Assessing Major League Fishing ScoreTracker Data from Four Tennessee Reservoirs
Steven Bardin
Black Bass Stewardship Group
11/05/2023
10:35 AM
Abstract
Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour anglers compete using a catch weight and immediate release format. Each fish is scored by an onboard official and entered into the ScoreTracker system. Data collected for each individual fish catch includes species, weight, depth, habitat type, time, date, and GPS location. The MLF Fisheries Management Division catalogs all the catch data and provides it to relevant state resource managers. From 2019 through 2023 the BPT anglers have logged a total of 5239 scoreable fish from four Tennessee reservoirs. Using GIS each fish catch has been mapped for Cherokee, Douglas, Watts Bar, and Chickamauga and in depth analysis of trends for habitat and depth have been explored.