Catfish Tag #011618

[Captainbrad]

Over the past few years I have found myself entranced in the catfish tagging study on the Red River being conducted by the University of Nebraska and Manitoba Fisheries. There have been over 13,000 catfish tagged since late 2012 mostly on the Canadian side of the Red to study movements. I caught my first tags in August of 2014 just north of Grand Forks. Since I have caught tagged catfish from south of Grand Forks all the way to Drayton. To date my boat has landed 34 tagged catfish.

This spring/summer some cool things have been coming back on these tags and the information is really cool.

1. A buddy caught one the end of May at Drayton and I sent the tag info in for him. It came back that it had been tagged at Lockport, MB and I recaptured it last September at Drayton before he caught it this spring.

2. A client caught one that was tagged at Lockport in 2014, recaptured in June of 2015 and July of 2015 before we caught it at Drayton May of 2016.

3. This last one is the best. Tag #011618 was tagged at Lockport in June 2015. One of my clients recaptured it May 14, 2016 in Drayton. It was caught by another of my clients last weekend June 11, 2016 in Grand Forks.

This is a telling story that catfish migrate more than we could ever have dreamed. It is just crazy to me that I was able to boat the same fish in four weeks about 70 or so river miles upstream of where I first caught it.

 

[espringers]

When you say "recaptured ", you mean "caught"?

 

[Captainbrad]

When you say "recaptured ", you mean "caught"?

yes

 

[espringers]

That's pretty titty sprinkling sweet

 

[Enslow]

That is amazing and proves that catch and release works. This is the complete and polar opposite of what the NDGF is selling in ND outdooors. Good thing we have studies from outside sources to show people that fish get re-caught often when they are released.

 

[KDM]

That is amazing and proves that catch and release works. This is the complete and polar opposite of what the NDGF is selling in ND outdooors. Good thing we have studies from outside sources to show people that fish get re-caught often when they are released.

There's a shocker.

 

[Captainbrad]

That is amazing and proves that catch and release works. This is the complete and polar opposite of what the NDGF is selling in ND outdooors. Good thing we have studies from outside sources to show people that fish get re-caught often when they are released.

Yes it does prove that CPR works and that trophies can be caught more than once. I am sure I will be turning out articles sighting this study in the off season. So much great info coming from this.

 

[svnmag]

That is amazing and proves that catch and release works. This is the complete and polar opposite of what the NDGF is selling in ND outdooors. Good thing we have studies from outside sources to show people that fish get re-caught often when they are released.

What are they essentially saying?

 

[johnr]

catfish are a much more rugged fish, and can take a beating better than the delicate eyes.

 

[Allen]

People are misinterpreting the NDGF results on tagging and netting surveys. They have never said fish don't titty sprinkling swim! What they have said is that the "bite" migration we see every year on the river is not the result of fish moving up and down the Missouri River as a school (aka, a migration). Rather that the change in location of bite is due to water temperature.

In some regards, those avid anglers who pay attention to water temps have a more legitimate snarky comment along the lines of "thanks for the info, Capt Obvious" than those who think gill nets catch fish that aren't there.

 

[Enslow]

I knew allen would bite. Haha last time this came up on fbo he lambasted me.

 

[guywhofishes]

catfish are a much more rugged fish, and can take a beating better than the delicate eyes.

this is fact IMO

 

[Enslow]

this is fact IMO

Haha lets long line suckers in 20 feet for the delicate non aggresive eyes.