DeGray Lake bass anglers should be excited to hear the AGFC has expanded its Florida Bass stocking program. Since 2006, the AGFC has stocked Florida Bass fingerlings into the Brushy Creek arm of the lake. Early and subsequent stockings have been meant to introduce Florida Bass genes into the existing Largemouth Bass population through natural spawning. The end goal has been to achieve genetic “introgression” or gene mixing so more bass would have the Florida bass potential to become trophies. We have confirmed this program to be genetically successful within the Brushy Creek arm of the lake.
Due to the success of our efforts in Brushy Creek, the Big Hill Creek arm (mid-lake) has been added to the Florida Bass fingerling stocking program at DeGray Lake. We will continue to stock Florida Bass fingerlings every other year in DeGray Lake at both sites: 100,000 at Brushy Creek and 50,000 at Big Hill Creek.
The Commission’s Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery in Hot Springs has produced all of the Florida bass that have been stocked into DeGray Lake since 2006.
DeGray Lake anglers, please keep in mind that AGFC Fisheries staff want fin clips from Largemouth Bass greater than 8 pounds. There is a fin clip kit located at the Iron Mountain Marina. Just a small portion of a pectoral (side) fin is sufficient for our purposes. Clips can be stored in vials within the kit. All we ask is for some basic information to also be taken (length, weight, girth). All materials needed are in the kit. Collected fin clips will later be genetically analyzed to determine whether these “trophy” bass can be attributed to our stocking program.