Why Are Pink-Tagged Bass Swimming in 5 Florida Waters?

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) TrophyCatch program has deployed bright pink research tags in bass across five waters throughout the state: the Northwest Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, Lake Lochloosa, Lake Beauclair, Lake Okeechobee and Porter Lake. Each of the tags is on a trophy bass weighing 8 pounds or more. Designed to provide valuable data about bass movements and growth rates, these conspicuous pink tags offer one other unique advantage: special prizing for the angler who catches, cuts and properly reports the tag.

“Seeing a flash of pink as you land that giant bass will make an extraordinary experience even more memorable,” said Tom Graef, Director of FWC’s Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management. “TrophyCatch data also shows us that anyone fishing these waters might be the lucky one to catch a trophy - and a pink tag!"

Prizing is still being finalized and will be announced soon. To claim their reward, anglers must cut and keep the pink tag, and document the bass at TrophyCatch.com. An integral requirement of the program is that all bass must be released alive to allow other anglers the opportunity to experience a lifetime catch.

TrophyCatch is a largemouth bass conservation program designed to promote the responsible catch, documentation and release of trophy-size bass while rewarding anglers for their contributions to fisheries research and management. Your participation in TrophyCatch helps the FWC better understand and conserve Florida's freshwater fisheries. For more information about the TrophyCatch program, email KP Clements at KP.Clements@MyFWC.com. For fishing information on Florida’s most popular waters see FWC’s Freshwater Fishing Forecasts.