Be careful what you ask for or we will see stupid rules put inlace like the gun control laws that is happening right now.

My fish from fork #608 was released by me last Friday at fork during the elite event. Bass did a little video on it. Was very cool. Fish was 100% Florida strain. Stocked in the lake as a fingerling from their Florida broad stock. They can tell you exactly which fish it was the offspring from mom and dad pretty cool anyone that thinks the program doesn’t work hasn’t done their research.

Couldn’t agree more. They just hear someone else say all these fish die and so that’s what they believe.

I'm not sure about that. Your fish came from Florida stock, I'm guessing that's not SL stock. If that's correct it really wouldnt prove anything one way or the other

I've always asked why they wouldn't want the genes from the "non pure florida" fish that reach that 13+ size because for a while there if it wasn't a certain % Florida they wouldnt breed it. Too get that big seems pretty special and I would want more of that in the lake as well.

Was your fish a SAL offspring or just Florida broad stock? One thing I will agree with you on is that you caught a beautiful fish. Congrats!!!

Because Texas doesn't want a 14 lb bass. Texas wants the world record so be thinking of a 23 lb bass. There's no such thing as an intergrade at any level over 18 pounds that I'm aware of. Only a pure Florida is going to break the world record. If I'm wrong, please enlighten me. I don't read up on this the way I used to.

What is hard for we Texans to grasp is that this has so much to do with the "terroir" as the wine folks would say. The climate, the water quality, the length of seasons, the food availability all contribute to growing that fish and we don't have the X-factor our left wing compatriots have out west nor the readily available protein source. Many wealthy gents have tried to money whip our little problem into shape sparing no expense and there seems to be a ceiling that exists.

One thing that you'll rarely see argued is that to grow a 20 lb bass you'll need pure Florida genetics.

Just the rantings of a country dentist who can't seem to catch one of these.

Tight lines,

J

Now let's REALLY look at the data because things get hairy fairly quickly. What was the sample size described for Twin Buttes? I see that either 57 percent of the fish tested had some Florida genetics or 57 percent of the genetic makeup of the lake was Floridanus. We'd first want some clarification regarding the definitions. Now I'd ask how many have actually gotten to electrosurvey a lake? It shocks the smaller fish more easily and rarely can stun a BIG bass. I think Mike Frazier at CB had the most bizarre double digit ratio ever reported but typically you're measuring small to medium sized fish for length and weight, collecting a genetic sample if necessary and then returning them to the water. You're selecting for smaller fish by your method of collection and therefore potentially excluding some pure Floridas.

We are interpolating results from limited data when there might be a different situation in reality. If I were a younger man I'd go read the survey report from 2019 and find out the details but I'm two bourbons into this evening so I'll just make assumptions until we learn otherwise. Let's ask Salex, Fish Breeder or our local celebrity Ken A who was featured in Sowbelly what their thoughts are. I feel confident that they will say in any given non-yankee climate (Florida, Georgia, Cuba, Texas, Mexico, California, Louisiana) a pure Florida is going to out perform a cross if everything else is equal.

So we arrive back at the crux....... Does anyone remember "Operation World Record?" Are fish that genetically variable from individual to individual like terrestrial animals or are they much less different genetically and more controlled by environmental influences?

My head hurts.....

J

Now let's REALLY look at the data because things get hairy fairly quickly. What was the sample size described for Twin Buttes? I see that either 57 percent of the fish tested had some Florida genetics or 57 percent of the genetic makeup of the lake was Floridanus. We'd first want some clarification regarding the definitions. Now I'd ask how many have actually gotten to electrosurvey a lake? It shocks the smaller fish more easily and rarely can stun a BIG bass. I think Mike Frazier at CB had the most bizarre double digit ratio ever reported but typically you're measuring small to medium sized fish for length and weight, collecting a genetic sample if necessary and then returning them to the water. You're selecting for smaller fish by your method of collection and therefore potentially excluding some pure Floridas.

We are interpolating results from limited data when there might be a different situation in reality. If I were a younger man I'd go read the survey report from 2019 and find out the details but I'm two bourbons into this evening so I'll just make assumptions until we learn otherwise. Let's ask Salex, Fish Breeder or our local celebrity Ken A who was featured in Sowbelly what their thoughts are. I feel confident that they will say in any given non-yankee climate (Florida, Georgia, Cuba, Texas, Mexico, California, Louisiana) a pure Florida is going to out perform a cross if everything else is equal.

So we arrive back at the crux....... Does anyone remember "Operation World Record?" Are fish that genetically variable from individual to individual like terrestrial animals or are they much less different genetically and more controlled by environmental influences?

My head hurts.....

J[/quote]
Hate to disagree with ya doc, but my brother IS a fisheries Biologist and has shocked up plenty of bass over 10 pounds, with a few giants along the way. 20 pounders? Not yet. I've been the "net man" on shocking trips to these private lakes, and I was amazed at the size of some of them. Yes, you will by and large shock up small and medium sized fish mostly, but that's because they make up the majority of the population in any lake. There are some new surprises coming in the "growing largemouth bass" world that I'm not allowed to talk about...yet. Suffice it to say, I think it will change all of our thinking on growing giant bass. IF...it works!

Hate to disagree with ya doc, but my brother IS a fisheries Biologist and has shocked up plenty of bass over 10 pounds, with a few giants along the way. 20 pounders? Not yet. I've been the "net man" on shocking trips to these private lakes, and I was amazed at the size of some of them. Yes, you will by and large shock up small and medium sized fish mostly, but that's because they make up the majority of the population in any lake. There are some new surprises coming in the "growing largemouth bass" world that I'm not allowed to talk about...yet. Suffice it to say, I think it will change all of our thinking on growing giant bass. IF...it works! [/quote]

Can I come along next time you get the call to net!? LOL seen a couple youtube videos and it looked like a fun day! PM me the secret stuff! LOL Maybe I can use some of that juice when I help out the BASS Nation here in New Mexico with lake improvement efforts 🤔

Anyone ever heard of "hybrid vigor"?? Pure Florida would seem to be contraindicated anyway....need some cold tolerance and such

Heterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring. An offspring is heterotic if its traits are enhanced as a result of mixing the genetic contributions of its parents. These effects can be due to Mendelian or non-Mendelian inheritance.

I just saw a SAL was put back in to Palestine today

I think most sals aren't 100 percent florida. I know mine wasn't.

Did they release yours....or did they update you on how it went? I wonder if the fork story from TSpurgin was a one off type deal or if they keep the anglers that caught them in the loop....even if its something as simple as an email.

I have heard a few direct stories. It is your fish, they keep you in the loop!