В озере Гастон запускают сбор средств на высадку гибридных окуней для улучшения рыбалки

LAKE GASTON — A new fundraising partnership is aiming to give anglers a boost by increasing the number of F1 hybrid largemouth bass stocked in Lake Gaston. The Lake Gaston Association has partnered with Bass Anglers for NC Lakes to raise money for additional F1 hybrid largemouth bass fingerlings, building on the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s ongoing stocking program. In 2026, the NCWRC stocked 82,150 F1 hybrid bass fingerlings in Lake Gaston, meeting its minimum target of four fingerlings per surface acre. The LGA is seeking support from residents, anglers, businesses and other lake supporters to help increase the number stocked in 2027. The LGA will match donations up to a total of $2,500. With the match, $2,500 in community donations could generate at least $5,000 for the stocking effort. Donations of any amount are welcome, with gifts of $100 or more especially encouraged. Checks should be made payable to Lake Gaston Association with “LKG F1 Bass” written in the memo line. Checks may be mailed to LGA, P.O. Box 656, Henrico, NC 27842. Credit card donations can be made at bit.ly/3SKojGx. “This is a win-win,” said Kirk Rundle, NCWRC fisheries biologist for Lake Gaston. “It can improve the fishery, and that benefits the local economy as well.” F1 hybrid largemouth bass are first-generation crosses between Florida and northern largemouth bass. According to fisheries biologists, the fish can exhibit “hybrid vigor,” potentially allowing them to grow rapidly and reach larger sizes. The NCWRC began evaluating F1 hybrid bass stocking as a long-term project to determine whether the fish persist, grow well and contribute to the overall quality of largemouth bass fisheries. Lake Norman received early stockings beginning in 2021. The program expanded in 2023 to include Lake Gaston and B. Everett Jordan Reservoir. The NCWRC has stocked F1 hybrid bass annually in all three lakes since then while collecting genetic and population data through electrofishing surveys and tournament weigh-ins. Lake Gaston has received more than 432,000 F1 hybrid fingerlings since the program began locally, including 101,500 in 2023, 143,766 in 2024, 105,416 in 2025 and 82,150 in 2026. The program is scheduled to be evaluated through at least 2030. The stocking is not intended to eliminate the lake’s invasive Alabama bass population. However, fisheries officials say strengthening and diversifying the largemouth bass population could help improve the fishery. Recreational and tournament fishing are also contributors to the Lake Gaston area’s economy. The effort to improve the largemouth bass population could enhance the lake’s reputation as a destination for anglers and increase the chances of catching larger bass. The Lake Gaston Association is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization focused on protecting, preserving and promoting the interests of Lake Gaston and the communities surrounding it. Bass Anglers for NC Lakes supports enhanced bass fisheries in North Carolina through F1 bass stocking and partnerships with lake communities.