Many Arkansans are still unaware that in June 2001, the Black Bass Program was established by the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC) in an effort to direct specific attention to Arkansas’ most sought-after game fish: largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted (Kentucky) bass, collectively. The primary purpose of the program is to assist AGFC Fisheries Division District Biologists with the intensive management of the black bass species statewide, while serving both the tournament and non-tournament bass angling public. Although only in existence for a few years, many projects are underway and many more are planned that strive to make Arkansas one of the best bass fishing destinations in the South.
The Black Bass Program is stationed out of the AGFC Hot Springs Regional Office and can be contacted for questions pertaining to black bass conservation.
The Black Bass Programs’ main focus can be summarized into enhancing bass fishing opportunities for anglers through:
Bass Research – assessing impacts of the Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV) on Arkansas waters, evaluating our Florida strain largemouth bass genetics program, evaluating our Trophy Bass Management program, determining post stocking success of black bass in various Arkansas waters, and conducting age, growth, and health assessments on bass populations statewide.
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Assisting other Fisheries Biologists – assist with various sampling techniques to evaluate and monitor our bass populations, assist with collection of brood stock and distribution of fingerlings, conduct data analysis and computer simulations to predict impacts of size and harvest restrictions on specific bass populations, and using various graphic models to assist with evaluating harvest restrictions following implementation.
Habitat Improvement – coordinating projects that establish native aquatic vegetation in reservoirs for black bass nursery cover and assisting with natural and artificial fish shelter/habitat construction and placement.
Tournament Assistance Program – providing technical assistance and support at live-release tournaments, providing fish hauling trucks to large tournaments for proper fish handling, care, and release after tournaments, and working cooperatively with tournament directors and anglers to refine weigh-in procedures and reduce mortality, displacement, and access conflicts.
Administering the Arkansas Tournament Information Program – collecting, analyzing, and documenting volunteer tournament data into a report based on the success of tournaments around the state. This report provides valuable information for tournament anglers and biologists to use in tracking trends in bass angling success and catch rates over time.
Arkansas Tournament Information Program (ATIP)
The Arkansas Tournament Information Program (ATIP) is a voluntary program developed by the AGFC in 1990 to gather statewide tournament weigh-in information.
Information collected is used to calculate Fishing Quality Indicators for lakes and fishing clubs participating in the program. An annual report is generated from this data, which has proven useful to bass clubs and tournament organizers in planning future events.
Click here to learn more or to enter your tournament information using our online program.
Black Bass Program Quarterly Newsletter
"Black Bass News" is a newsletter highlighting activities of AGFC's Black Bass Program featuring articles about stocking, tournaments and other news relating to the new Black Bass Program.
Read this quarterly publication to learn more. The current newsletter as well as past newsletters are available by clicking here or on the hyperlink below.
Black Bass Program Annual Report
The annual report includes an introduction to the Black Bass Program, the annual Arkansas Tournament Information Program (ATIP) report, Largemouth Bass Virus update and annual bass stocking reports as well as information about ongoing black bass habitat improvement projects. This is in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
Live-release Trailer
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission’s Black Bass Program has recently completed a live-release trailer that can be used by local bass tournament directors to recycle their catch. The trailer’s primary 
purpose is to help recover and re-distribute tournament caught bass to different locations around the lake after a weigh-in. Click here to learn more.
Black Bass Program Live Release Barge
Over the last several years, fisheries biologists have noticed that certain boat access sites have become very popular weigh-in locations for bass tournaments, which has resulted in large numbers of adult bass getting stocked frequently at one particular site on a lake. Bass movement studies have shown that tournament caught bass are typically not in a big hurry to move away from their release point after a tournament, and may take a few months for the majority of them to move several kilometers away from their release site. This behavior could cause potential problems if forage and habitat is limited in the release area forcing the bass to move long distances after a tournament. Disease issues, such as Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV), are also a concern if bass are released and remain crowded in a small area.
Click here to learn more.
Popular Tournament Location Permit Requirements and Contact Information
Click here to learn about popular tournament destination sites and whether or not these Corps facilities require a permit.
Meet the Black Bass Staff
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Arkansas Tournament Information Program - a part of the Arkansas Black Bass program.
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A live-release boat that can be used by bass tournament directors to recycle their catch on Lake Ouachita
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A live-release trailer designed to help recover and re-distribute tournament caught bass to different locations around the lake after a weigh-in.
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Popular tournament destination sites and whether or not these Corps facilities require a permit.