240,000

Published 12:00 am Friday, June 13, 2008

Florida bass dumped into Eagle Lake|[06/13/08]

Bass fishing will improve greatly on Eagle Lake in the coming years, said Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks biologist John Skains, following the recent release of 240,000 Florida strain bass into the lake.

Seven lakes statewide were stocked with the bass, with Eagle Lake receiving the lion’s share – about 240,000 juvenile bass measuring 1 to 2 inches in length. Skains said Eagle Lake received more bass than other lakes because reproduction rates are traditionally low in Delta oxbow lakes.

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“There are a few theories why bass in Eagle Lake have problems spawning. We really don’t know the exact cause,” he said.

Some say the murky water and muddy bottoms of oxbow lakes create limited spawning sites, while others claim decades of pesticide runoff into the lakes from area farming communities is to blame. Whatever the cause, stocking is done to maintain the bass fisheries at many lakes throughout the state, especially in the Delta.

“It really keeps the lakes’ ecosystems healthy,” Skains said. “Anglers should see big increases in bass-catching in the coming years.”

About 100,000 bass were stocked into Eagle Lake last year, said Skains, but the lake had not received any before about six years ago. About 50,000 crappie also were stocked in Eagle Lake earlier this year.

The bass came from MDWFP hatcheries at Lake Edin, and Skains said about 40 percent of those put in Eagle Lake are expected to survive into adulthood.

“They seem to grow faster in Eagle Lake than in any other lake in the state. It’s just such a healthy, productive environment,” he said. “By next year, the bass we stocked last year will be knocking on the door of 3 pounds.”

The Ross Barnett Reservoirr was stocked with roughly 150,000 bass, while Oktibbeha County Lake received 25,000, Lake Boga Homa got 53,000 and Geiger Lake, 8,000. Three additional stockings are planned later this summer.

Hunter education classes

set to begin July 14-16

Hunter education courses will be offered three times this year, beginning July 14-16 at the Hinds Community College Vicksburg Campus.

Lonnie Friar will be instructor of the courses, which will take place from 6 until 9 nightly.

Attendance at all three classes is required, as is a valid Social Security number. People born on or after Jan. 1, 1972, must have a Hunter Education Card to purchase a hunting license.

To register call 601-636-8883.

Additional courses will take place Sept. 15-18 and Oct. 13-15. Courses are offered free by the Mississippi Volunteer Instructors and the MDWFP.

Registration open for Arkansas Big Bass event

Registration is open for the Arkansas Big Bass Bonanza on the Arkansas River, the country’s largest amateur big bass tournament, set to take place June 27-29.

Anglers may register online at www.arkansasbigbass.com for the three-day tournament spanning 300 miles of the river from Fort Smith to Dumas – the entire length of the river within Arkansas borders.

Fees are $90 per day, and participants can fish one to three days. The biggest fish hauled in during the tournament will bring home a $100,000 prize.

The tournament begins at 6 a.m. daily, with the first hourly weigh-in to begin at 8 a.m. and the last at 1 p.m.

Cash prizes will be awarded for the biggest fish in each pool, each hour.

More information and tournament rules are available online.

Sportsmen urged to renew licenses before end of June

The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is urging people with an all game-hunting and fishing Sportsman License to renew it before the June 30 expiration date that’s stamped on many licenses.

All hunters ages 16 to 64 are required to have valid licenses. People born on or after Jan. 1, 1972, also must have a valid Hunter Education Card to purchase a hunting license.

The Sportsman License costs $32 and can be purchased at more than 500 retail outlets statewide, online at www.mdwfp.com or by calling 1-800-5GO-HUNT.

A wildlife management permit can be added to the Sportsman License for $15, allowing access to the state’s 46 wildlife management areas. A saltwater fishing license and state waterfowl stamp also may be purchased for additional fees.

The Sportsman License is valid for one year from the date of purchase. It is the only annual license that comes in a collectible hard card form, with a new edition released each June. This year’s card features a photograph of a mature whitetail deer by noted Mississippi photographer Joe Mac Hudspeth.

The next hunting season to open this year will be dove season, which opens Labor Day weekend.