June 19, 2006
CONTACT: Sam McKinney or
Joy Hill (352) 732-1225

In less than a month, a new rule goes into effect on Lake Kerr allowing anglers to keep largemouth bass smaller than the statewide rules allow.

Beginning July 1, fishermen will be able to keep bass less than 15 or more than 24 inches long. They must, however, immediately release any bass between 15 and 24 inches. The bag limit will be reduced to three largemouth bass a day, only one of which may be more than 24 inches.

The rule was passed in February by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) after public comment. Biologists will be posting signs announcing the new rule shortly at the lake’s Moorehead Park boat ramp.

Lake Kerr is a popular Marion County recreational lake in the Ocala National Forest and anglers catch plenty of largemouth bass. However, they’re usually too small too keep. The problem is the lake has too many little bass that aren’t growing to keeper-size. Fisheries biologists think the new slot limit rule could help solve the problem.

“The new rule will allow them to keep up to three of these smaller fish while protecting the rare ones that fall into the middle range,” said Sam McKinney, freshwater fisheries biological administrator for the FWC’s Northeast Region. “Right now Lake Kerr anglers are catching bass all day long that are less than 14 inches, but few in the 15- to 24-inch range.”

The proposed slot limit will accomplish a couple of things. By allowing anglers to keep the smaller fish, the new regulation will reduce the number of small bass, which in turn will leave more food for the ones that remain. More food means the fish will grow into the 15- to 24-inch range faster.

Biologists think the lack of plentiful fish food in Lake Kerr is one factor affecting the size structure of its bass population.

“Limited food means fish grow slowly and stay small,” McKinney said.

In Florida lakes that have abundant food, it typically takes two to three years for largemouth bass to reach 14 inches. By contrast, it takes bass an average of six years to reach 14 inches in Lake Kerr.

“In a nutshell, this new slot limit means anglers can keep some of the small fish they catch, and over time, this could mean more, larger fish available for catch and release,” McKinney said.

Another benefit of the new rule is the potential to increase the number of trophy fish in the lake, McKinney said.

And that’s something everyone should be happy about.

For information on the new rule, call the FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management in Ocala at (352) 732-1225.