Florida Fish Busters Bulletin July 2011 Florida black bass grand slam By Bob Wattendorf Florida Fish

and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Jim Walker of Brooksville, Fla., took less than six months to complete the Florida black bass grand slam, and went one better. Although spring and summer is baseball season for many Americans to whom a grand slam is that glorious occasion of hitting a home run with the bases loaded, many will marvel more at Walkers stunning and fun accomplishment. Even though baseball is often touted as Americas national sport, many times more Americans fish than play baseball (17% of Americans age 6 or older fish, whereas 5% play baseball; Outdoor Recreation Foundation 2010 Participation Report), enjoying the healthy benefits of connecting with nature through a taut fishing line. I was inspired by an article in Bassmaster magazine and made it my 2011new years resolution to catch all the Florida black bass species this year, Walker said. Florida has four or the nine black bass species that make up the BASS
Jim Walker with Suwannee bass from the Santa Fe.

Slam (BassMaster.com/Slam). Collectively bass are the most popular sport fishes in North America. The Florida largemouth is the largest and most popular of all, but

its smaller cousins provide great fishing as well. Completing the slam requires a commitment to travel, careful research and a high level of skill. Because of the immense popularity of black bass and their potential to contribute to the ecological, economic and social well-being of Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on June 9, 2011 approved a long-term management plan (see MyFWC.com/Fishing) to ensure anglers worldwide will recognize Florida as the undisputed bass fishing capital of the world. Among the many action items in the new plan is the idea of supporting the BASS Slam and emphasizing the Florida black bass species as a possible Florida grand slam, which can inspire anglers to seek out new opportunities and emphasize the critical need for habitat management and conservation to keep these fisheries viable. Walkers story epitomizes all that FWC hopes to encourage in anglers. His quest began with a trip to Oleno State Park, on the Santa Fe River, on April 2, 2011. There accompanied by his wife Nancy and four-year old son, Jack, he caught both a Suwannee bass, with its beautiful purplish colors along the lateral line, and a Florida largemouth, from a rented canoe. Walker next took on the shoal bass. After researching the species on MyFWC.com/Fishing and elsewhere, he decided that the upper Chipola was the best place to go. He loaded his family and took them to Florida Caverns State Park.
Shoal bass subdued after a power strike and exciting catch.

On the way, he tried fishing from shore and

was rewarded with a beautiful shoal bass from the Chipola near CR 278 (Peacock Bridge Rd.). He described this as his favorite catch as it slammed a finesse worm and came two feet out of the water giving them all a thrill. It is also a beautiful fish with tiger stripes along its cheeks, an orange tint and bright red eyes. By the end of April, he had three of the four Florida black basses to his credit. Needing only the spotted bass, and wanting the best (most current) information available he contacted the FWC. I had the good fortune of taking his call and enjoying a delightful conversation with this avid angler, conservationist and family man. Enthralled by his story I put him in touch with our regional office, where Katie Woodside and Matt Wegener provided him the information he needed. In his words, Some great folks there shared with me great (and beautiful) locations to find my
Using tips from FWC biologists, Walker located this spotted bass from shore over Memorial Day weekend.

last species. This trip actually began on my birthday (May 26, 2011) and resulted with the accomplishment of my Florida black bass grand slam. He caught a qualifying spotted bass at the Hightower Springs Landing on Holmes Creek, just by walking the bank with his family and casting a finesse worm. A memorable birthday and Memorial Day weekend for him and his family. Jim grew up fishing primarily saltwater around Daytona with his father, and now participates in local bass tournaments. He wants to pass that legacy of connecting with nature and caring about our resources to his son, who is already

well on his way. Jack is the designated release man for the Walkers loving to help get their catches back into the water and see them swim off. They have also taken a family trip to visit the Florida Bass Conservation Center in Sumter County. At this working FWC fish hatchery, they observed public displays highlighting the role of hatcheries and conservation in sustaining quality bass fisheries, and depicting both trophy Florida bass and the other black bass species and their ranges. That sounds like enough to make a great story and cover a half year of fishing, but the Walkers had more to offer. Nancy, Jims wife, is one fish shy of her Florida slam as well. Moreover, along the way they went one better, on an earlier fishing trip
Son Jack and wife Nancy enjoy the family fishing fun in pursuit of a Florida black bass grand slam.

in February, they visited south Florida and

again fishing from shore caught a peacock bass. Peacock bass are the only reproducing non-native fish stocked by the state in the early 1980s to help control other small non-native fishes that had escaped or were illegally released by aquarists or the aquaculture industry and to provide a high quality sport fishery. Unlike black bass that are in the sunfish family, which includes bream and crappie, peacock bass are cichlids like tilapia and oscar. Florida freshwater fisheries also offer striped bass, white bass and the sunshine bass (a hatchery-produced hybrid of the other two). These are from a third family of fishes known as the temperate bass. Again, they are not part of the black bass slam, but are on the Walkers wish list, along with the other five black bass

species that are found elsewhere in North America. Somehow, I expect someday to hear that they have expanded their fishing horizons to include them all. Walker said, The coolest thing is that I not only accomplished our Florida black bass grand slam, but did it in half the year and for the most part just walked the bank. This quest has shown me so many new and beautiful places that I would have never
Peacock bass provide a multimillion-dollar recreational fishery in south Florida.

known existed. You hear alot about our (Florida's) fantastic saltwater fishing and largemouth bass fishing in the bigger lakes, but the areas I was fortunate to find and visit while completing this slam in the Central and Panhandle portions of our State are absolutely beautiful. In 2011, over 1.5 million fans flocked to Florida to watch professional baseball hoping to see a grand slam. Meanwhile, nearly 2.8 million anglers fish in Florida each year and like the Walkers have the opportunity every day to enjoy the sound and feel of a bass striking their lure and exploding from the water. Oh yeah, give me the Bass Slam any day that is my kind of four-bagger.

Instant licenses are available at MyFWC.com/License or by calling 1-888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356). Report violators by calling *FWC or #FWC on your cell, or 1888-404-3922. Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing/Updates for more Fish Busters columns.