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| The CT/RI Coastal Fly Fishers has reinstituted a Striped Bass Tagging Program.
The Club currently has many stripers swimming
free with our tags attached. An accurate record of: 1) the date
caught; 2) location caught and 3) size of fish at the time of release are
kept. When a fish is recaptured the club records all the information
supplied by the person who caught it. Members are encouraged to report the
recapture of any fish they tagged, which , when recorded, will profile
initial tagging date, location and size (length/weight). Over time, this
information will assist in providing a profile of striper growth, migratory
behavior, and trends of the stocks. Our Club tagging is being conducted under the auspices of the American Littoral Society now celebrating its 40th anniversary of member fish tagging. Fish tagging is a way of "giving something back to a resource that can ensure the quality of future fishing".
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Tag Recapture of Thames River Over-Winter Stripers
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Spring time angling activity brings increased chances of recapturing a tagged striped bass, however not everyone is aware there are eleven (11) agencies tagging this species along the Atlantic seaboard. The following is a list of major Programs CT/RI members might encounter. |
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American Littoral Society Sandy Hook, Bldg. #18 Highlands, NJ 07732 (732) 291-0055 Yellow loop tag, dorsal/tail area
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Hudson River Foundation P.O. Box 1731 Grand Central Station New York, NY 10163 (212) 924-8290 Yellow internal anchor tag, belly area
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USFWS Maryland Fisheries Office 177 Admiral Cochrane Drive Annapolis, MD 21401 1-800-448-8322 Pink internal anchor tag, belly area |
NC Div. Marine Fisheries 1367 US 17 South Elizabeth City, NC 27909 1-800-338-7805 Pink internal anchor tag, belly area |
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Fish Unlimited P.O. Box 4746 Shelter Island Hghts., NY 11965 (516) 749-3474 Orange dart tag, dorsal area
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CCA of Maine P.O. Box 239 Freeport, ME 04032 (207) 865-0396 Yellow dart tag, dorsal area |
TAGGERS CORNER
by Capt. Al Anderson
Why tag fish for the ALS?
Here are ten good reasons for doing so:
(1) Short and long-term movements (days, weeks, months vs. years) can be
profiled for a species, and compared to that for other stock contingents, i.e.,
Delaware vs. Hudson vs. Chesapeake.
(2) Individual growth rates - can vary depending on feeding habits,
environmental conditions, age, and sex.
(3) Geographic range - may be changing, depending on factors such as prey
species availability, water temperatures, stock abundance or other factors.
(4) Commercial exploitation - assuming tag recaptures are reported. ALS rewards
are not offered to encourage recapture reporting, unlike other programs.
(5) Abundance estimates - both for monitoring a "year class" or determining
spawning age composition of a stock.
(6) Habitat utilization - typically signal major changes in the environment,
which can affect stock success. i.e., loss of an estuarine feeding zone.
(7) Mortality - rates are not easy to quantify, but decreases in recapture rates
may indicate an increase in juvenile/adult morality.
(8) Spawning area - recaptures can provide data on stock origin, i.e. Thames
tagged fish recapped only in the Hudson.
(9) Longevity - expected life span a species available to harvest, combined
with recruitment, can indicate health of a stock.
(10) Stock structure and abundance - vital in estimating and managing
harvesting rates
Following annual compilation of
all ALS tag recapture data, it's sent to the NMFS (now called NOAA Fisheries)
computer at the Northeast Fisheries Center (NEFC) in Woods Hole, MA. The
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Striped Bass Technical Committee
then utilizes this data for coastal state Striper regulations. It also becomes
available to those in the scientific community interested in recent trends.
Before you rush out to secure tagging paraphernalia, keep in mind the ALS has a
multitude of taggers. What is more important is the accurate reporting of a
recapture in a timely fashion. Simply do that and you'll do more to assist our
knowledge of a resource than anything else.
What to do if you catch an ALS tagged fish:
The tag belongs to the American Littoral Society and they want it back, so tape
it to the recapture report, which should contain the following info:
Tag number (not ALS zip code number)
Species of fish
Date fish was recaptured
Location where fish was caught (be specific)
Length (total) of the fish
Estimated weight
Your name, address, city, state, zip code and phone number.
Mail the above info to:
American Littoral Society
Sandy Hook, Bldg. #18
Highlands, NJ 07732
Report your recapture in a timely fashion, and in return, you'll receive the
history of the fish (who, when, where it was tagged), a jacket patch, and
information on the ALS tagging Program.