LMBV fish kills have decreased over last three years

LITTLE ROCK - The rapid action of springtime fishing is coming to a close with the onset of the dog days of summer. However, anglers can still catch quality fish in the summertime.

These hot days and warmer water temperatures have been linked to outbreaks of largemouth bass virus. LMBV is a disease that was first reported during a fish kill in Florida in 1991, but the virus gained national attention after a largemouth bass kill on the Santee Cooper Reservoir in South Carolina in 1995.

Since then several bass kills have occurred due to the virus. The kills were a hot topic for Arkansas anglers and biologists because the virus seemed to kill only adult bass, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fish pathologist Jon Stein. "Thankfully, kills from the virus have greatly decreased in the last three years. We have not experienced a LMBV kill in Arkansas since Lake Columbia in 2002.  Similar trends have been observed nationwide showing a decrease in bass virus kills," Stein said.

The AGFC's Black Bass Program has been working with tournament anglers to collect valuable data during bass tournaments in what is known as the Arkansas Tournament Information Program. "This program has provided information from bass tournaments that has shown some interesting trends related to LMBV. The virus was first documented in Arkansas in 2000. Over the next few years, the time it took a bass angler to catch a 5-pound or greater bass greatly increased from a statewide average of 400 hours to over 1,000 hours," Stein explained.

The bottom line is that fewer big 5-pound bass were being weighed in during tournaments, Stein said. "This trend seemed to occur with the first findings of LMBV in the state. The good news is that after 3 to 4 years the bass fisheries seem to be rebounding, or the time to catch a 5-pound or greater bass is decreasing," he added.

LMBV does not cause bass kills in every lake and most fish survive a virus outbreak. "We have sampled 24 water bodies in Arkansas and all but two have been found to harbor the virus. Of these 24 waters, only two have experienced LMBV kills - Lake Monticello in 2000 and Lake Columbia in 2002," Stein said. Fish that have the virus are safe to eat since the virus cannot be transmitted to humans. "We do recommend that anglers thoroughly cook the fish and do not eat fish that are visibly sick," he said.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission would like the help of anglers and recreational boaters to keep an eye out for any LMBV related kills this summer. The following signs are characteristic of a LMBV kill: 

1. LMBV kills will normally occur in June, July or August.
2. LMBV is species specific; only largemouth bass will be found dead or dying.  In the summer of 2000, biologists collected 52 dead or dying bass in Lake Monticello in a single day.
3. Sick bass will be found floating on their side and may swim or dart away from someone trying to catch one with a net. 
4. If you see a fish that you suspect may have the virus, please contact the Fisheries Division of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission at 1-877-525-8606.

The prognosis of LMBV in Arkansas and throughout the U.S. is looking better, because fewer kills have occurred recently and bass fisheries seem to rebound from the virus.

For more information on the topic, the fisheries division website at www.agfc.state.ar.us has more detailed information about the virus.