Okhissa Lake program protects lunker bass

C-Spire Share-A-Trophy encourages catch and release of big fish

When it opened in 2007, fishermen knew that Lake Okhissa near Bude would soon begin producing huge largemouth bass as the original stocking of fish cycled through to maturity.

They didn’t want to see that lunker class decimated, and their devotion led to creation of a program that encourages catch-and-release of Okhissa fatties.

“When the lake started producing those big fish, one of the local Conservation Officers, Steve Smith, who works Franklin County and is a good friend of mine, said it was a shame to see those fish leaving the lake,” said Michael Suggs, organizer of the C-Spire Share-A-Trophy program at the lake on Homochitto National Forest. “He said what we needed to do was create a program where we could offer fishermen a way to get their trophy and still let the fish go.

“We kept talking about it and realized that if we were going to do it, we would need a sponsor to help pay for the program. I went to see Wade Creekmore at C-Spire and he was interested.”

C-Spire agreed to donate $100 per fish, with a 9-pound minimum, to offset the cost of having a replica made by a taxidermist, plus have a plaque made where fishermen who participate can have their name put on a brass plate and put on the plaque.

“It costs about $220 for the replicas and we have a taxidermist who is really, really good,” Suggs said. “The fishermen still have to pay $120 but it’s a good deal and most of them like the idea.”

One that really liked it and strove to let his trophy swim away was Brett Beasley, who on Saturday set the new lake record at 12.9.

“I fought hard to keep that fish alive,” Beasley said. “That’s important to me because it’s important to the lake that these fish, the quality fish, survive and stay in the lake.”

Beasley was aware of the Share-A-Trophy program, having seen the sign posted at the entrance gate to Okhissa Lake. It directs fishermen to call Suggs, who then arranges to have the fish weighed.

“Part of the deal is that the fish has to swim away healthy, or the Share-A-Trophy isn’t awarded,” Suggs said. “I know (Beasley) worked awful hard to keep that fish alive, and I think that shows how good this program is working.”

Suggs said the program is in its third year, and averages about five or six trophy bass releases a year.

“I think that is the fifth one this year,” he said.