I love learning about the species I target, so whenever I catch a tagged fish I look forward to receiving the information about it. The last time I went out fishing I caught a tagged tautog and called in the number. I got the info from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in the mail the other day and just thought I'd share it with others who might also be interested in this type of thing.
It was originally tagged by Rob Collins of Norfolk, VA. Caught and tagged at the 1st island of the CBBT on March 20, 2011, the little guy was 13.75". 153 days later I caught it at the same place and it was 15.5". It was in excellent condition and must have been eating good since it grew 1.75" in about 5 months. It's my understanding the rate of growth slows down dramatically when they get larger (like with most species).
I usually release tagged fish so the research can go on, but I was fishing the Catching for Kids tournament and I kept it.
Over the last 3 or 4 years I've caught several tagged fish and usually I get a T shirt or a tackle storage box, but this time I got a cool tautog pin. Thought that was pretty neat.
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| It's about an inch and a half long |
Very cool! I can safely say I've never caught one of those.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I'd never even seen one prior to seeing yours and Justin's blogs. I don't think we have them down here.
If you're ever up here, give them a shot. They're a blast!
ReplyDeleteI talked to a guy in SC that caught them over the summer this year. Right around Charleston.
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