Want to catch the next trophy bass? On January 1st, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission launched the Legacy Lunker program to help anglers do just that.
From January 1st until March 31st, the Commission is asking anglers to donate any bass that weighs 10 pounds or more to them. The donated fish will be spawned with a male that has been bred with superior genetics. The caught fish and its fingerlings will later be released into the lake where the catch originally occurred to stock the lake with future trophy bass.
This approach combines advanced hatchery technology and techniques with proven genetics (both wild and bred) to create a improved largemouth bass population in Arkansas. While this program is new to Arkansas, it has been successfully implemented in Texas. The biologists in the Lone Star State have assisted the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by letting them know what worked for them and what didn’t. This aid has allowed the state of Arkansas to launch its program more quickly and more efficiently.
In addition to working with the existing Texas’ program, Arkansas is also partnering with the Red Hills Fishery in Georgia. Red Hills has already completed extensive work to identify the genetics necessary to grow larger fish. Despite the assistance from other states, the hope is that most of the fish used in the Legacy Lunker program will originate in Arkansas.
Anglers who catch a bass that weigh at least 10 pounds and who want to participate in the Legacy Lunker program only need to call 833-948-2277 (BASS). The line is available 24/7. Representatives from the Game and Fish Commission will meet the angler at the lake and take possession of the fish.
To be eligible, the fish must be caught by an angler with a valid Arkansas fishing license, it must be caught in public water managed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, must be caught on a rod and reel, and the fish must weigh at least 10 pounds and be healthy at the time of donation.
The program ends on March 31st because most fish have spawned naturally by that time. In the fall, individuals who donated their catch to the Legacy Lunker program will be honored at a banquet and be eligible for prizes.
