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Arizona: Roosevelt Lake fishery could receive monster boost....

1K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  rvinson 
#1 ·
I saw this info. posted by a friend on FB.. figured i would share it here...


I personally LOVE Roosevelt Lake... it's where I got my 1st 5lb LMB.. night fishing a full moon casting a spinnerbait up shallow! I have so many good memories of fishing/camping at that lake with my family... Even spent 1 easter there with my grandparents and they hid easter eggs on the beach for me to find...

Anyway on to the info:


Roosevelt Lake fishery could receive monster boost with Florida-strain largemouth bass stockings

http://article.wn.com/view/2014/04/09/Roosevelt_Lake_fishery_could_receive_monster_boost_with_Flor/#


PHOENIX – Anglers who love to fish Roosevelt Lake located in central Arizona’s Tonto National Forest have a future hope for the fishery -- monster bass.

To help boost fishing opportunities at the 13,000-acre lake, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is partnering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) through April to stock up to 500,000 fry of Florida-strain largemouth bass, which have been known to eventually attain sizes up to 20 pounds.

The FWC will be donating the bass fry in cooler-contained sacks via FedEx. The first shipment arrived Tuesday, April 8, at the Arizona Game and Fish Department regional office in Mesa. Department biologists then dumped about 275,000 fry into the lake. There will likely be one to two additional, weekly stockings.

See a department video (includes underwater footage) of Tuesday’s initial stocking.

“We hope that within the next 5-10 years anglers can enjoy higher numbers of trophy bass and memories that come out of Roosevelt Lake,” said AZGFD Fisheries Branch Chief Chris Cantrell. “This effort also should have a positive economic impact on local communities. The state of Texas has had huge success with stocking Florida-strain largemouth bass, and we expect the same.”

The department has not stocked Roosevelt Lake with Florida-strain largemouth bass since the 1980s. Since 2011 surveys, there has been an 80-percent reduction in largemouth bass catch rates. Still, in 2013, Roosevelt Lake was the most fished water in the state.

Florida-strain largemouth bass is the same species as the northern strain that dominates Arizona’s warm-water fisheries. But unlike northern strain, adult Florida strain in the 10- to 15-pound range is relatively common. An additional benefit of the Florida strain is its potential to feed on Roosevelt Lake’s nonnative gizzard shad.

The department expects at least a few thousand Florida strain to survive to adulthood. It will likely take at least two years before the bass grow to a catchable size of 10-12 inches.

A United States Forest Service Tonto Pass is required to fish Roosevelt Lake.

This is a one-time stocking effort. Future stockings of Florida-strain largemouth bass efforts are possible, but would rely on public donations. To contribute to a thriving Roosevelt Lake fishery, visit http://www.azgfd.gov/bassDonations.
 
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