jon Stein, Game & Fish fisheries biologists, have contemplated for years. They’ve monitored the spotted bass population to make sure ending the 12-inch length limit is what’s best for Beaver. Electrofishing studies over the years indicate spotted bass are overpopulated in the lake, Moore said. They’re slow-growing and compete with more desirable largemouth bass for food.
Spotted bass are one of the three black bass species. Largemouth bass and smallmouth bass are the other two. A 15-inch length limit on largemouth and smallmouth bass remains in effect.
“We’ve watched the population of spotted bass for years, and their growth rate is slowing down more and more. They grow slower here than spotted bass at Greers Ferry Lake, Table Rock or Bull Shoals,” Moore said.
Catch-and-release has its place, Moore said, but in the case of spotted bass at Beaver, keeping fish is the right thing for the lake. Fishermen are the key to thinning the population of spotted bass, which are sometimes called Kentucky bass. Anglers are encouraged to keep their catch.
“If too few people keep spotted bass, removing the length limit isn’t going to work,” he said.
The biologists will continue to monitor the spotted bass population. They should know in three years if the length-limit removal is working, Moore said.
LARGEMOUTHS IMPACTED
High density isn’t detrimental only to the spotted bass. It has a negative effect on largemouth bass. Too many spotted bass in Beaver compete for food with the largemouths, Moore said. Largemouths grow bigger than spotted bass, and most anglers prefer a healthy population of largemouths over spotted bass.
Young spotted bass spend theirtime prowling close to shore for food. Small sunfish are their primary forage. These young spotted bass often don’t get enough to eat, Moore said.
Once spotted bass get bigger, they start to feed in open water on more plentiful threadfin shad. Their growth rate improves, Moore said.
Keeping spotted bass will benefit the fishing at Beaver Lake. In addition, catch-and-keep presents an opportunity for anglers to enjoy a good fish dinner and stock theirfreezers with spotted bass fillets. Spotted bass are fairly easy to catch, Moore said, especially the smaller ones that are close to shore. He hopes anglers will make sure their spotted bass take a last swim in hot oil.
GREAT ON A PLATE
Bob Ross of Rogers is one of a legion of Beaver Lake anglers who like to keep and eat fish. Ross and his wife, Cathy, bake most of their catch. Bob said spotted bass are fine eating. He looks forward to the lifting of the length limit on New Year’s Day.
“From what I understand about it, we’re overloadedwith Kentuckies,” Ross said. He hopes Game & Fish will take the next step and remove the daily limit so anglers may keep all the spotted bass they care to clean. The combined six-fi sh daily limit on black bass remains in effect at Beaver Lake for 2014.
A few years ago, Oklahoma removed length limits and the daily limit on spotted bass at most of its lakes. Anglers there can keep all the spotted bass they want regardless of length.
Ross also applauds the no-length-limit so anglers can keep injured spotted bass of any size.
“If you gill-hooked an 11-inch fish (spotted bass) and it’s bleeding all over the place, you know it’s going todie, but you had to throw it back anyway. You might as well put him in the freezer.”
Starting New Year’s Day, anglers at Beaver Lake may do so.
TOURNAMENTS DIFFERENT
Lifting the spotted bass length limit at Beaver got bass tournament directors scratching their heads. Should they allow contestants to weigh any spotted bass or keep the 12-inch length limit for their tournaments?
Most seem to favor keeping the 12-inch length limit on spotted bass.
The 12-inch length limit will be in effect for the Polar Bear Bass Tournament onNew Year’s Day, said Jeff Cook, tournament director.
Chad Johnson, who runs the Beaver Lake Competitive Series, said that circuit will observe a 12-inch length limit.
The Walmart FLW Tour will enforce a 12-inch length limit on spotted bass when the tour visits Beaver Lake in April 2014, said Chad Gay, FLW spokesman.
“It wouldn’t look good on TV to have people weighing in 6-inch fish,” he said.
For the everyday angler at Beaver Lake, it’s a free-forall on spotted bass starting Wednesday. Go ahead. Catch and keep six spotted bass every day of the year if your mood and skills allow. Good eating awaits, and biologists say, Beaver Lake will benefit.
Outdoor, Pages 6 on 12/26/2013