Twenty years ago, a five-pound bass was a good catch for Louisiana waters. Over the past decade, however, a program stocking Florida-strain largemouth bass in Louisiana has enhanced the bass fishing in the state by leaps and bounds. Ten-pound bass are now frequently caught. As the fish chief in Louisiana noted, “the Florida bass gene has produced miracles here.” Unfortunately, due to hatchery limitations, the state-run program did not have the opportunity to stock the Red River with the faster and larger-growing fish. Thanks in part to the involvement of Wildlife Forever, the Red River was stocked with the Florida-strain of bass for the very first time. Approximately 8,000 Florida-strain largemouth bass were purchased from a private hatchery and stocked into the Red River.