Tagged fish?

[Pigsticker]

How many of you caught a tagged fish and if you reported it, what were the stats? Did you keep it or release it?

This past weekend we caught a walleye by antelope flats. It had a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks yellow tag behind the dorsal. Never noticed it until long after it was in the well so we didn't release it, otherwise we would have recorded the number and let it go. 16 7/8" long and healthy. We called it in and hopefully we will hear back on the stats in a few weeks.

Strangest one I heard of was me and a buddy were fishing at the tailrace. He landed a fairly skinny 27" walleye in late June with a tag. He turned the numbers in and got a call back the following week from the ND game and fish. Supposedly the fish was tagged earlier that spring in government bay up on the Sak side and the GnF wanted to verify that it was in fact caught in the tailrace. They were as surprised as we were that the fish survived the turbines.

Caught a few others myself but don't remember the stats anymore...

 

[Lostlunker]

I just caught one this last Saturday and received an email today with all the info. It was released on 4/15 and I caught it on 5/22 so he had about a month of freedom. He was 15 inches and they released him at Huff Bluffs and I picked him up about 5-6 miles north of there. I kept mine.

 

[Ericb]

I've cough 3. The first was a Salmon in Government bay. It was 7 years old. I caught a walleye by Heskit last year but some how the tag disappeared before I called it in. Good thing it wasn't a $100 one. I caught another in the same area on memorial day. Still waiting to hear back on that one.

 

[squirrel92]

I have caught two crappies from the reservoir, one last year one two days ago. I also caught a walleye in Devils Lake. Received input back from the first two obviously not the third. Kept all 3 fish.

 

[johnr]

well apparently where I fish they don't tag any, cause I have put tons of fish in the live well, and release just as many. No tags for me

I did once use the lake as a toilet, maybe the fish gods are angry.

 

[DirtyMike]

Caught one in my entire life and it was earlier this year by Hazelton. Tagged the previous year. Gained a 1/4 of an inch and a few ounces. fish was released, tag was not.

 

[cavedude]

I personally have caught six tagged fish.

Walleye probably 10 years ago out of the boat at White Earth bay on Sakakawea(Tagged by North Dakota Game and Fish)
Walleye 6 years ago at Channel A on Devils Lake (Tagged by North Dakota Game and Fish)
Sturgeon 5 years ago icefishing on the Missouri River near Williston (Tagged by Montana Game and Fish)
Paddlefish 4 years ago on the Missouri River near Williston (Tagged by Montana Game and Fish)
Walleye last year in backchannels of Missouri River near Williston (Tagged by Montana Game and Fish)
Sauger this spring the Missouri/Yellowstone Confluence near Buford (Tagged by Montana Game and Fish)

Montana Game and Fish does an excellent job of sending you a letter telling you when, where, and how big the fish was when released, as well of a picture with examples of other fish tagged/caught.

 

[Kickemup]

I have only gotten 2 tagged fish. Both of them being paddlefish. One tagged in Montana and the other in ND.

 

[Rowdie]

Yesterday I caught one, for the first time since early 90's.

- - - Updated - - -

oh, and it was tagged in SD, will let you know the results when they come in.

 

[Fishmission]

Caght a walleye in Darling one year. Turned in and heard back the fish was tagged same year about a mile from where I caught it.
Caught a tagged 22 inch Sauger near Indian Hills years ago in June. 2 years before was 19 inches and tagged at Glendive MT on the Yellowstone. Quite the trip!

 

[Captainbrad]

With the higher waters of the Red the past couple years (flooding at the right time) we have been seeing many Canadian catfish that were tagged in 2013 below the Lockport Dam and have swam 300 miles upstream to be caught here in Grand Forks. I had a client get one on Thursday and yesterday two buddies each caught one. Cool stuff for sure.

Last year I had three in my boat also.

 

[camoman]

Yesterday I caught one, for the first time since early 90's.

- - - Updated - - -

oh, and it was tagged in SD, will let you know the results when they come in.

A silver jaw tagged fish? It may have a SD phone number, but doesn't necessarily mean it was tagged in SD.

 

[MSA]

I caught 4 tagged paddlefish in the tailrace last summer. The tags were crimped around the bottom jaw, they were too covered with algea to read and i didnt want to get caught with a paddlefish bouncing around the bottom of my boat while i tried to clean them off.

 

[Marbleyes]

I have personally caught two tagged fish. One was caught at fox island and had a pink dorsal tag from Pierre, Sd. The fish was about 15". Released it and didn't turn it in (I was young and didn't really know how to go about it). The other one I caught at Audubon about 4-5 years ago while ice fishing. Had a lime green tag and was 24 1/2" weighing 5.2 pounds. Can't remember the other details the game and fish sent me. I tried to release it but it inhaled my jig and was bleeding pretty bad. After 5 minutes or so it was apparent it wasn't going to live. Strange thing was I caught it the night before a tournament and the next day at the weigh in I saw an identical fish weighed in that had the same colored tag and had the same length but was 2 ounces lighter. That guy won the tourney with that fish alone. Wish I could have caught her during the tourney.

Just last wednesday I was fishing with a guy south of Bismarck and he caught two walleye with the lip bands in them within a half hour of each other in the exact same spot. One was a $100 reward and the other had a SD phone number on it. Waiting to hear the details on those two. The guy that caught those is in his 50's and has probably fished more than anyone I know and he said those were the first two tagged fish he had ever caught. They were both around 16".

 

[pluckem]

How many of you caught a tagged fish and if you reported it, what were the stats? Did you keep it or release it?
...

I have always wondered why so many keep the tagged fish they do catch. I know some want to keep the actual tag/band as something cool, put it on a keychain or a necklace... Cool if that what you want to do. Or if fishing isn't that great and you really want to eat it.. that's fine.

But I also know of many people who have no problem catching a limit or keeping the freezer/fridge stocked that will keep the fish. Why not measure the fish, take a picture of the tag #'s (easy to do, everyone now pretty much has a camera on their phone) and release the fish. When reported you still get a certificate with the information.

Then the tagged fish goes back into the system with all the same data recorded and can be caught again. Imagine the patterns that could be figured out if some fish have multiple data points over the years.

Just seems like with the amount of money the G&F spends on these studies we could do more to help increase the amount of information they get.

 

[DirtyMike]

If the amount of money is too much, then they would require us to release tagged fish and report tag numbers/weights/sizes. You can't release a goose or duck. I'm sure there's plenty of money sunk into those game species as well.

 

[Pigsticker]

Good point but it's not that much more expensive for them to implement a tagging system. They often do this when they are harvesting eggs and milt during the spring nettings. It does get expensive however when they throw out a $100 reward on the fish but I guess they figure there needs to be incentive to get their data. I do it for free but would love to have a $100 bonus. Actually, I would have let that one go and just recorded the tag but like i said, it was in our well already before we spotted the tag so it is what it is.

The last tagged fish I caught came from Audubon and I recorded the numbers and let it go. Pretty cool to imagine that someone else might catch that same fish miles away from where you caught it or where it was tagged.

I have always wondered why so many keep the tagged fish they do catch. I know some want to keep the actual tag/band as something cool, put it on a keychain or a necklace... Cool if that what you want to do. Or if fishing isn't that great and you really want to eat it.. that's fine.

But I also know of many people who have no problem catching a limit or keeping the freezer/fridge stocked that will keep the fish. Why not measure the fish, take a picture of the tag #'s (easy to do, everyone now pretty much has a camera on their phone) and release the fish. When reported you still get a certificate with the information.

Then the tagged fish goes back into the system with all the same data recorded and can be caught again. Imagine the patterns that could be figured out if some fish have multiple data points over the years.

Just seems like with the amount of money the G&F spends on these studies we could do more to help increase the amount of information they get.

 

[pluckem]

Good point but it's not that much more expensive for them to implement a tagging system.

Last week there was an article in the Bismarck Tribune saying the latest tagging study on the Missouri River is $500,000.

"Paid for through a tax on fishing and boating gear, the $500,000 study is the first time agencies in the two states have collaborated to look at the Missouri River reservoir that stretches from northern South Dakota into southern North Dakota. Biologists with the state wildlife agencies are putting metal tags in the jaws of 40,000 walleye over four years and asking anglers to report the tag number on any of the fish they catch. Some of the fish have special reward tags that anglers can turn in for $100, to encourage participation."

Everyone will have a different opinion on if $500,000 is considered "expensive". To me that's a big enough chunk for them to think this data will really be valuable in setting up future management strategy.

My thoughts are more related to the value the information might be from a fisheries management perspective. Everyone seems quick to criticize and weigh in on the management of our fisheries. This seems like an easy way for sportsman to help give the department additional information/data.

Like I said in the first post I see many good reasons for someone to keep the fish and band/tag. But with the numbers of fish being caught on the river this spring, it doesn't seem like much of a sacrifice to record the tag info and let the fish go to be caught again.

This is not meant to attack previous posts on this thread for keeping the fish. I have caught 2 tagged fish, One I kept and one I let go. Just some thoughts to add to the topic.

 

[89bluefin]

nope never :;:huh

 

[Bullsnake]

Caught a walleye years ago with the dorsal tag and got info back fairly quick, got one this winter and another this spring with the SD Number on them , called em in and have yet to get any info either of them