Citizen Scientists

Compelling news from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s A.E. Wood State Fish Hatchery in San Marcos……
Recent genetics testing performed on a scale sample from an 8.15-pound largemouth bass caught and released earlier this year from Bois d’ Arc Lake confirms the fish was a test tube baby with a developing weight problem.
According to fisheries biologist Dan Bennett of Pottsboro, the fish was one of 2,070 Toyota ShareLunker offspring released in the Fannin County impoundment in Fall  2019.
Fishing guide Jason Conn caught the big bass in May. He plucked a couple of scales from the fish before releasing it. The scales were voluntarily submitted to TPWD in hopes of helping scientists learn more about the bass’ DNA and family tree.
TPWD geneticist Dijar Lutz-Carrillo used the scales to identify the fish as a five-year old daughter of a 14.57 pound Toyota ShareLunker caught in January 2019 from Marine Creek Reservoir near Fort Worth by Zach Sypert. Sypert’s fish spawned at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens later that year.
Previous genetics testing identified the Marine Creek ShareLunker as the daughter of a 14.10-pound Toyota ShareLunker caught in 2006 at Lake Conroe.
That’s pretty cool stuff. It reaffirms what scientists and anglers have known for years — Florida strain bass are genetically programmed to grow faster and larger than northern largemouth bass.
The first Floridas were brought to Texas in the early 1970s. TPWD’s Florida bass hatchery program is now built around the offspring from Toyota Legacy ShareLunkers — angler-caught female bass upwards of 13 pounds. The agency is calling them “Lone Star Bass.”
The finding also confirms that the Bois d’ Arc bass fishery is a healthy one ripe with forage to help the fish stay fat and sassy. The reservoir opened to recreational traffic about 4 1/2 months ago. It is the first major reservoir to open in Texas since 1991.
The lake was built for water supply by the North Texas Municipal Water District. TPWD helped groom it for good fishing down the road. The management blueprint included multiple stockings of ShareLunker offspring and a restrictive 16-inch maximum length limit to protect them from harvest.
Bennett rides shotgun over Bois d’ Arc for TPWD. He says Conn’s fish was originally stocked as a six-inch advanced growth fingerling in one of the four brood ponds that were inundated after the lake began filling. The ponds ranged in size from 3-7 acres.
Interestingly, Conn also caught a 9.05 pounder at Bois d’ Arc in April that ranks as the official lake record. The angler submitted a scale sample from that fish for genetics testing as well, but the results were inconclusive.
“Unfortunately, there wasn’t enough usable DNA collected from the scale sample on the 9.05 pounder to make an identification on it, but I have no doubt it was probably a sister of the 8.15 pounder,” Bennett said. “If these fish keep up this growth trajectory we’ll see a state record out of Bois d’ Arc in 2029.”
Only time will tell if Bennett’s prediction turns out to be correct. In the meantime, TPWD continues turning over rocks aimed at helping to unravel the mysteries of big bass DNA.
The department is encouraging other anglers to follow Conn’s lead by donating scale samples from ShareLunkers for testing to help the process along.
For those who may not know, anglers who catch bass weighing eight pounds or more are now eligible to enter those fish as Toyota ShareLunkers online or using the ShareLunker mobile app year-round, Jan. 1 - December 31.
Beginning in 2018, the program was revamped to include four categories instead of one. Only one category (Legacy Class) involves TPWD picking up the fish for spawning at the TFFC. Legacy fish are those weighing 13 pounds or more that are caught between Jan. 1 and March 31.
Anglers who enter fish in other weight categories are encouraged to remove a few scales from their fish before releasing it. The scales may be submitted to TPWD’s genetics lab for testing.
There is no charge to the angler for DNA testing, but there are some cool rewards to be reaped from doing the good deed.
Anglers who submit scale samples from qualifying fish receive an official ShareLunker Catch Kit including a Lew’s baitcasting reel, cap, fishing tackle, a cap and a three-month subscription to Bass University, an exclusive online video library featuring instructional programs taught by some of the nation’s top bass pros.
ShareLunker participants also are entered in an end-of-the-year drawing for a $5,000 gift certificate to Bass Pro Shops.
TPWD says the idea behind soliciting volunteer donations of scale samples is to provide fisheries managers the opportunity to gather valuable data about the genetics of wild populations of large bass finning around in lakes across the state. Think of it like a citizen science partnership aimed at allowing anglers to contribute to the management of largemouth bass in Texas.
“These fish are typically smaller than the 13 pound threshold for the Legacy class entries, but larger than the fish that are collected during routine monitoring by biologists through electrofishing,” Carrillo said. “They provide us with ‘missing samples’ that we would otherwise rarely encounter.”
Carrillo added that the data gathered from scale testing provides useful insight about how genetics composition affects size, while helping with evaluations of size-associated genetic markers.
“Additionally, for every fish we recover that ties back to a previous ShareLunker entry we have a very accurate age for that fish,” he said. “This helps answer questions about how long it takes for fish to reach large sizes. Once the dataset for these fish is large enough, we may be able to get better resolution on how much the age to size relationship varies among reservoirs.”
Matt Williams is a freelance writer based in Nacogdoches. He can be reached by email, mattwillwrite4u@yahoo.com .

Collecting Scales for Testing

Collecting scale samples for genetics testing is simple using the following instructions from TPWD:
1.) Remove three scales from the fish using a clean tool like forceps, tweezers or a fingernail.
2.) Press the scales between sections of clean paper towel to thoroughly dry. Secure the dried scales between a clean section of paper towel. Do not store in plastic bags.
3.) Place the wrapped scales a small envelope and store in dry conditions at room temperature until mailed.
4.) Write your name and ShareLunker app submission number on the envelope. Send to:
Attn: Genetics Lab
505 Staples Road (building #2)
San Marcos, TX 78666

— TPWD

Benefits of Scale Sharing

* Genetic Research: Genetic samples, such as fin clips or scales, from trophy-sized bass can provide important genetic information. This information can be used to study the genetic diversity, lineage, and relatedness of these exceptional fish. It can also help researchers understand the genetic factors that contribute to the growth potential and trophy size of Largemouth Bass.
* Parentage Analysis: Genetic samples can be used to determine the parentage of individual fish, helping researchers understand reproductive patterns, kinship relationships, and genetic contributions to the population.
* Breeding and Stocking Programs: The genetic samples collected through the ShareLunker program can be used in breeding programs to produce broodstock for stocking efforts. This can help enhance the genetic diversity of largemouth Bass populations, improve trophy bass genetics, and ultimately promote the growth of trophy-sized fish in Texas waters.
* Angler Recognition: Anglers who submit trophy-sized bass to the ShareLunker program receive recognition for their contribution to bass conservation and research. The program acknowledges and celebrates anglers who catch and share data from their trophy bass.
* Public Awareness/Education: The ShareLunker program can raise public awareness about the importance of trophy bass conservation and responsible angling practices. It encourages anglers to support the sustainable management of largemouth lass in Texas and raise awareness about bass genetics and conservation.

— TPWD