It troubles me greatly that an excellent conservation and fishing organization -- B.A.S.S. -- which has done many noble things for both bass FISH and anglers -- continues to support the retaining of Rodman a.k.a. Kirkpatrick Dam for the production of largemouth bass. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides floridanus and/or Micropterus salmoides salmoides x Micropterus salmoides floridanus) exist and naturally reproduce in all of Florida's 67 counties. In almost all of Florida (except where maybe it's too salty) you can dig a pond on your own property (if permitted and of suitable depth/size) that stocked largemouth bass will probably be able to successfully spawn and survive in. There is nothing unique about finding native largemouth bass in Florida. Trophy largemouth bass (10-lbs and over) are caught from time to time statewide. Striped bass (Morone saxatilis [formerly Roccus saxatilis]) , however, have a completely different life history. Back in 1961 fishery biologists determined that only two water systems in Florida -- the Apalachicola River (the Chipola River is its only long-length, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream) and the St. Johns River (the Ocklawaha River is its only long-length, spring-fed, swift-flowing tributary stream) -- contained naturally reproducing stocks of native striped bass. Stripers in Florida are riverine fish which require about 50 miles of cool, free and swift-flowing large streams for successful spawning. Adult striped bass, which can weigh beyond 30 lbs, also require close-by access to aquatic refuge zones with summertime water temperatures no greater than 80 F (such as artesian springs and canopied tributary streams). Rodman Dam reduced the spring-fed, swift-flowing Ocklawaha River upstream from the tidal St. Johns River estuary to a length unsuitable for striper spawning. Since 1970 the St. Johns River basin (only downstream of Rodman Dam) has been stocked with hatchery-produced striped bass. No other tributary streams of the St. Johns River meet the stripers' strict spawning requirements. Rodman Dam is the structure that prevents the natural reproduction of STRIPED BASS in the St. Johns-Ocklawaha Rivers. I ended my B.A.S.S. membership decades ago to support the restoration of stream-bred Florida native Atlantic-race STRIPERS. Florida residents and/or property owners: Consider signing for-free the "FREE THE OCKLAWAHA RIVER BY THE BREACHING OF RODMAN DAM" online petition at https://www.change.org/p/st-johns-river-water-management-district-free-the-ocklawaha-river-by-the-breaching-of-rodman-dam Marion County Florida's Ocklawaha River - Silver River - Silver Springs drainage historically contained trophy NATIVE largemouth bass well beyond 10 pounds PLUS naturally-reproducing NATIVE Atlantic-race STRIPED BASS weighing up to 30 pounds or so. Why not have BOTH largemouth and striped bass again? "Ocklawahaman" Paul Nosca. "There are lake fishermen, and there are river fishermen, and seldom do the twain agree!" - Original author unknown.