In a manmade system contained by dikes, submerged vegetation is extremely important for the continued production of bass and forage fish. Removing the weeds can have negative effects, although they don’t immediately materialize.

“Pre-2004,” Eisenhauer resumed, “we had a lot of hydrilla and a lot of bass. When the hydrilla was ripped out, the catch rates were very good because it was easy for anglers to get to the bass. But within three years after the event, and with no recovery of the hydrilla, our creel sampling indicates that angler effort and angler catch rates are down from our historic highs of the 1990s.”

He also notes that FWCC electro-sampling has indicated a decline in the overall bass population.

“We are seeing all year-classes represented,” he went on. “But we’re also seeing some weaker year-classes after 2004 than we had in samplings prior to that year.”

Considering that for the last few years Florida has experienced mild winters and very good spawning conditions -- with excellent year-classes being hatched on other lakes -- it’s possible that the Stick Marsh is experiencing a decline in bass population simply due to its lack of submerged vegetation. The sanctuary areas for the fry and young-of-the-year bass are skimpy at best.

A mature bass population can adapt to an open-water environment as long as food for them remains. But without submerged vegetation as a sanctuary to the newly hatched fry, a decline in the overall population is possible.

But not inevitable!

“Our sampling shows a decline in the bass population,” Eisenhauer confirmed. “But it could also be that the mature bass have shifted to a deeper open-water habitat that our sampling gear cannot reach.

“Has the density of bass in the system declined by the figure our sampling shows? Or have the fish just moved to where we can’t sample them? You could debate that point. But I tend to feel that there has been a decline in the overall population and feel it’s directly related to the lack of submerged vegetation.”

On the surface, that might sound like depressing news. But two factors keep the Stick Marsh among your top choices to catch a 10-pound bass. The first is that there have been no significant fish kills reported and that despite the lack of submerged vegetation, water quality remains good.

That leads directly to the second factor.

“This is a catch-and-release lake,” said Capt. Al Bermitz, a veteran guide. “You can’t keep any fish. So other than a fish kill -- which hasn’t happened -- or just plain dying of old age, there’s no place for the bass to go. There are still a lot of big fish in this lake.

“In 2007,” he went on, “I heard reports of bass in the 14- to 15-pound range. But the biggest I’ve been able to witness personally are in the 12- to 13-pound range. Still, there’s a good population of 9- to 12-pound bass in these lakes. I think the reason some anglers aren’t connecting with them is that they haven’t shifted their tactics from the days when we had a lot of hydrilla. Lack of hydrilla has definitely changed the places that are the most productive and the way we have to fish this lake.”