Fishing News - 1/19/01

        From BASS

BASSMASTER Tournament Record A Tribute To 

Florida's Conservation Efforts

 

KISSIMMEE, Fla.- (January 21, 2001) "In 34 years of conducting professional fishing tournaments, no one at the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society has ever seen anything like this," said B.A.S.S. National Tournament Director Dewey Kendrick.

Kendrick is referring to the mammoth catch recorded by Arizona's Dean Rojas at this weekend's Florida BASSMASTER Top 150 on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee.

Over the course of the four day event Rojas brought in an amazing 108 pounds, 12 ounces of bass, shattering the organizations previous high mark of 91 pounds, 3 ounces, for a four-day event by over 17 1/2 pounds. In fact, Rojas claimed the record after only 3 days of competition.  "I spent 20 years on Lake Toho," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Director of Freshwater Fisheries Ed Moyer, "I've never seen anything like this before. This is a tribute to lake management practices over the last decade and is a great example of our management practices."

After an amazing day 1 total of 45-2, also a B.A.S.S. record for a single day catch, the stage was set for Rojas' amazing feat.

"When I was a kid, I saw stringers of big bass in old photos at fishing camps in the area," said Osceola County Commissioner Chuck Dunnick. "This week I saw fish like I saw in those photos. What we saw this week is just the tip of the iceberg. The county commission has dedicated money, and for the first time received federal money, to work on the lake during a scheduled drawdown. The lake will truly be a tremendous fishery in three to five years."

"This is a great fishery," said Rojas. "The management practices have definitely made Lake Toho a top fishery in Florida and nationwide.  Practices such as catch and release, which began with B.A.S.S. and its members also help to ensure that this fishery will continue to be great." 

The work that enabled this to take place actually began as far back as 1992 when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) instituted new regulations and policies to return the state's inland fisheries to their previous greatness. One of the first regulations that was instituted by the FWC was a reduction on the daily bag limit from 10 bass of any size to five bass that had to meet a minimum size limit of either 12- or 14-inches depending on the location.

The FWC's practice of simultaneously enhancing water quality, restoring littoral habitat, and replacing noxious weed growth with desirable, productive aquatic plant species has had a tremendous impact on the quality of not only Lake Toho, but also on the other lakes of the Kissimmee chain.

As a result of these actions, anglers can expect many years of quality fishing from Florida's fisheries.

"To a natural resource manager that has followed FWC's efforts for many years," said B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Bruce Shupp, "This is a tribute to a courageous and aggressive restoration project on the Kissimmee system.  The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission should be commended for their efforts."

         B.A.S.S. Web site: http://www.bassmaster.com.

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