For years and years TPWD has been stocking Lake Fork with Florida strain fingerlings. But never venturing beyond the boat ramps where they dump them because they felt that putting them into boats to take to the back of creeks to many would die before they got in the water.

Yesterday with organization mainly by the Lake Fork Sportsman's Assoc putting together a plan and then providing the volunteers to spread them thru out the lake in the back of creeks. Members in boats mostly from the Lake Fork Anglers,
a couple of guides, and some individuals. The live release boat (LRB) with a crew of 4 took over 150,000 fry to disperse into Birch Creek (you'll have to ask them where).
And 10-20 individuals with coolers took many more to distribute.

First all of the buckets, live wells and LRB tanks were filled with lake water to at least 6 inches. Then the baby bass were bagged much like you do with shiners for crappie using lake water, with oxygen being added to each bag so that they could do at least an hour before being released. The bass were free swimming in the 300 gallon tanks on the LRB and lifted out with special nets that were previously placed in the bottom of the tanks for that reason.

Despite the fact that it was blowing very hard and the lake had 4' rollers about the time the boats left everyone was able to disperse their passengers into the back of many creeks.

The fisheries folks said there were 276,000 altogether. And that in about 6-7 years when they start doing the DNA studies on those Share A Lunkers's they will know if it worked by their DNA.

We hope in the future that the scientists will again make use of the volunteers in future stockings.