FWC introduces the Florida Bass

Published: Updated:
Fisher holding a Florida Bass or Largemouth Bass
Credit: FWC

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has given a different designation to the Florida bass to separate it from the largemouth bass. The new Florida bass and the largemouth bass are still considered the same species.

A study by Yale University has shown genetic differences between the largemouth bass and Florida bass.

The study shows that the Florida bass is larger than what was originally believed.

This name change will not affect anyone’s ability to fish largemouth bass in the future.

This classification will aid researchers in their abilities to properly classify and conserve different fish species.

The renaming will not affect the TrophyCatch program in which the largemouth bass is a part of. The program rewards catch-and-release fishers who release largemouth bass that weigh more than 8 pounds.

There is no way to visually distinguish between the Florida bass and the largemouth bass so the regulations for the two will remain the same.

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