Smallmouth bass that were illegally planted in Cottonwood Reservoir have escaped into the Shields River. The Shields is a tributary to the Yellowstone River and prime Yellowstone cutthroat trout habitat. Next year, the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing to require anglers to keep and turn in any smallmouth caught on the river. By the end of the summer, the agency is hoping to have a plan worked out with irrigators to remove any bass from the reservoir. To learn more about the bucket biology, check out my story at https://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/recreation/smallmouth-bass-found-in-shields-river-fwp-asks-anglers-to-remove-the-fish/article_4c0bcbc8-b448-5c25-a371-c29276d258ab.html