On
the evening of April 16, 2007, Gary Guthrie of Jasper, Ala. caught a 10-pound,
4-ounce largemouth bass from the Sipsey Creek arm of Smith Lake. The fish was
weighed on certified scales at the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries
Division District 1 office in Tanner, Ala., and was verified by fisheries
biologist Keith Floyd. The bass measured 26.1 inches in length with a girth of
19 inches.
This was the first bass accepted by the Alabama Department of Conservation and
Natural Resources Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division for lake record
consideration as part of the Alabama Angler Recognition Program. The first goal
of the new program is to help promote fishing by recognizing anglers who catch
large or trophy-sized sport fish from Alabama waters. Secondly, it will provide
Fisheries Section biologists with valuable catch information for following
fishery trends in the reservoirs they manage. The third objective is to
establish a system for maintaining lake records for many of Alabama’s sport fish
species including species of black bass.
At the present time, only eight of the 64 public lakes or reservoirs in Alabama
have established lake records help them discover when, where, and on what types
of lures big fish are caught. To learn more about the Alabama Angler Recognition
Program and to view current lake records, visit www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/record/.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise
stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama’s natural resources through
five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Parks, State Lands, and
Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR visit
http://www.outdooralabama.com/.