By Rachael Pacella
The Capital and Maryland Gazette 

Anglers can get hats for help with rockfish migration data

 


ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Say you're out on the bay this week fishing for striped bass.

Say you get lucky and catch something you can keep. You look on the left side of the rockfish's belly and see a colorful tag that stands out against the fish's silvery scales.

You can ignore it, or you can be part of a coast-wide project that provides data on the migratory habits of rockfish, which helps maintain a sustainable fishery, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You will also get a hat with a picture of a striped bass on it, and a certificate with information about the tagged fish you caught.

Maryland's Department of Natural Resources participates in a coast-wide fish tagging program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Harry Hornick, manager of the striped bass program for the department.

The tags are like rudimentary trackers for each fish — you have a starting point, where the fish was tagged, and an ending point, where the fish was ultimately caught. Comparing information from the two events gives researchers data on movement, mortality, habitat-use and growth rates of fish, according to the department.

Maryland is important because of the importance it plays in the life cycle of striped bass, an anadromous fish that migrates from the ocean to fresher water to spawn.

Since 1984 Maryland has tagged about 100,000 fish. A lot of the tagging occurs during a spring striped bass survey, Hornick said.

Anglers should look out for pink, green or fluorescent tags on the fish. "High reward" tags, which are worth $125 if reported, are green with white lettering.

There's nothing special about the fish with high reward tags. While some people might not report a tagged fish for a free hat, a reward of $125 helps ensure that the angler calls the fish in, which then provides a baseline return rate for the research, according to Hornick.

Maryland's rockfish tag return rate is about 10 percent, Hornick said.

In addition to rockfish, the following fish are also tagged: American shad, Atlantic croaker, black drum, blue catfish, chain pickerel, hickory shad, largemouth bass, muskellunge, northern pike, northern snakehead, white perch and yellow perch. Rewards for reporting those fish vary.

If you catch a tagged fish you should note the species, date, time, length of the fish and catch location. Also note the tag color and tag number — if you can't remove the tag, write the number down or snap a picture of it with your phone.

If you catch a striped bass, call Beth Versak, of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, at 410-260-8304.

Maryland's striped bass spring trophy season runs now through May 15, during which anglers can catch one fish, 35 inches or larger, per day. For a map of where you can legally fish for striped bass, and for information about other striped bass seasons, go to http://www.eregulations.com/maryland/fishing.

 

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