Rodman Reservoir supports one of the best largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides fisheries in the United States. The lake recently produced several fish in excess of 15 pounds, making Rodman Reservoir among the top lakes for trophy bass in Florida. The success of the largemouth bass fishery thus far has probably resulted from the excellent habitat and reservoir drawdowns at five-year intervals. However, further management efforts (e.g., harvest restrictions) could potentially improve the fishery even further. The objectives of this study are: 1) estimate total harvest and total exploitation (percent of fish harvested) of largemouth bass, 2) estimate total harvest due to tournaments, and 3) using data from objectives 1, 2, and all other available data, employ computer models evaluate the optimal harvest restriction at Rodman Reservoir (e.g., no regulation change, slot limit, minimum length limit, etc.).
