# Restocking Report – Freshwater Fly 1/11/09



## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

This morning I had a small window of opportunity to get out and target a few more largemouths.







So, with one hour and twenty minutes before my noon deadline, I pulled up to my spot and frowned as I watched gusts of wind churn the surface into nearly opaque slop. This would not be ideal conditions for throwing a fly or sight fishing.









After watching the water for several minutes, I discovered that the far shore provided a reasonable windbreak.







So with gear in hand I made the long trek around the end of the pond until I was able to find a few patches of calmer water







, and once I was able to make out the bottom, I easily identified several white, sandy bass beds and the big, dark females hovering above them.







God, this was sight-fishing at its best!









As with every visit I’ve made to this particular body of water, it took a few tries to figure out what the bass wanted…six tries to be exact, and my newly replaced 24” tippet rapidly became 13” before I even got my first strike.







However, even though I was after the larger females, the smaller males were the aggressors today and never even gave me a chance at the lunkers.







Every time I’d find a bed with a large fish, she would slowly swim off when I began casting near her.







Then the males would charge in and pounce on the fly, as I slowly worked it through the clear sand.

























Eventually, I ran out of time and had to settle for about a dozen one to one in a half pound bass.







I careful chose three of the more “gently hooked” males to take a ride in my recently acquired portable livewell, which was donated to the restocking cause by my friend Bob.







The fish were soon released into their new home, where I couldn’t help but notice a brand new white sand patch, which was possibly due to the addition of the large females I’d released there last week.

































I have to say, I love the ease and convenience of freshwater pond hopping. I can run out for these short excursions, without having to spend forty minutes on each end of the trip prepping, launching, landing then cleaning the boat. It sure has increased my “wet line” time these past few months.


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## Flyline (Mar 3, 2008)

nice report! I like your hat........Bhass in the cooler just wrong! ;D


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## tom_in_orl (Dec 9, 2006)

When did you get sponsored by Cabelas? jk


That pattern where the males strike first and female is less aggressive seems uninterested is pretty common. Mother nature at work.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

Just to be a pain in the a**
the males dig the spawning bed and defend it.

http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache:9iXi_B1EnioJ:www.floridaconservation.org/whatsnew/featuredcreature/Bass/News_FCBassAreAmazingFish.doc+largemouth+bass+spawning+bed&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

Great report!

Good to hear that they're making the beds already. I'm going to have to hit up the local park soon. Last year I went to the natural lakes in there, and there were big bass everywhere on beds. Would be great on fly. I just make sure to only get one from each bed. And even then, there were big bass everywhere even not on beds just cruising in schools.


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

> nice report! I like your hat........Bhass in the cooler just wrong! ;D


Thanks Blake! Picked up the hat at Cabelas in Mo, when I was there for work last year.  I'd agree about the cooler, but doing the "wrong" thing for the right reasons can sometimes be a good thing. 



> When did you get sponsored by Cabelas? jk
> That pattern where the males strike first and female is less aggressive seems uninterested is pretty common. Mother nature at work.


That'd be a bad investment by Cabelas! ;D Although I would have liked another female or two, I want to be careful about not taking too many from this lake either. So, mother nature's plan may have been the better one. 



> Just to be a pain in the a**


You said it. : Anyway, I changed the verbiage slightly to suit your point.



> Great report!
> 
> Good to hear that they're making the beds already. I'm going to have to hit up the local park soon. Last year I went to the natural lakes in there, and there were big bass everywhere on beds. Would be great on fly. I just make sure to only get one from each bed. And even then, there were big bass everywhere even not on beds just cruising in schools.


Thanks man!  I saw you've got a fly rod report up in the other section, so I'll go check it out there shortly.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

The instinctive defense of the spawning bed,
makes those male bass produce such agressive strikes.


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2009)

Not trying to start anything, but I imagine that it's illegal to transport bass from one body of water to another, and especially fish under the 14 in size limit. Look out for FWC as they will give you a hefty fine if the see you. 
On another note, glad to see you getting them with flies, they are a hoot!


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

> Not trying to start anything, but I imagine that it's illegal to transport bass from one body of water to another, and especially fish under the 14 in size limit. Look out for FWC as they will give you a hefty fine if the see you.
> On another note, glad to see you getting them with flies, they are a hoot!


 ;D I know you're just looking out for me.  But, there are plenty of exceptions to that size limit, so I could very well have been in one of those areas. You never know...
Plus, if you read the regs it says it's illegal to transport more than two days bag limit without a commercial license. So, transporting ten or less would be fine. ;D

At any rate, thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind going forward.


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2009)

Roger that, and have fun!


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## BigSak (Jul 30, 2007)

just wondering if you were taking fish from private to private, public to private, or public to public waters.  Could make a bit of a difference if you get stopped.


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## Un-shore (Sep 27, 2007)

At this point I would advise you to invoke your 5th ammendment right!


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## Gramps (Nov 1, 2007)

> At this point I would advise you to invoke your 5th ammendment right!



Huh, must be deerfly's hog I smell! ;D Ah I'm kidding!


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

Not gonna discuss it anymore. It's old news. But it amazes me that this report about releasing fish generated twice the replies as the report about people keeping and eating them. :


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## OZELLOrocksMYskiff (Feb 26, 2008)

Okay "Hamster 3" a.k.a. Jeff I have set at the way-side long enough, and am involving FWC. I know of some officers that will be very enthusiastic about your stocking program, they will be in touch shortly. I have also contacted your home owners association they will be involved as well. As for the stocking good-luck and make sure the water temp. is the same.


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

Ok boys...in order to put this non-issue to bed, once and for all, I contacted FWC myself.

Here's my question....
_Can freshwater gamefish such as largemouth bass be relocated to a different body of water, provided that all size and daily bag limits are adhered to? For example, relocation of less than 5 bass per day, provided they are within regional size restrictions._

Here's the response...
_Response (OED - NERO- AJ) 01/21/2009 09:40 AM 
Thank you for contacting the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). It is not illegal to relocate fish from one body of water to another while staying within the size and bag limit, although our biologists do not recommend it for many reasons. Below is some information on the subject.
It would depend on the bass population present in the particular system. Most lakes and streams in Florida would not be stocked with largemouth bass because those bodies of water have abundant, diverse, and high quality vegetative habitat and the good growing conditions necessary for fish. Lakes with little aquatic vegetative habitat and poor recruitment of young bass to the fishery (i.e., not many young bass make it into the fishery) may be potential candidates for stocking. FWC biologists are currently working on criteria for stocking certain water bodies. 
The fish must be healthy, and the water quality must be acceptable. Suitable water quality includes good dissolved oxygen levels and cool temperatures. If the stocking program is to be successful, the stocked fish must be able to survive and enter the fishery. To help increase the success of any stocking program, biologists must consider many factors, including food availability, timing of stocking, and number and size of fish to be stocked._

There you have it. No more speculation necessary. It is legal.  And I'm kind of glad this happened, because even though I read the regulations and was fairly confident that I'd interpreted them correctly, you never know for sure until tested.


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

And the HaMm3r comes down, case closed. Next?


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## OZELLOrocksMYskiff (Feb 26, 2008)

What??? Nothing about me calling you Hamster3???? Awww..........


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## Guest (Jan 21, 2009)

Ok, I'll weigh in.. were those bass the 14in minimum size limit? Or are you in the area with the smaller size limit?
As far as keeping fish to eat, if you have a fishing license, keep your legal limit if you want to eat them, that's your right and I don't have a problem with it.
And toss some bluegills in the mix for forage too!


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## aaronshore (Aug 24, 2007)

> Ok, I'll weigh in.. were those bass the 14in minimum size limit? Or are you in the area with the smaller size limit?
> As far as keeping fish to eat, if you have a fishing license, keep your legal limit if you want to eat them, that's your right and I don't have a problem with it.
> And toss some bluegills in the mix for forage too!


Why does he have to have a license? He wasnt in a boat. Are the laws for freshwater different?


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## Brett (Jul 16, 2008)

http://floridafisheries.com/license.html#freshwater

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0372/SEC57.HTM&Title=->2001->Ch0372->Section%2057#0372.57


Generally speaking, if you use a rod and reel to fish freshwater,
and you are 16 years old or older, and under 65 years old,
you need a freshwater fishing license.


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## HaMm3r (Dec 11, 2006)

> Ok, I'll weigh in.. were those bass the 14in minimum size limit? Or are you in the area with the smaller size limit?
> As far as keeping fish to eat, if you have a fishing license, keep your legal limit if you want to eat them, that's your right and I don't have a problem with it.
> And toss some bluegills in the mix for forage too!


If you look back at my report, you'll see I mentioned that the fish were between 1 and 1.5 pounds. Plug those numbers into any fish weight calculator and see what they measure. You'll find that no matter where I was, I caught fish of legal size for that region. I assure you, the legal ones were the ones that took a ride. 



> Why does he have to have a license? He wasnt in a boat. Are the laws for freshwater different?


Actually, you do Aaron. Freshwater is different than salt, and actually, my freshwater license expires in a couple of months, so I'll probably do the 5 year card this time.



> http://floridafisheries.com/license.html#freshwater
> http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0372/SEC57.HTM&Title=->2001->Ch0372->Section%2057#0372.57
> Generally speaking, if you use a rod and reel to fish freshwater,
> and you are 16 years old or older, and under 65 years old,
> you need a freshwater fishing license.


You got it, man. 

Boy, FWC should pay me to post more controversial reports as a teaching tool. Just look at all the obscure details of the law we're learning here.


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## aaronshore (Aug 24, 2007)

Good to know. I thought you didnt have to have a license unless you were fishing from a boat or have to use a boat to get there.


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