Will they, or have they tested to see if it was indeed a "Florida strain" bass?
New state LM record ?
- Thread starter RUGER
- Start date
Yes, results should be back within a couple of weeks. They are fairly certain the fish will have Florida bass DNA. The question is how much. It could be pure Florida (one of the originally stocked Florida bass fry), of it could be a hybrid (direct cross between a Florida bass and a native Northern largemouth), or it could be what they call a "backcross" ... that's anything that is a cross between a hybrid and any other bass (basically two generations away from a pure Florida).
Not sure how long it will take, but TWRA biologists also hope to coordinate with the taxidermist who will mount the fish to retrieve the otolith. That's a free floating bone in the bass's inner ear. Otoliths add on growth rings exactly like trees have annual growth rings. By examining the otolith they hope to determine the exact age of the new state record, which will provide biologists with an excellent gauge on potential growth rates in Chickamauga Lake. Right now estimates on the fish's age vary anywhere from 8 years old, up to 14 years old.
Go here to read what TWRA Fisheries Chief Bobby Wilson had to say about the new record, and what he says about odds of Keen's record being broken: http://bit.ly/1vPeT5Y
You can also go here to watch Wilson's entire interview, with video of Keen's catch: http://youtu.be/m1BJeExCSRA
Not sure how long it will take, but TWRA biologists also hope to coordinate with the taxidermist who will mount the fish to retrieve the otolith. That's a free floating bone in the bass's inner ear. Otoliths add on growth rings exactly like trees have annual growth rings. By examining the otolith they hope to determine the exact age of the new state record, which will provide biologists with an excellent gauge on potential growth rates in Chickamauga Lake. Right now estimates on the fish's age vary anywhere from 8 years old, up to 14 years old.
Go here to read what TWRA Fisheries Chief Bobby Wilson had to say about the new record, and what he says about odds of Keen's record being broken: http://bit.ly/1vPeT5Y
You can also go here to watch Wilson's entire interview, with video of Keen's catch: http://youtu.be/m1BJeExCSRA
Awesome, thanks man.
