In addition, the relative weight values — the measure of the condition of an individual fish based on its length and weight — show the largemouth bass are in as good condition following the drought as before it.

“There is some statistical difference between these numbers (2003 is higher than 2001 but not 1999),” Dorsey said. “However, the important fact is that for all years these values are high and at or above what we find in most of our North Carolina reservoirs for largemouth bass.”

The average size of fish from the three samplings has shown improvement, too.

“Our mean length has actually increased over time, but I doubt it will continue to climb much higher given the other values,” Dorsey said.

“Overall, I think the bass population in High Rock is doing quite well in spite of the drought of 2002.”

Ironically, the drought itself may have helped the bass population.

“The lake was virtually inaccessible for a month because of low water and the closing of boat ramps, so there wasn’t any fishing pressure to speak of,” Edwards said.

“The mortality rate on bass had to be very low. Hardly any dead largemouths were observed during the fish kills we had.

“Bass tournaments were switched from High Rock to Tuckertown or elsewhere. What little loss of bass those tournaments might have caused at High Rock didn’t take place. And there were fewer bank-fishermen.

“The grass that grew, though short-lived, provided extra cover for smaller fish. High Rock’s never had any grass.”

High Rock also escaped harm from the extended downpours succeeding the drought.

“Most of the nutrients that came into the (Yadkin) lakes probably passed right through if they came in during some of the more sustained rainfall events,” Dorsey said. “The flow most likely prevented them from being taken up by microscopic plants.

“However, during the shorter duration rainfall events, I would think nutrients were washed into the lakes and taken in by phytoplankton and passed up the food chain as normal.

“Overall, we may have seen a decrease in nutrients available to the food chain given the timing and duration of some of the flood events.

“However, it’s safe to say we did not see a reduction in nutrients that was large enough to hurt the fish population.”

Bass tournament results from the past two springs have been comparable to spring tournaments held prior to the drought.

From March 29 through May 4, 2003, anglers needed five-fish tournament limits of 20 pounds or more to win weekend events at High Rock.

In the March 29 National Bass Circuit event, Bill Noah of Thomasville and Mike Miller of Sophia had a five-fish haul totaling 28.37 pounds, an average of better than 5 pounds per fish.

The outstanding catch prompted Noah, a veteran High Rock angler, to proclaim: “The fishing’s as good at High Rock as it ever was.”

Three other teams caught five-fish tournament limits weighing over 20 pounds in the same event.

At the April 19 Anglers Advantage tournament (the trail is now defunct), 35 teams weighed in 473.78 pounds of bass with 23 teams catching their five-fish tournament limits.

All told, 140 bass were caught, averaging 3.38 pounds each. Five bass over 6 pounds were weighed in, and one bass tipped the scales at 7.12 pounds.

Last spring, a similar scenario held true, with 20-pound stringers winning weekend tournaments from March 20 through May 29 except for the weekends of April 25 and May 1, when poor fishing conditions dropped the top weights below 20 pounds.

At a March 21 tournament, Winston-Salem’s Ladd Whicker and Steve Sink brought in a catch of 27.58 pounds anchored by an 8.56-pound bass.