3rd Annual St. Jude's Benefit Bass Tournament

Type: Nontidal
Region: Western
Location: Potomac River, Brunswick

The 3rd Annual St. Jude�s Benefit Bass Tournament was held over the weekend on the upper Potomac River at Brunswick. Dave and Mary Baker organize the event to raise money for the St Jude�s Children�s Hospital. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Holding a tournament during February poses many challenges and this year was no different. The event had to be postponed twice due to river conditions and high winds. Nevertheless, some of the areas best river bass angers participated and, as usual, they were able to catch some very impressive smallmouth. The tournament organizers impose a 15� minimum size (Maryland regulation is 12� minimum size) and a five fish per boat creel to reduce the number of fish handled. Two boats brought in a limit of bass, but one limit was anchored by a beautiful 3.9 pound smallmouth putting Chris Cannon and Jerry Dayhoff on top. Congratulations to Chris (First Photo) and Jerry for their first place finish and to Rocky (Second Photo) and Bob Droneburg for their second place finish.

Inland Fisheries attends selected open tournaments on the upper Potomac River throughout the year and uses these events to collect information on angler catch rates and obtain growth data. A small sample of scales is removed from each bass allowing biologists to estimate their age using a method similar to aging trees by counting the rings. After they are weighed in for the event, the bass are quickly transferred to an aerated tank while the data is collected and then they are returned to the river. Information from the tournament-caught fish is used in conjunction with the annual electrofishing surveys to monitor the population and make management decisions.