History and Background

Introduction | Reclamation of Phosphate Mining Lands | Fisheries Research and Management

Fisheries Research And Management

The rapid increase in Florida anglers, coupled with improved fishing expertise, has resulted in unprecedented demands on available fish resources. Recent survey results also indicate most largemouth bass anglers desire to catch more quality size fish and they want better opportunities to catch a trophy size bass. To meet these needs, progressive research strategies and management techniques for bass and other sport fishes have become necessary to ensure the future of Florida fishing. It was this type of public pressure that motivated the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to become involved in research that would give the citizens of Florida a sustainable fish resource.

Fishery research at Tenoroc originally focused on restrictive regulations to limit the harvest of largemouth bass and attempted to meet high angler expectations. A wide variety of experimental bass harvest regulations were evaluated including various length limits, reduced bag limits, total catch and release, and time of year restrictions. Fishing quotas were also established for each lake to keep fishing pressure at controlled levels. By rigidly controlling bass harvest, biologists found that bass live longer, and as a result, grew larger. Research also revealed higher catch rates were maintained by releasing bass, which were often recycled and caught again and again by other fishermen. Since many bass fishermen were already practicing "catch and release", this approach to regulating fisheries quickly became popular with Tenoroc anglers.

Research findings revealed that restrictive harvest regulations were extremely beneficial in maintaining better quality bass fisheries and angler success. By comparison, in other controlled lakes with liberal state regulations that allow the best fish to be harvested, bass population and catch rates deteriorated rapidly. Of all the bass regulations evaluated, the no harvest restrictions prove to be the most positive and consistent. Based on this research and the support of Tenoroc fisherman, the current management strategy now relies on total catch and release, or very limited harvests of largemouth bass.

Tenoroc research also determined that black crappie populations were drastically reduced by excessive harvest. Although crappie are much less susceptible to overfishing than largemouth bass, it became necessary to implement special size and bag limits on this fishery. Staff biologist expect crappie fishing success to improve to previous levels. By restricting the number and size of crappie that anglers may take home, the goal is to increase average sizes and extend the lives of these typically cyclic fisheries.

Other fish species at Tenoroc, including bluegill, redear sunfish, white catfish, and yellow and brown bullhead, are much less affected by fishing pressure and require little management. Channel catfish and sunshine bass (a striped bass hybrid), are also stocked periodically in several lakes to provide additional fishing opportunities.

Fishing will always remain a Commission priority at Tenoroc; however, they have moved towards the management aspect of fishery biology and away from basic research. New management direction will also include habitat enhancement efforts and an additional fish stocking of major lakes when appropriate. Plans to improve angler access, including the physically challenged, are currently under way.