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| FishTails |
| A WVBASS.COM EXCLUSIVE STORY! |
WEST VIRGINIA BASS TOURNAMENTS SUMMARY 2002
[January 30, 2003] - Frank Jernejcic, WV DNR
Data on 2002 catch rates, fishing effort, and fish mortality during 539 organized fishing tournaments were collected
from 42 bass clubs and 75 open tournament sponsors.
Tournaments were held at 33 West Virginia sites. A total of 334 tournaments was held on lakes, 36 on the Kanawha
River, 46 on the Monongahela River, and 119 on the Ohio River (Table 1). Tournament fishing
success increased 18% statewide from 2001 to 2002 while tournament pressure decreased 3% (Table
2).
Success rates on lakes (0.14 bass per hour) increased 8% from 2001 to 2002 while pressure decreased 12% (Table
2). This was the most successful year ever for lake tournaments. The best lakes with greater than 1,000 hours
of tournament pressure were Stonewall Jackson (0.32), Tygart (0.26), and Mt. Storm (0.23) (Table
1).
Success rates on rivers (0.13 bass per hour) increased 63% from 2001 to 2002 while pressure decreased 17%. River
success rates were near the middle of the 28-year annual range (0.05 to 0.21). The poorest year, out of 28 years,
for river fishing success was 1997 (0.05) (Table 2). The best river sites with more than
1,000 hours of pressure were the New Cumberland and Hannibal pools of the Ohio River (Table 1).
Open tournaments, which require a DNR permit, comprised 55% of the tournaments and 83% of the tournament hours
reported in 2002 (Table 2). The average success rate for club tournament participants (0.18
bass per hour) (Table 3) was 50 % greater than for open tournament participants (0.12).
Initial mortality was similar for both club and open tournaments, 2.2%. Mortality was higher for river tournaments
(3.1%) than for lakes (1.6%), and highest during July (4.5%). Delayed mortality was not evaluated.
Tournament data is valuable to the DNR and is used to monitor trends in fishing success and fishing pressure on
individual waters and statewide. It also is useful in making decisions about boating access site development, and
provides data to represent bass fishing interests in our coordination with the Corps of Engineers, developers,
and other user-groups. The West Virginia BASS Federation may be the only federation in the country that mandates
reporting of tournament data. It is a model that is mutually beneficial and that may be applicable to other Federations
and state fisheries agencies.
A summary of tournament numbers, hours, and success rates from 1997 to 2002 has been provided (Table
4). You might use this information to choose club tournament sites or personal fishing sites and times. If
you have any questions or comments, or desire additional information about West Virginia bass fishing tournament
data, call Frank Jernejcic, WV DNR fishery biologist, at 304-367-2720.
Table 1. Summary of black bass tournament results
on West Virginia waters, 2002
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mean Catch Per Hour
|
| Location |
Tournament
Numbers
|
Hours
Fished
|
Total
Weight lbs.
|
Total
Bass
|
Weight lbs.
|
Number
|
| RIVERS |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| London |
2
|
365
|
60.26
|
50
|
0.17
|
0.14
|
| Marmet |
8
|
1,169
|
133.02
|
110
|
0.11
|
0.09
|
| Winfield |
26
|
9,004
|
1,086.88
|
820
|
0.12
|
0.09
|
| Kanawha River |
36
|
10,538
|
1,280
|
980
|
0.12
|
0.09
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Opekiska |
34
|
5,787
|
1,018.71
|
774
|
0.18
|
0.13
|
| Point
Marion |
12
|
779
|
155.81
|
108
|
0.2
|
0.14
|
| Monongahela River |
46
|
6,566
|
1,175
|
882
|
0.18
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| New
Cumberland |
4
|
1,144
|
297.57
|
245
|
0.26
|
0.21
|
| Pike
Island |
17
|
3,395
|
585.44
|
449
|
0.17
|
0.13
|
| Hannibal |
25
|
7,745
|
1,836.76
|
1,392
|
0.24
|
0.18
|
| Willow
Island |
37
|
17,979
|
2,871.89
|
2,309
|
0.16
|
0.13
|
| Belleville |
12
|
3,033
|
454.24
|
352
|
0.15
|
0.12
|
| Racine |
12
|
3,576
|
480.31
|
354
|
0.13
|
0.1
|
| R.
C. Byrd |
9
|
3,470
|
376.63
|
283
|
0.11
|
0.08
|
| Greenup |
3
|
1,182
|
148.37
|
101
|
0.13
|
0.09
|
| Ohio River |
119
|
41,524
|
7,051
|
5,485
|
0.17
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Shenandoah
River |
2
|
120
|
54.25
|
19
|
0.45
|
0.16
|
| South
Branch |
1
|
180
|
16.5
|
10
|
0.09
|
0.06
|
| Tygart
River |
1
|
168
|
29.31
|
21
|
0.17
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ALL RIVERS |
205
|
59,095
|
9,606
|
7,397
|
0.16
|
0.13
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| LAKES |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Beech
Fork Lake |
1
|
20
|
3.4
|
3
|
0.17
|
0.15
|
| Bluestone
Lake |
34
|
8,221
|
1,130.78
|
809
|
0.14
|
0.1
|
| Burnsville
Lake |
45
|
7,954
|
1,456.01
|
994
|
0.18
|
0.13
|
| Cheat
Lake |
27
|
3,781
|
838.35
|
653
|
0.22
|
0.17
|
| East
Lynn Lake** |
40
|
10,718
|
672.85
|
225
|
0.06
|
0.02
|
| Jennings
Randolph Lake |
1
|
80
|
47.9
|
42
|
0.6
|
0.53
|
| Mount
Storm Lake |
6
|
1,196
|
348.84
|
271
|
0.29
|
0.23
|
| Plum
Orchard Lake |
2
|
552
|
150.64
|
98
|
0.27
|
0.18
|
| R.
D. Bailey |
7
|
2,252
|
414.09
|
235
|
0.18
|
0.1
|
| Sleepy
Creek Lake |
5
|
861
|
44.94
|
33
|
0.05
|
0.04
|
| Stephens
Lake |
6
|
2,055
|
641.34
|
445
|
0.31
|
0.22
|
| Stonecoal
Lake* |
16
|
1,864
|
-
|
314
|
-
|
0.17
|
| Stonewall
Jackson |
24
|
3,171
|
1,708.34
|
1,009
|
0.54
|
0.32
|
| Summersville
Lake |
39
|
13,551
|
3,062.76
|
2,504
|
0.23
|
0.18
|
| Sutton
Lake |
66
|
13,655
|
2,230.24
|
1,962
|
0.16
|
0.14
|
| Tygart
Lake |
14
|
1,036
|
282.93
|
269
|
0.27
|
0.26
|
| Upper
Mud Lake |
1
|
180
|
67
|
43
|
0.37
|
0.24
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ALL LAKES |
334
|
71,146
|
13,100
|
9,909
|
0.19
|
0.14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| TOTALS |
539
|
130,240
|
22,706
|
17,306
|
0.18
|
0.13
|
*No weight reported
**A 12 - 16 inch slot limit artificially lowers the catch
rate in this lake
Table 2. Summary of West Virginia black
bass tournament results, 1975 - 2002
|
|
Total
|
|
Rivers
|
|
Lakes
|
|
Open Tournaments
|
|
Year
|
Number of
Tournaments
|
Sites
|
Hours
Fished
|
Total
Bass
|
C/E
|
|
Hours
Fished
|
C/E
|
|
Hours
Fished
|
C/E
|
|
Number of
Tournaments
|
Hours
Fished
|
C/E
|
|
1975
|
41
|
8
|
10,942
|
1,032
|
0.09
|
|
8,133
|
0.1
|
|
2,809
|
0.08
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
1976
|
71
|
11
|
13,884
|
1,116
|
0.08
|
|
7,983
|
0.09
|
|
5,901
|
0.07
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
1977
|
93
|
14
|
20,996
|
1,863
|
0.09
|
|
17,683
|
0.09
|
|
3,313
|
0.06
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
1978
|
150
|
16
|
28,023
|
2,827
|
0.1
|
|
20,687
|
0.11
|
|
7,336
|
0.07
|
|
18
|
10,392
|
0.08
|
|
1979
|
123
|
19
|
26,791
|
1,836
|
0.07
|
|
19,798
|
0.08
|
|
6,993
|
0.05
|
|
14
|
11,081
|
0.06
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1980
|
144
|
21
|
25,751
|
2,457
|
0.1
|
|
16,854
|
0.12
|
|
8,897
|
0.05
|
|
15
|
7,852
|
0.1
|
|
1981
|
142
|
21
|
26,179
|
1,521
|
0.06
|
|
15,376
|
0.06
|
|
10,803
|
0.05
|
|
8
|
6,485
|
0.05
|
|
1982
|
182
|
20
|
31,484
|
2,495
|
0.08
|
|
21,668
|
0.09
|
|
9,816
|
0.05
|
|
11
|
7,138
|
0.06
|
|
1983
|
209
|
22
|
38,786
|
3,555
|
0.09
|
|
26,391
|
0.11
|
|
12,395
|
0.05
|
|
12
|
10,954
|
0.06
|
|
1984
|
227
|
23
|
43,201
|
5,039
|
0.12
|
|
32,681
|
0.13
|
|
10,520
|
0.07
|
|
27
|
17,552
|
0.09
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1985
|
242
|
25
|
46,775
|
3,718
|
0.08
|
|
33,447
|
0.08
|
|
13,328
|
0.07
|
|
29
|
19,491
|
0.06
|
|
1986
|
211
|
25
|
51,736
|
4,661
|
0.09
|
|
34,635
|
0.1
|
|
17,101
|
0.06
|
|
39
|
29,890
|
0.08
|
|
1987
|
239
|
28
|
56,517
|
5,827
|
0.1
|
|
38,401
|
0.12
|
|
18,116
|
0.07
|
|
58
|
33,972
|
0.1
|
|
1988
|
233
|
23
|
56,852
|
6,849
|
0.12
|
|
38,318
|
0.15
|
|
18,534
|
0.06
|
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
1989
|
268
|
26
|
50,506
|
7,629
|
0.15
|
|
31,461
|
0.21
|
|
19,045
|
0.06
|
|
64
|
31,006
|
0.14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1990
|
289
|
26
|
77,528
|
5,222
|
0.07
|
|
55,553
|
0.06
|
|
21,975
|
0.09
|
|
124
|
58,384
|
0.06
|
|
1991
|
257
|
27
|
68,322
|
6,575
|
0.1
|
|
44,001
|
0.09
|
|
24,321
|
0.11
|
|
86
|
49,591
|
0.1
|
|
1992
|
429
|
27
|
91,446
|
13,135
|
0.14
|
|
55,258
|
0.17
|
|
36,188
|
0.11
|
|
144
|
58,453
|
0.14
|
|
1993
|
442
|
30
|
101,708
|
8,586
|
0.08
|
|
72,806
|
0.07
|
|
28,892
|
0.11
|
|
153
|
69,300
|
0.08
|
|
1994
|
432
|
28
|
107,188
|
16,196
|
0.15
|
|
65,571
|
0.18
|
|
41,619
|
0.1
|
|
135
|
74,549
|
0.14
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1995
|
469
|
28
|
120,550
|
11,976
|
0.1
|
|
82,081
|
0.09
|
|
38,469
|
0.11
|
|
179
|
86,161
|
0.09
|
|
1996
|
381
|
28
|
97,493
|
11,109
|
0.11
|
|
57,276
|
0.12
|
|
40,217
|
0.11
|
|
137
|
71,220
|
0.11
|
|
1997
|
497
|
28
|
116,091
|
8,761
|
0.08
|
|
56,358
|
0.05
|
|
59,733
|
0.1
|
|
188
|
84,054
|
0.06
|
|
1998
|
451
|
28
|
119,430
|
12,888
|
0.11
|
|
46,819
|
0.1
|
|
72,611
|
0.11
|
|
190
|
89,525
|
0.1
|
|
1999
|
486
|
32
|
132,477
|
14,358
|
0.11
|
|
56,409
|
0.11
|
|
76,068
|
0.11
|
|
212
|
102,948
|
0.1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000
|
486
|
34
|
136,498
|
21,301
|
0.16
|
|
68,029
|
0.2
|
|
68,469
|
0.12
|
|
256
|
111,735
|
0.15
|
|
2001
|
538
|
31
|
134,769
|
14,190
|
0.11
|
|
70,824
|
0.08
|
|
63,769
|
0.13
|
|
249
|
106,139
|
0.09
|
|
2002
|
539
|
33
|
130,240
|
17,314
|
0.13
|
|
59,095
|
0.13
|
|
71,146
|
0.14
|
|
299
|
107,532
| | | |
