Does anyone here have any experience with these?

I live on a private lake in East Texas (about 4,000 acres) and the lake is considering these for stocking. My understanding is that these are a cross between selected Northern largemouth for aggressiveness (aka "Gorilla Bass") and pure Floridas selected for size. The strain was developed by American Sport Fish and of course they tout them highly. I've read that they don't have the eventual size potential of pure Floridas, but grow very fast and have a high 'catchability' factor.

I'm always nervous about introducing anything new. I'm trying to find out as much as I can about it to discuss at the monthly Fishing Club meeting.

Northern and Fla cross is the same as the F1 cross, I believe. I would say that is the most prevalent bass in our Texas waters today.

Apparently, there are some differences.

From ASF website:

"Created by our team of scientists, the Tiger Bass� has been specially bred for aggressiveness and fast growth. In well-managed lakes, Tiger Bass� have consistently gained more than two pounds per year. Biologists refer to this fish as a true F-1, because it is a cross between two pure subspecies of bass: a special strain of aggressive Northern Bass (which we call Gorilla Bass) and a pure strain of Florida Bass that comes from proven trophies (females from 13 to 16 pounds). American Sport Fish is the only hatchery licensed to produce and sell the Tiger Bass�".

Sounds like a win win:)

Jim,

Great question and IMO it is very hard to prove that these bass are any different than any other F1 Cross. However, they very well maybe different and more aggressive than a true F1. Ultimately, you will have to trust the supplier (American Sport Fish). They have an outstanding reputation and are probably the countries largest lake management company. (There are larger lake management companies who specialize in corporate lake engagement (keeping HOA ponds and corporate park lakes free of vegetation and trash), but ASF is probably the largest for fish management.

I do not see a downside other than cost. Changing your genetics every 5 years is a good thing and something I recommend. In your case, trying to change the genetic makeup of a 4000 acre lake is tough. If the group is sold that Tiger Bass are the way to go, as your lake management company I would probably suggest that you create a series of grow out ponds, buy fingerlings and raise them to 8 to 10 inches, fin clip them to identify them and release them. Trying to decide how many might change the genetic make up on that much water is a huge challenge. Buying a bunch of fingerlings in a lake that big and with predation rates of 90% to 95% is in financial suicide. Using grow out ponds and raising them to at least 6 inches greatly reduces predation rates.

Managing a 4000 private lake owned my multiple people with multiple goals takes a special lake management company.

I have no knowledge of the science of it but I have caught them on a few private ponds. They fight harder, and get big fast. Sounds like a good idea.

Thanks, Steve. They'll go into hatchery ponds to grow some before release. Initial purchase is 1,000-1,500 fingerlings. I don't know, but is that enough to make a difference or even establish a presence in a 4,000 acre lake?

Very hard to say. But, it should help some; but probably very little. How much is just a SWAG. Growing that many bass in a grow out pond will be a challenge. You may want to consider adding 1500 each year for 3 or 4 years; allowing you to grow them out properly (enough room)

I stocked shad in a 250 acre lake last year and that is about as large a private lake as I think you can manage effectively unless you truly have unlimited budget. You can do things like set slot limits, harvest fish, add brush piles, but adding forage and changing genetics is hard and expensive. Not sure how much change you can effect without a massive budget. I know private places that have $250k annual budgets and the water is 200 to 500 acres. I can't imagine what the budget should be on 4000 acres; if you truly want to move the dial.

That's sort of what I was thinking.... it doesn't seem to me that a stocking of 1,000-1,500 would make any sort of difference at all. I C&R more than that every year out of this lake.

I'll try to get some more information and see if there is a long-term plan that I'm not aware of. Thanks for your help.

1500 that didn't get released until they were 12" long would influence the gene pull ..... People talk about the hundreds of thousands of fingerlings Fork gets every year but like Mr. Alexander pointed out, 90-95% get eaten by something.

Tigger bass do grow at a fast pace with proper forage available, their bodies seem to grow at a faster rate than their heads. They are are aggressive as they claim without a doubt, in fact it's mind blowing.

If remember correctly this is s 3 yo fish.


I would caution on how far North they can be stocked and ask questions about being susceptible to disease.

I am amazed that only 5 to 10% survive. It seems like such a waste to put in 750,000 and roughly 37,000 survive to a catchable size. I have never heard of these tiger bass but they seem like a good fish to go after for sure. Good post and good information, thanks for sharing,

It will make a difference; just hard to quantify how much.

I would love to see an independent research study proving this. It very well be true. In fact, I would love to verify that these fish grow faster and that they are more aggressive. If proven, I would love to sell them.

5% to 10% is probably very generous. The numbers maybe close to 1% to 2%. We really don't know and every body of water is different. But, make no mistake that adding new genetics can and do make a difference. You mentioned 750,000 in Lake Fork.....That will have an influence. IMO, it is not a waste.

If Lake Cherokee would quit stocking grass carp every time a sprig of hydrilla pops up, they wouldn't need tiger bass. My dad has lived out there for years. When the drilla grows, the fishing is fantastic. Then the skiers and jet fleas all whine. Next thing you know the grass is gone, the water is ugly and the fishing goes to he77. The lake association has done a good job of putting in brush habitat, encouraging harvest of smaller bass and spotted bass, etc., but, the efforts don't make up for the loss of aquatic vegetation.

Steve,

Don't know if it's a "faster" growth rate. They are a goofy looking bass with little heads and a little mouth.

I am still trying to get you and your shock boat on this lake, the owner has a trust issue with who has access to his place. Hopefully this spring!

We stocked our new 35 acre lake 2.5 years ago and 1/5 of the bass we stocked were Tiger Bass fingerlings. We stocked about 35k bluegill the year prior. I can vouch for their growth rates as about one out of five fish we catch are 4-5lbs. Pretty amazing for 2.5 year old fish.

Sorry, but I have to disagree with most of this. I've been here 19 years (fishing most days) and the fishing is better than ever, with this year being the best. We've got more vegetation than a lot of other lakes (including Fork), even though it isn't hydrilla. In addition to the wood cover, we've got a lot of water primrose, pads, smartweed, reeds, etc. Not all the vegetation is visible, though. And the water is a clear tannic color just like most of the other lakes in the area (except obviously when it rains hard). We've got too many Kentuckys, but they lowered the size limit to 12" to get people to keep them.

In the late 90's I assisted with the management of a 15 acre private pond in Denver Co. All catch & release appx 30 ft deep stocked with trout up to 5-6 lbs. At the time it had a small population of Smallmouth & Northern strain LM. To improve the fishing we buried brushpiles and built several rockpiles and imported both Gorilla & Tiger strains as well as fathead minnows along with some Gizzards < (epic fail winter killed the first year). After 2 yrs we began to notice higher recorded catches of bass by the members. In Colorado we estimated a 6 month growing cycle based on the average Winter. At 2 yrs the fingerlings had grown to an average of 6-8". In the 3rd year the ave was 12-13" 4th yr we began to see changes in the # of spawning fish, the amount of minnows & the recorded decline of trout catches. In the 5th year starting in the Spring once water temps hit the low to mid 50's is when we saw what exactly was happening, the bigger spawn age bass were skipping the minnows and had started to indulge in a steady diet of trout. In 06 my last year involved we recorded tagged bass in the 7-8 lb range after 8 yrs since planting. Considering they were sitting under ice for up to 4 months with a shorter growing cycle the deduction was simple choice of forage & genetics.
All I can tell you, really an interesting study in behavior of species, I thought they acted more like a Spotted bass because of the water temps they actively fed at.

What we don't know is this a function of stocking dense forage amounts or is this a function of the genetics? The only way to test is to have 2 identical environments....which unfortunately is impossible. Too many variables such as cormorants, otters, outside watershed influences, harvest and water quality issues. That is what makes the answers on genetics challenging. However, common sense would dictate that what American SportFish has done has created a superior fish, but almost impossible to prove.

This past summer my parents bought a ranch and on the ranch is a 12-15 acre lake. It's maximum depth is 45-50 ft deep. The lake was stocked with bluegill, shiners, fat head minnows 2.5 yrs ago. We are going to stock it this May with Camelot bass from Overton fisheries. Our goal is to have a trophy bass fishery in a fee years.

Jim I apologize for misdirecting the thread. I enjoy fishing out there with my dad when I am able. The aquatic vegetation that you mentioned does help, but,90% of it is shoreline related. The area above Sylvan Bridge is the exception, obviously, as it is loaded with both vegetation and bass. I have found some coontail but have had mixed results. I would trade all of the vegetation in the lake for hydrilla because it grows to contour and grows offshore. A few years ago Lee and Mud creeks had coontail and drilla and the fishing was the best I've seen. As for your original post, I don't know anything about tiger bass, but, if the lake decides to stock them then I look forward to giving some a sore lip.