SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. — Anglers can be sorely divided on the issue of bed fishing: Does taking bass from their spawning beds hurt the fishery? Or does the bass population remain strong despite the bed fishing practice?
This topic was one of many discussed among biologists, professors and B.A.S.S. Federation Nation conservation directors
Thanks to a collaboration between the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and B.A.S.S., you can now sit in on presentations made by some of the most educated bass scientists in the United States. Podcasts of talks from the Conservation Summit at the 2012 Bassmaster Classic are now available for anyone with an Internet connection. You can also access the podcasts on a mobile device.
First, you can get an overview of the Fisheries Management Workshop by Dr. Mike Allen, a fisheries and aquatic sciences professor at the University of Florida.
Then, hear from Gordon Robertson, vice president of government affairs for the American Sportfishing Association, on today’s issues in legislation regarding sportfishing. Robertson discusses current bills that include fisheries funding, clean water and angling access.
Learn about the effects of bed fishing from three scientists, each with his own podcast: Dr. Cory Suski, University of Illinois; Dr. David Philipp, University of Illinois; and Dr. Mike Allen, University of Florida.
Below is a list of other topics discussed at the summit. Just click on each one to hear the presentation and view the slideshows.
- Aquatic plants: What’s out there, and why control it? by Dr. Mike Netherland, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the University of Florida Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
- Does chemical control change fish behavior? by Dr. Mike Allen, University of Florida
- New trends in fish culture and stocking, by Jeff Koppelman, Missouri Department of Conservation
- Illegal fish stocking, by Dr. Mike Allen, University of Florida
- Effects of fishing on fish vulnerability to angling, by Dr. David Philipp, University of Illinois
- Spatial patterns in bass habitat use and angling, by Dr. Mike Allen and Bryan Matthias, both of the University of Florida
- Ways to prevent tournament mortality, by Gene Gilliland, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
B.A.S.S. extends its gratitude to Greg Summers, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation Fishery Reserach Laboratory director, and Whitney Jacobs, B.A.S.S. Conservation graduate intern, for making it possible to share this information with our fans.