For the past 6 years, the Claiborne Parish Watershed District has guided the way to restocking Lake Claiborne with Tiger Bass.

“We had enough funds in our account to purchase these fish, known as ‘Tiger’ bass from a hatchery in Alabama. These were recently released into the lake at the same time the spawn was going on with other species which means these fingerlings won’t be standing alone as targets for forage fish,” said Reeder.

The fingerlings were released at select areas around the lake to give them better distribution rather than all in one location. Hatchery biologists report a 50% survival rate of these released fish.

“We are committed to release these fast growing fish at the rate of 80,000 a year for a total of five years which should give the lake a growing population of these fish that have a history of gaining up to two pounds a year,” Reeder added.

Creating the “Tiger” bass has been an interesting proposition, Reeder noted. Florida strain largemouth and regular northern largemouths are bred in ponds at the nursery and those that grow quicker are put in a separate vat. The most aggressive ones of this group are added to yet another tank to create Tiger bass like the ones released into Lake Claiborne.