Lines, tigers, and bass, oh my!

On June 1th, the Lake D’Arbonne Watershed Commission released 40,000 tiger bass into Lake D’Arbonne in efforts to steadily increase the average size of the local largemouth bass population.
The Farmerville Fire Department, Farmerville Police Department, and Alderman Robert Allen were at the scene to represent the Town of Farmerville and to participate in the release of the tiger bass into Lake D’Arbonne.

“This fish stocking project went great this morning. We distributed 40,000 2 inch Tiger Bass fingerlings across Lake D’Arbonne. These fingerlings are expected to triple in size by Labor Day. We appreciate all of our local supporters who contributed with the Lake Commission to increase the number of fish released. We also appreciate all the volunteers that showed up this morning to assist with the distribution process. This project along with many others are supported by the launch fees.”

• Lake D’Arbonne Watershed Commission

Tiger bass are “F-1” bass; fish bred to be able to grow fast and to be easy to catch. These fish typically have a growth rate of approximately 2 pounds per-year, but in some cases these fish can grow as rapidly as 2 pounds in six months! According to Mossy Oak, “Many lake owners have documented growth of Tiger Bass weighing more than 10 pounds in just five years.”
Tiger bass are a hybrid cross between a strain of aggressive Northern largemouth and a “pure strain” of Florida Bass, according to American Sport Fish, the company that developed the Tiger Bass subspecies. The result, the company says, is a fish with a high survivability, a growth rate well above average and one that is easier to catch.
More importantly, crossbreeding among largemouth bass subspecies is common, so the presence of the aggressive, fast-growing Tiger Bass should, over time, cause an increase in the average size of all bass in Lake D’Arbonne.
Despite their aggression, however, all guppies have one big issue: their size! Small as they are, these guppies are not guaranteed to survive. Their aggressive feeding tendencies will certainly prove to be useful in their bout to survive in the lake, but certainly many of them will, as well, fail to survive. Wildlife conservation efforts ensure that several dumps of fish occur in Lake D’Arbonne yearly, but this one in particular has been in the works since the middle of May.
With the release of these fish, Lake D’Arbonne is sure to see growth of several fish species, including more than just bass, within the next few months. Members of the public are excited to see growth in crappies from this surge of new fish in the water.
These fish are likely to promote healthy competition in the local fauna of the lake, and the local flora is sure to flourish from the exchange as well. This watermark decision will ripple changes in our lake for the coming months and coming years to see!