Florida Bass in Tennessee

By Vernon Summerlin

You can’t tell the difference at a glance. Certainly not in pictures (unless you blow them up so you can count their scales). But, in years to come, you can tell by the bend in your rod.

Hundreds of thousands of the Florida strain largemouth bass are growing in Tennessee and that's a mighty movement to test your skills at landing monster bass.

Originally, the Florida largemouth bass strain (Micropterus salmoides floridanus) swam only in Florida - but that has changed. Many states are importing the Florida bass to cross with their indigenous northern largemouth bass strain (M. s. salmoides) to create genetic intergrades. The intergrade, or hybrid, is more robust than either of its parents and this is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's reason for stocking the Florida bass.

Bobby Wilson, Assistant Chief of Fisheries, who heads this program says, "The Florida strain doesn't grow any larger than our native northern largemouth strain can, but it lives longer, which accounts for its eventual larger size. One of the drawbacks of the Florida bass is that it doesn't bite as well. That may have something to do with why they live longer.

"The main reason we're stocking Florida bass is to produce a bigger fish. We're not trying to produce a state record fish, but if we do, that's great. We want the genes of the Florida bass added to our present gene pool. We're looking to develop intergrades, producing what is called 'hybrid vigor'. They grow faster and bite a little better. Many states have proven that the introduction of the Florida bass genes will grow larger bass.

"We looked at a number of parameters when deciding if and where to stock these bass. First we looked at states that had successful stocking and then at heating-degree days. There're a number of days the temperature falls above a certain point that indicates the Florida bass will flourish. In Tennessee, any lake south of a line running from Chattanooga to Dyersburg falls within the acceptable parameters for the Florida bass. Tims Ford Lake falls in the good range but it isn't a lake suited for the Florida bass. Its water is too clear and it is not rich enough in nutrients. We match the fish's behavior and biological needs to the lake. We are looking to stock Chickamauga Lake if we can get enough fish. Chickamauga makes a good candidate."

TWRA stocked the Florida strain in the Harmon Creek area of Kentucky Lake, Carroll Lake near McKenzie, Lake Graham near Jackson, Browns Creek Lake in Natchez Trace State Park, and Shellcracker Lake in the Williamsport WMA west of Columbia. Wait a few years before you gear up to attack the Florida bass - they've got to grow some first, except in Lake Graham that was stocked back in the 1980s. They're ready for you.

Wilson says the total stocking of the Florida stain goes like this: "We stocked 3,000 Florida bass in 1997, in 1998 we stocked 14,000, and in 1999 we put in 147,000. In 2000 we’ve stocked 240,000. Chickamauga received 191,000 of which 60,000 were purchased by anglers in Chattanooga to put in the lake. We put some in Gibson County Lake as it is filling.” At this writing, 100 acres of its 500 acres is flooded.

“We can stock agency lakes and expert more influence on the gene pool because they are smaller, and we are expecting to expand our stocking program to other agency lakes.

"We're going to stock lakes for five years and monitor them to see if the Florida bass are making a difference and what those difference are. What this may mean to Tennessee anglers is an increase in the number of bigger bass. Every state that I have researched has determined that the Florida bass have improved the size of the largemouth bass in their state. In a lot of cases, they have become the new state record," says Wilson.

Buck Perry's world record largemouth bass caught in Montgomery Lake, Georgia in 1932 is thought to be an intergrade. This acclaimed bass weighted 22 pound, 4 ounces. Anglers fishing in California are the only ones who have come close to matching this record weight. Intergrades have been found in river systems north of Florida as far as Maryland, but pure Florida strains were found only in the southern portion of Florida.

Northern, Florida, or Intergrade?

There are subtle differences in appearance and behavior between the Florida and northern strains. Both have greenish to brownish sides with a dark lateral line that fades as the fish ages. The upper jaw extends beyond the rear edge of the eye, and its first and second dorsal fins are almost separated by a deep dip. There are no scales on the soft-rayed second dorsal fin or on the anal fin. The Florida largemouth has 69-73 scales along the lateral line compared to the northern largemouth's 59-65 scales. Florida bass grow to trophy size more readily than northern largemouth in warm waters.

It wasn't until 1949 that fisheries biologists distinguished the two subspecies. Electrophoresis (a protein analysis system) is required to identify a northern bass, a Florida bass, or an intergrade.

Florida bass are lake bass whereas the northern bass was originally a river bass before the rivers were dammed, or damned as some would say. The northern bass has adapted to its environment that changed from free-flowing rivers to impoundments more than 50 years ago. Florida bass do better in shallow lakes with vegetation and lakes with shad. Of Tennessee's large river impoundments, Kentucky and Chickamauga Lakes most closely fit the needs of the Florida bass.

Florida bass and intergrades take advantage of the sunfish species as a food source more than the northern bass. Although it has been found that Florida bass and intergrades prefer lakes with populations of shad, this utilization of sunfishes makes them less vulnerable to reduced shad populations that sometimes occurs in Tennessee.

More Differences and Advantages of Florida Bass Genes

The Florida bass male builds nests 20 to 30 inches in diameter by rotating its lower jaw around the nest area. Bass prefer to build nests along shallow shorelines or in protected areas.

Spawning of the Florida bass may occur a week or two sooner than the northern strain, but that depends on conditions in the lake and the photoperiod. This early spawning could prove to be an advantage for the Florida strain, getting a jump on the native bass for food. Florida bass and intergrades switch to the higher protein diet of fish earlier than does the northern bass. This advantage results in a greater survival rate of fingerlings, and in turn gives anglers a keeper sized bass sooner. Best of all, their hardy recruitment assures us of a larger and stronger population of bass in the future. This is certainly a win-win situation.

The female Florida bass grows faster and larger than males; the same is true for northern bass. The females of both strains also live longer.

Larry Larsen, in his book Bass Fishing Facts, says that years ago California was the leader in the introduction of the Florida bass. Their statistics showed that Florida bass had a higher survival rate and grew faster after the second year. After six years of testing, they found the Florida bass grew almost three times larger than the largest northern bass. Some of the Florida bass lived to the ripe old age of 14 years. Their state record bass exceeded 10 pounds by five ounces in the 1960s. Today the record has jumped to more than double that, rivaling the world record weight.

Texas studies found that the Florida bass grew twice as fast as northern bass over a five-year period. Other studies indicate growth rates during the first year were similar for the northern bass, Florida bass, and their intergrades. During the second year, the Florida bass grew twice as fast as the northern-strain, and the intergrade grew faster. The intergrade growth rate slowed during the third year, but the Florida bass continued to outgrow the northern bass by a great deal. Florida bass continued their faster growth rate throughout their life span, exceeding the rate of the pure northern bass.

Crossing Florida females with the northern strain males produces intergrades, once deemed the "super bass." The super bass earned its name because of its super growth. Texas produced an intergrade that reached 7.4 pounds in less than three years. This may not happen in Tennessee but anything close to that would still make for better fishing. The Florida bass outgrows the northern species after the age of two, and lives longer. In the South, a northern-strain largemouth will seldom live past seven years, but Florida bass often live past 10 years.

As mentioned earlier by Bobby Wilson, Florida bass have not been found to be the eager eaters the northern strain is. This was found to be true in California but not so in Texas. Texas reports that they found no differences among the three bass in taking anglers' offerings, and say that the Florida bass prefer somewhat shallower habitat than northern bass, therefore making it easier for the angler to locate.

So far no negative repercussion have come to light about stocking of Florida bass in Tennessee's waters - in fact it will probably produce a blessing for bass anglers for many years to come.

Editor’s Note: Vernon Summerlin’s 400-page book, “The Compleat Tennessee Angler” has maps and photos. Send $23 to Vernon Summerlin, 5550 Boy Scout Road, Franklin, TN 37064 for each autographed, postpaid copy.