Reproductive habitats : Reproductive habitat is very species specific . For most black bass and sunfish species , these are shallow , hard-bottom gravel areas near some sort of alternative cover . For shad species , reproductive habitat is vegetation or riprap rock that allows them to stick eggs to as they quickly swim past . Most anglers are really familiar with how to catch fish during the spawn or around forage fish that are spawning . Recovery habitat : The final category is recovery habitat , which is a much broader category that really incorporates components of both ambush and escape habitats in very specific areas of a reservoir . These habitats ’ function is to allow fish to recover after being released during a weigh-in tournament . Fisheries managers have found that most fish when released after a weigh-in stay within a small geographic area for up to six months . Maximizing those fish ’ s ability to immediately find suitable habitat and successful forage is fundamental to the longevity of tournament bass fishing .
PLANNING OUR HABITAT PROJECTS
When we ’ re creating our habitat projects , the MLF Fisheries Management Division continuously keeps in mind the location , density , abundance , material type and expected longevity of the project to try to provide the habitat type that ’ s most needed for a specific body of water . We then get to work organizing with the local state agencies , collecting the needed materials , filing permits with the water authorities , and defining how we will assess success for each project .
You may have already seen earlier in 2021 that MLF announced a partnership with the leading artificial fish habitat
manufacturer , MossBack Fish Habitat . MossBack ’ s products utilize recycled materials that are compressed into a unique V- shaped “ limb .” Those limbs are then incorporated into PVC tubing that combine to make the complexity needed to provide both ambush and escape habitats . The lifespan of these materials is basically endless , as they do not degrade .
During the 2021 Heavy Hitters event in North Carolina , MLF Bass Pro Tour angler Greg Vinson ( a MossBack pro ), North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission staff and local high school anglers showcased some of the MossBack products on a project at Lake Mackintosh near the Raleigh-Durham area . This project incorporated several of the current MossBack products and a couple prototype products placed in two primary locations on the reservoir .
Within four days of adding the habitat to the lake , Vinson and the high school anglers returned to the habitat areas and were able to catch multiple largemouth bass that were already using the structures .
A second such project will happen during Bass Pro Tour Stage Four in Dayton , Tennessee . FMD will once again collaborate with Bass Pro Tour pros , high school students and local biologists from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to place habitat in two areas and assess how quickly the habitat attracts fish .
The MossBack partnership allows us to incorporate artificial habitat as well as natural materials into our habitat projects and represents the first of many steps we ’ re taking to assume a leading role in ensuring that Major League Fishing continues to extend the life of the sport of bass fishing .
We ’ ll continue to develop more projects using aquatic vegetation restoration , artificial habitat , natural laydowns and brushpiles to improve aging reservoirs and then use our catch-weigh-release data in subsequent years to determine the impact our projects have on a fishery . This is a revolutionary approach that allows the MLF Fisheries Management Division to both improve fisheries and assess success — of course , we cannot accomplish this all alone and look forward to incorporating new partnerships as well as providing opportunities for local anglers to volunteer on future projects .
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