LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Black Bass Program has released the latest annual report from the Arkansas Tournament Information Program, and anglers may want to take note of some highlights as they prepare to hit the water this spring.
Jeremy Risley, BBP coordinator for the AGFC, explained that ATIP reports are derived from data voluntarily submitted by tournament directors throughout the state. Tournament weights, number of anglers, numbers of fish caught and numbers of fish over 5 pounds are submitted to the AGFC. Biologists compile those details to derive some interesting notes about Arkansas’s more popular tournament fishing locations. Tournament statistics can vary based on a number of factors, but biologists can still use some of the data for management decisions.“We can use the catch rates of 5-pound bass in tournaments to help make decisions on stocking Florida bass, for instance,” Risley said. “ATIP data alone won’t drive those decisions, but it definitely plays a part in the decision-making process.”
For the third year in a row, Lake Nimrod stood out as the top destination for bass tournaments. The lake is too small and the surrounding area doesn’t have the hotels and other facilities to handle most large tournaments, but it’s become a regular stop for most small and mid-sized bass clubs in central Arkansas.
“Nimrod has really only been high in the rankings during the last few years,” Risley said. “Mainly because there haven’t been enough tournament cards turned in from it to get data that’s comparable to the rest of the lakes on the list.”
Anglers focused on larger lakes and larger bass tournaments should know most of the lakes rounding out the top five for 2023: Millwood Lake, Lake Chicot, Lake Ouachita and Bull Shoals Lake.
Risley also added some noteworthy highlights and a “State of Arkansas Tournament Fishing” in this year’s report to give some added insight into where the Black Bass Program is headed.
“Sharing the data with our anglers is great, but it’s also important to keep that line of communication open to keep them in the loop about what those numbers mean, how we work to interpret the data and what we are doing to improve the resource,” Risley said.
Some notable statistics from last year’s tournaments include: