Increasing bass population The Shafer and Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation recently released 2,000 largemouth bass at Bluewater Beach on Lake Freeman. Photo provided Two thousand largemouth bass can now call the Twin Lakes area “home.” In what has become an annual event, the Shafer and Freeman Lakes Environmental Conservation Corporation (SFLECC), aided by contributions from a group of local tournament fisherman, and several area businesses purchased and released the largemouth bass in the Twin Lakes on Oct. 15.

The bass were four to seven inches in size and were purchased from a Wisconsin fishery, at a cost of $2,500. Another 4,000 are slated for purchase and release before the end of the year.

Daryl Johns, SFLECC Executive Director said that, “This year, instead of releasing all the fish at one location, we are trying spot releases at multiple locations to bring the fish closer to where they might find good habitat,” SFLECC executive director Daryl Johns said. “Hopefully this increases their chances of survival and reproduction.

“Once again we are partnering with a local interest group to help with the cost. We try to keep an eye on the population levels of the game fish in the lakes via reports from area fishermen and DNR surveys. This helps us determine which species might need augmentation.”

Jim McWhirter, one of the spokesman for the group of fishermen who organize fishing tournaments on Lakes Freeman and Shafer, said he was pleased to see the bass population of the lakes being increased and very grateful for the support of SFLECC, and many area businesses.