Fishing success on the Mon was up 107% from 1999, evidenced here as WVBF President John Burdette weighs in a 3 LB 9 OZ Largemouth Lunker during the WVBF Buddy Trail Tournament on the Monongahela River 6/18/2000.

 
Creel surveys show the year 2000 was the best year for bass fishing in West Virginia since records started being kept. The data compiled from fishing tournaments included 486 organized fishing events including 71-open tournaments and club tournaments from 32 bass clubs. Tournaments were held at 33 West Virginia sites in 2000. Those included 286 lakes, 106 on the Ohio River, 48-on the Kanawha River, and 46 on the Monongahela River. Tournament fishing success increased 45% state wide from 1999 and was the highest in 26-years of record keeping. Tournament pressure increased 3%, also the highest in 26-years.

"It was incredible." Says DNR fisheries biologist Frank Jernejcic. "Not only was the fishing better, but the fishing pressure from tournaments was up. Typically if the pressure goes up and the fishing goes down it's a good indication of a problem. We haven't seen that, in fact it's just the opposite."

The DNR creates a fishing success rate per hour using a formula. The number of anglers multiplied by the number of hours in the tournament, and then divides the number of fish caught overall by the number of hours. The result is a catch-rate-per-hour which offers a good indication at success.

Success rates on the state's commercially navigable rivers increased immensely in 2000 from 1999. The Ohio River saw an increase success rate of 100% to 0.18 bass per hour and an increase in fishing pressure of 11%.

"It was only the third best year on the Ohio," note Jernejcic, "We've had other good years that were better, but most guys have already forgotten them. "
Only 1989 and 1994 had greater catch rates. Records show 1997 was the worst year for the Ohio River in catch rates.

"It validates our theory looking at tournament data over the years that fishing on that river runs in cycles. We haven't been able to determine what factors make the cycle."

Studies continued on the Ohio River for just that, but Jernejcic says it may not all that revealing.

"We know we didn't have any high water in the spring of 2000, which means reproduction was good. That's nice to know, but we can't do anything about a flood or some other natural phenomena so you have to weigh whether it's worth the cost of the research to learn something you can't control anyway."

The data also shows another promising indicator-that the best years on the Ohio may be yet to come.

"Some research out of Ohio has shown a 12-inch bass is three years old. Given this year's numbers 1996 and 1997 were great years for reproduction, but if you look at the data it was a horrible year for fishing success. There are just so many variables involved in all of this that it's hard to say what causes the up and down cycle."

It should come as no surprise to anyone who fishes the Monongahela River regularly that it saw a tremendous jump in 2000. Fishing success on the Mon was up 107% from 1999 and fishing pressure was up 25%. With a catch rate of 0.31 bass per hour, it's the highest ever recorded in West Virginia for a major tournament site.

The Kanawha River had a great improvement, although it pales to the Mon and Ohio. Catch rates on the Kanawha River for 2000 were up 38% from 1999 to 0.19 bass per hour. Fishing pressure on the Kanawha jumped up 64%.

There's little doubt that West Virginia anglers are river fishermen. Rivers were four of the top five waters for 2000 tournaments. Stonewall Jackson Lake was number four on the list for tournaments. The top five lakes, where more than 20 tournaments were held, were Stonewall Jackson with a catch rate of .25 bass per hour, followed by Tygart Lake, Cheat Lake, Sutton Lake, and Summersville Lake.