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.

In our continued efforts at bass conservation, the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission’s Black Bass Program has recently constructed a live-release boat that can be used by bass tournament directors to recycle their catch on Lake Ouachita.  The primary purpose of the boat is to help recover and re-distribute tournament caught bass to different locations around the lake after a weigh-in.

The boat itself is a 29’ triple pontoon equipped with a 200hp Mercury motor.  Mounted on the boat is a three-compartment bottom-dump tank that holds approximately 650 gallons of water, which means that it can safely hold up to 650 pounds of fish.  The tanks are individually plumbed for filling and also contain individual diffusers, which provide oxygen from a compressed oxygen cylinder.  Funds to purchase the boat were provided by a $10K grant from the FishAmerica Foundation.  The Black Bass Program also matched the grant money in order to purchase and equip the specially designed boat and tank that were manufactured by Waco Manufacturing and Ketcher Metal Products in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

Mr. Bill Barnes, owner and operator of Mountain Harbor Resort and Marina on Lake Ouachita, has graciously donated a covered slip at his marina to house the live-release boat.  Tournament directors will be able to access the boat after a brief consultation and review of operation guidelines.