Big Oconee Shoalie

[GA BASS ODYSSEY]

Fish was given to GA DNR this morning and will qualify for The Shoal Bass Angler Award. She will have the full range of tests to find out her origins. I hope she turns out 100% then again I don't. Whatever she is, she was a threat to the native Altamaha Bass, the only endemic black bass state of Georgia. The biologist gave me some good info on what's up with getting the Altamaha and other redeye bass described here in Georgia. Once its described then the DNR can get further funding and help this fish out.

 

[Gut_Pile]

Nice one

 

[Duff]

Woo wee, thats a big'en!

 

[Nicodemus]

@ShoalBandit

 

[trad bow]

That’s a very nice bass. But I really wish the bucket biologist would stop this nonsense of transporting fish not native to certain rivers drainages and lakes.

 

[poor retina]

Nice shoalie! That was a heckuva fish and I'm guessing she put up a fun fight, too.

Agreed that folks ought leave these fish where they belong. We don't want our native riverine bass fisheries to disappear. Let's enjoy these fish where they belong so future generations can, too. It's a mighty selfish act, otherwise.

 

[GA BASS ODYSSEY]

There has been a number of shoal bass caught in the Oconee River over the past five years. I saw the pictures of them today. Those fish were caught below Milledgeville and are believed to entered from the Ocmulgee via the Altamaha confluence. They were all Shoal/Alabama hybrids. The fish I caught will no doubt have some alabama gens. Regardless she met the visual morphology for a shoal bass, so the bass was put in for the Angler Award. The Alabama bass is now in the Altamaha Bass territory below Sinclair dam and been there for a few years now.. I know where the Altamaha spawn and can catch many during the spring. I can then just move over to the other side of the river 100 feet and catch the Alabamas on their slake water spawning area. Now Shoal bass genetics are being added too. The Altamaha don't stand a chance in this section now. In the summer months you can't find an Alamaha or a Alabama unless your in the middle of the Shoals south of the rail road bridge. But in the spring and when the water cools in fall, the Altamaha move up and out of the shoals. They can then wear out more trick worms than I can afford to buy and throw at them.

 

[BASS1FUN]

She’s beautiful, will make an awesome mount, congrats to you!!

 

[GA BASS ODYSSEY]

She’s beautiful, will make an awesome mount, congrats to you!!

Gonna have to find someone who can do a good Shoalie replica