For more than 40 years, B.A.S.S. and the grassroots B.A.S.S. Nation have remained focused on issues related to fisheries and aquatic resource conservation. The B.A.S.S. Conservation Program is a driving force behind progressive, positive change on critical water resource and access issues – Fisheries Management, Habitat, Aquatic Nuisance Species, Aquatic Vegetation Management, Angler Access and Tournament Fish Care.
B.A.S.S. is more than tournaments, a magazine and a membership – it’s decades of demonstrated natural resource conservation efforts. B.A.S.S. Conservation works with government agencies to develop sound management policies that protect and enhance aquatic resources. We partner with the industry and conservation community to ensure that government policies provide for these resources without compromising portfishing opportunities. B.A.S.S. Federation Nation members provide substantial volunteer efforts to enhance fisheries resources and protect our sport. B.A.S.S. is renowned for state-of-the-art tournament fish care and the legendary publication “Keeping Bass Alive.”
Devoted to challenges that lie ahead, B.A.S.S. Conservation works on behalf of it’s 500,000 members to ensure the future of fishing through conservation.
Bass Fishing Improved by 2,000 Person Team
What is big enough to pick up 10 tons of trash, lift 8,000 pounds of invasive plants and catch 2 1/2 tons of grass carp? – click here to find out…
Florida Black Bass Management Program
We are working together to get the word out to anglers that Florida is the Bass Capital of the World. Through programs such as the Black Bass Management Plan bass fishing will prosper and supply future generations with the quality fisheries Florida is known for. learn more…..
Habitat
Simply put, habitat is disappearing at an alarming rate. And without habitat the future of recreational angling and a vital link to the aquatic food chain will be lost. The issues are complex: erosion, sedimentation and reservoir aging. Yet, there is hope and B.A.S.S. Conservation has taken a leadership role in the federal government’s National Fish Habitat Initiative. At the national level, B.A.S.S. is proactively involved with federal and state government to enact laws to end the losses while making room for habitat restoration and growth. The habitat agenda is pushed up from the local level through the grass-roots network of B.A.S.S. Federation clubs.
Aquatic nuisance species
An aquarium owner dumps unwanted fish and plants into the local river, no harm intended. A freighter from overseas pumps ballast water into the Great Lakes, unknowingly setting free harmful fish and organisms. Both scenarios are very real and threaten to destroy or imperil the balance of aquatic ecosystems the size of the Great Lakes, Mississippi River and beyond. As the problem spreads, B.A.S.S. Conservation has joined a growing coalition of concerned policy makers, government agencies and scientists to regulate importation of exotics and stop their illegal introduction to the nation’s waters.
Aquatic vegetation management
Hydrilla and milfoil are unjustly perceived by many sportsmen as ideal habitat for fish and waterfowl. In moderate quantities the plants indeed provide habitat, however when overabundant they become a nuisance to other water users, from boaters to lakeshore homeowners and even municipal drinking water suppliers. B.A.S.S. Conservation advocates and facilitates mediation between all user groups while encouraging stakeholders to establish diverse native plant communities. Ideally, striking the balance will benefit ecosystems and users alike.
Angler access
A fishing trip begins with a place to launch the boat or shoreline to cast a line. Yet access to public waterways has suffered. And finding a boat ramp is the least of the problems. Demands on water supplies, restrictive fishery management regulations on fishing seasons, and horsepower limitations merely scratch the surface of why anglers can’t rightfully gain access to public waters. Through a grass-roots approach with bass clubs affiliated with the B.A.S.S. Federation, angler and boater rights are being heard. The cause is ongoing, with the Federation and B.A.S.S. Conservation collectively uniting to open more access areas through improvement and construction programs at public access areas nationwide.
Fish health
At the first outbreak of the Largemouth Bass Virus, B.A.S.S. Conservation adopted a leadership role to face the issue. The result is an annual summit attended by leading researchers, state fishery biologists and anglers to exchange developments and implement plans of action. B.A.S.S. and its coalition continue making strides to deal with LMBV while identifying other diseases or health problems, among those outbreaks of harmful algae and bacteria that can spark significant fish kills. B.A.S.S. Conservation is an active participant in American Fisheries Society committees and other professional associations whose interests focus on fishery health.
Tournament fish care
Early on, B.A.S.S. recognized that bass are a renewable resource and concurrently, developed the catch-and-release ethic that is standard with tournaments. BASS Conservation continues raising the bar on the practice by supporting scientific research studies focusing on care of tournament-caught bass. The latest practices and improvements are rolled out through the B.A.S.S. Federation while educating anglers about how to better handle fish they intend to release. B.A.S.S. Conservation extends its outreach to the general angling public to ensure a positive perception of bass fishing and tournament angling.
BASS is more
When you join B.A.S.S., you get more than just a magazine and a membership card. You are supporting over thirty years of natural resource conservation. Devoted to the challenges that lie ahead, B.A.S.S. continues to work on behalf of our members and the aquatic resources we all value.
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