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setting up for habitat restoration
fmd habitat restoration , bubba scale information will benefit sam rayburn for years to come
By Steven Bardin and Gary Klein
Sam Rayburn Reservoir is a historic Texas fishery . Hosting an estimated 300-plus bass tournaments each year , the 114,500-acre reservoir has earned a reputation as a big-fish factory .
For good reason : The lake record is a 16.8-pound giant caught in 1997 by Tommy Shelton . Sam Rayburn has produced 32 fish over 13 pounds that have been donated to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Toyota ShareLunker program , including the 13.82-pound fish that Alec Morrison caught and donated during practice for Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 1 this year . ( There ’ s an excellent article about that fish by Jody White on MajorLeagueFishing . com )
starting off big at big sam
Given its prominent status within the tournament fishing world , it should come as no surprise that Sam Rayburn played a key role in how the Major League Fishing Fisheries Management Division ( FMD ) kicked off its 2024 schedule . During Bass Pro Tour Stage One at nearby Toledo Bend Reservoir , we completed the Minn Kota Habitat Restoration Project supported by Kubota Tractor Corporation on Rayburn — a project that featured a new idea in habitat restoration , the Bass Recovery Zone . This effort narrows down large reservoirs and focuses exclusively on where bass likely recover following their release after tournament weigh-ins . We know through generations of research that fish released after a tournament will spend up to a year within 0.5-3 miles of their release site . We also know that their ability to recover is improved with increased forage availability
Hammer Equipment of Jasper , Texas , lent a Kubota tractor to assist the MLF FMD in creating a Bass Recovery Zone on Sam Rayburn . and reduced stress in the release area . Habitat can meet both of those needs by concentrating forage and providing year-round stability .
For this project , we started by identifying the parks where the most tournaments are held . For Sam Rayburn , we found Umphrey Family Pavilion and the associated boat ramp to fit our target area for a Bass Recovery Zone .
The Umphrey Family Pavilion is home to several MLF events per year , including Stop 1 of the Invitationals this season plus numerous other high school , college and club tournaments . It has two courtesy docks , four boat lanes and a pavilion for weigh-ins , all of which are used by tournament anglers year-round . Thousands of fish are released from the docks or from live release boats into the area immediately around the park .
The park sits at the southern end of the reservoir , just to the east of the dam , and is partially protected by an island . The habitat immediately within the cove and around the island is fairly limited , so we knew we could improve this area and the recovery of released fish .
the science of bass recovery zones
To start building a Bass Recovery Zone near Umphrey Pavilion , we evaluated the topography of the area around the park and focused on a depth range of 12-15 feet , knowing that some seasonal drawdowns could occur for dam repairs or during drought . The Bass Recovery Zones use MossBack Artificial Fish Habitat and specifically consist of two 60-inch Conservation Cubes placed next to each other and flanked by three 60-inch Safe Haven trees and
PHOTO BY KANYAN KLEIN one 80-inch John Godwin Crappie Tower tree .
The cubes are stuffed with tree limbs to provide dense habitat with a highly defined edge . This provides a shelter area for forage fish , which are essential for bass recovery . The artificial trees provide additional ambush points . The MossBack products are made using recycled PVC that doesn ’ t decompose . Brushpiles made with natural materials do not have the longevity we need , while vegetation is seasonal and fairly unpredictable annually . Artificial habitat allows us to install a Bass Recovery Zone we know will be there for the long term .
10 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | APRIL-MAY 2024