GA bass slam?

lampern

Senior Member
Why does the DNR recognize different species for a "bass slam" award but for nothing else?

I thought redeye bass were just one species but now the state is saying they are classified as multiple species?
 

fish hawk

Bass Master
Through genetic testing fisheries biologist have determined them to be separate species.The bass slam is just that a bass slam,maybe one day the'll have a bream slam or a catfish slam or trout slam,you can voice your concerns or suggestions to the Ga. DNR.
 

lampern

Senior Member
I know it's been posted the science community has recognized the different bass species but fishery agencies sure are slow to.

Glad to see the DNR is doing just that.

A trout slam would be nice as well
 

GA BASS ODYSSEY

Senior Member
I think when its all said and done they will be 12 species altogether in GA. We Know the Northern and Florida Large Mouths are separate. Also the Kentucky and Alabama. As soon as the sort out the 5 Red-eyes there will be 12.

My bass slam will include all 12.

1. Micropterus cataractae shoal bass
2. Micropterus notius Suwannee bass
3. Micropterus dolomieu smallmouth bass
4. Micropterus salmoides largemouth bass
5. Micropterus floridanus, Florida Bass
6. Micropterus punctulatus Kentucky spotted bass
7. Micropterus henshalli Alabama bass
8. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae (Bartram's bass)
9. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae redeye bass (Tallapoosa)
10. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae redeye bass (Altamaha / Ogeechee)
11. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae redeye bass (Chattahoochee)
12. Micropterus coosae redeye bass (Coosa Bass)
 

ShoalBandit

Senior Member
Why does the DNR recognize different species for a "bass slam" award but for nothing else?
Three of the ten eligible species were recently described (2013) and two are so new they haven't been described by science (yet). Bartram's Bass and Altamaha Bass made the list because they're informally recognized as species pending a formal description.

I thought redeye bass were just one species but now the state is saying they are classified as multiple species?
You are correct based on the original 1940 description of the Redeye Bass however science (like most things) has come a long way since that time. Not only that but the two guys that described the Redeye Bass (Carl Hubbs & Reeve Bailey) were from the University of Michigan. In most cases they were using specimens collected by locals and preserved in jars. I've read that some of those specimens were over ten years old! When you consider all of this it's not hard to see how black bass diversity in the region might've been overlooked. People forget the Shoal Bass was actually classified as a 'Redeye Bass' from 1940-1999 until it was finally described by Williams & Burgess as a separate species.
 

ShoalBandit

Senior Member
I know it's been posted the science community has recognized the different bass species but fishery agencies sure are slow to.

Glad to see the DNR is doing just that.

A trout slam would be nice as well
According to the WRD Georgia Bass Slam page one reason for the bass slam challenge is to "...stimulate interest in the conservation and management of black bass and their habitats".

The 10 eligible species of black bass are all native to this state while Rainbow and Brown Trout are not. Rainbow Trout are native to coldwater tributaries of the Pacific Ocean and Brown Trout are not even native to this continent. It would also not be much of a challenge to catch three trout species that have in many cases been stocked together in the same stream. Having said that the DNR does include the three trout species in their Angler Award Program.

http://georgiawildlife.com/fishing/anglerawards
 

ShoalBandit

Senior Member
I think when its all said and done they will be 12 species altogether in GA. We Know the Northern and Florida Large Mouths are separate. Also the Kentucky and Alabama. As soon as the sort out the 5 Red-eyes there will be 12.

My bass slam will include all 12.

1. Micropterus cataractae shoal bass
2. Micropterus notius Suwannee bass
3. Micropterus dolomieu smallmouth bass
4. Micropterus salmoides largemouth bass
5. Micropterus floridanus, Florida Bass
6. Micropterus punctulatus Kentucky spotted bass
7. Micropterus henshalli Alabama bass
8. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae (Bartram's bass)
9. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae redeye bass (Tallapoosa)
10. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae redeye bass (Altamaha / Ogeechee)
11. Micropterus sp. cf. M. coosae redeye bass (Chattahoochee)
12. Micropterus coosae redeye bass (Coosa Bass)

Florida Bass are not native to Georgia so you can take that one off the list. You actually have to travel pretty far down into Florida to catch a real native Florida Bass these days. Pretty much everything from the Homosassa River south (on the west coast) still has native Florida Bass according to the FWC.
 

lampern

Senior Member
So the state needs to seperate out its definition of "redeye bass" in the regulations to reflect the new science or not?
 

ShoalBandit

Senior Member
Yes I think they will at some point but I have no idea when this will happen that's a question only they can answer. Some species appear locally abundant but overall distribution is extremely limited in most cases.
 
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