Maryland Department of Natural Resources has shared its annual black bass review, which tracks species reproduction in many of the state’s tidal and nontidal waters.
My email inbox has a deluge of correspondence from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, which is a very good thing. Our state’s department is very transparent about how it operates, for whom it operates, and of the many projects it undertakes. Maryland DNR is possibly one of the best representations of state wildlife managment for and of the people it serves. That’s not hyperbole—it’s my opinion. Among the many DNR projects is the Maryland largemouth bass report—a.k.a. Black Bass Annual Review—which represents a year’s worth (many years actually) of partnerships, science, and research to give anglers (and anyone else interested) a comprehensive picture of the species’ population, reproduction, survival rates, and average sizes within tidal and nontidal ecosystems. In other words, its helps us figure how largemouth bass are doing and where to find ’em!
Interestingly, this year’s review offers details about DNR’s partnership with Major League Fishing to assess the effects that tournaments have on afffected populations of bass—the bass caught and released during tournament action. Researchers tracked catch rates with and without the use of forward-facing sonar. The results are intriguing.
There’s also a section educating us about the invasive Alabama Bass, which hasn’t been observed in Maryland waters yet, but could be soon. The dominant strain of bass has been caught in Virginia waters. Learn more in the report.
Lastly, there’s plenty of what most anglers are especially interested in—where the bass are thriving, and in what numbers and sizes. Pay special attention to the Conowingo Reservoir section of river (which boasts more brown bass than black), Little Seneca Lake on the west side, and Johnsons Pond on the east. Of course, the most popular (and pressured) waters are in the review, including the Potomac, Choptank, and Upper Chesapeake Bay rivers, among more.
Check it out!
