ROANOKE, W.Va. — Since it was first flooded in the late 1980’s Stonewall Jackson Lake has been a haven for bass fishermen. The rich and fertile waters fueled an explosion in the size of the average bass anglers were able to pull from the green waters, especially during the spring months.
The average size perpetuated over the years aided by a catch and release restriction which required all black bass caught at Stonewall to be immediately returned to the water. The process worked to perfection and many enjoyed a “grip and grin” photograph before sending a lunker back into the water to be caught again.
But the catch and release regulation blocked the state’s most high profile bass lake from ever hosting a sanctioned bass fishing tournament. Anglers were unable to bring their catch to the certified scales of a weigh-in and therefore tournament organizers never considered the idea.
However, a change in the restriction this year changed everything. Starting in 2014 anglers will be able to keep six bass caught from the lake, but the restriction limits a fisherman to only one keeper over 18 inches in length. It will be an unusual rule for those who generally enjoy casting for cash, but it will open up the lake for tournament organizers. The question now is which organization will get to host the first tournament at Stonewall.
“We’re going to have a drawing of tournament dates that will be available,” said Brett Preston, Assistant Chief of Warmwater Fisheries for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. “It will be January 9th at the Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park Administration Building. We have sent notification to the fishing and tournament organizations if they want to participate.”
Tournament organizers, by and large, have always been very careful to protect the fish their participants catch. Tournament catches are released back into the water with survival documented at better than 95 percent. There is no evidence fishing tournaments have ever had a negative impact on the state’s waters. But the DNR is still approaching the idea cautiously.
“We’ve selected 10 dates during the year for large tournaments,” said Preston. “For smaller tournaments which are ten boats or so, we’re working to create an online permit application but until that they can sumbit an application.”
The ten dates will be in the spring and fall. Tournaments will not be allowed from the second weekend in June until the second weekend of September.
“Largemouth bass virus has been documented at Stonewall Jackson Lake and we’re looking at minimizing those warm weather tournaments and potential stress on fish during that warmer weather period,” said Preston.
The agency is also blacking out dates which historically have a high level of traffic on the water. Tournament permits will not be issued for Labor Day weekend, Memorial Day weekend, or the weekend of the National Hunting and Fishing Day Celebrations. The Independence Day holiday is also a big recreational time on the lake, but is already blacked out with the summer months.
The change in regulations also extends to musky fishermen. The new laws require any musky less than 52 inches be returned to the water immediately. The DNR will permit only five musky tournaments during the year, although musky tournaments do not involve a weigh-in the way bass tournaments are conducted.
Preston said they are encouraging, although not requiring, organizers of larger tournaments to hold their weigh-in activities at the Vandalia Ramp. The more secluded location is on the upper end of the lake and less active than the State Park marina area.
The agency’s rules are designed to accommodate nationally sanctioned tournaments. If the scheduling of a national tournament falls in a blacked out date, an exception could be made at the discretion of the DNR Director.