Catch, tag and release... Tournament helps scientists

Capt. Al Anderson of South Kingstown with striped bass is the catch, tag and release King.


Capt. Dave Monti with a Narragansett Bay (East Passage) striped bass caught and released this spring using a circle hook with chunks of Atlantic menhaden.

 

Tournament helps scientists study sharks

The 29^th Monster Shark Tournament will take place in Newport, RI from July 16 to 18.  This year the Tournament is dedicated to founder Steven James who passed away last year.  James was former tournament president and president of the Stellwagen Charter Boat Association. 

"He was so proud of the tournament and was able to institute the highest weight limits, making this more a catch and release tournament.  Only the largest and heaviest sharks are brought in and the tournament is dedicated to gathering information about sharks.” said Doreen Ryan-James, mother of James.  Captains are given the opportunity to tag the sharks they catch and release them. Lisa Natanson of NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service Apex Predator Program will lead a team on-site to collect data and information on the sharks that are brought in.

Captains will leave Casey’s Marine in Newport before dawn and have lines in at 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday morning. The public is invited free of charge for the weigh-ins at 2:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday at the Marina. In addition to seeing the sharks, there will be information on the different types of sharks, their habits and habitat. 

The record breaking purse of $20,000 is up for grabs. "We are still open to registrations," said Doreen James. Rick Bellavance, president of the Rhode Island Party and Charter Boat Association said, "We recognize Steve's contribution to running a responsible, sustainable tournament which has contributed information to better understanding shark migration and habits. We are happy to support and endorse the event.”

 

For details and comments please reach out to Lisa Helme Danforth at lisad@coastalanglermagazine.com or call 203.321.7635.

 

Catch, tag and release your fish

Now that the striped bass limit is one fish/angler/day at 28”, it is more important than ever before to use good catch and release practices.  Once you fine tune your catch and release tactics to insure fish you catch have the best chance of surviving, why not consider tagging the fish.  Fish tagging programs provide scientists and fish managers with data they need to manage fisheries more effectively.

Three organizations are responsible for most of the tagging in Rhode Island waters and the northeast; they are the American Littoral Society (www.littoralsociety.org), the Hudson River Foundation (www.hudsonriver.org) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (www.fws.gov).    All three groups use catch and release data to study the species… migratory patterns, growth rates, fish stock projections, etc.  The research helps us understand and manage our fishery.  Striped bass are the most popular species tagged; however, fluke and blue fish are commonly tagged as well as a host of other salt and fresh water species.

When you catch a fish with a tag (usually a dorsal loop tag or a belly tag), return it along with recapture information to the address on the tag (or call the toll free number on the tag).  Record pertinent information immediately so you don’t forget including species, location, length, weight, the condition of the tag insertion site and any other comments.  The date of the trip, your name and address should be supplied as well.  Some organizations offer incentives to those returning tags and surveys, which include cash awards ($5) and prize drawings.

One way to enhance survival chances of the fish you catch is to use circle hooks.  Circle hooks have been used by commercial fisherman for years.  When long-line fishermen using circle hooks would return to check their hooks… the fish would still be alive, hooked in the jaw or mouth and not in the stomach. 

After a fish swallows a baited circle hook and starts to run, the hook and bait are pulled out of the stomach and slides toward the point of resistance on the fish’s jaw or lip and embeds itself in the lip, usually the corner of the fish’s mouth. 

Circle hooks successfully hook bass in the mouth 95% of the time.  The trick is not to jerk the rod to set the hook because you could pull the bait and hook out of the fish’s mouth.   Let the fish run, as it does, it will pull the hook out of its stomach and hook itself on the lip.  Once this happens start fighting the fish and reel it in.

Consider these techniques to enhance your catch and release efforts.

·         Use circle hooks; they successfully hook bass in the mouth (not the gut)

·         Land fish quickly to minimize stress

·         Avoid putting fish on deck and letting it flop around, keep it in the water as much as possible

·         Wet your hand before handling the fish, dry hands remove the fish’s protective slime layer and leave it open to infection

·         Handle fish carefully.  Do not put fingers into gill cavities or eye sockets

·         Gently remove the hook to minimize damage

·         Use lures with single hook, barbless hooks (I snap them off), or circle hooks (as noted above).

·         Return fish to water quickly. Place fish gently in water in upright horizontal position.  Move it back and forth in the water to force water across its gills.  Once revived allow fish to swim away.

Capt. Al Anderson is the catch, tag and release King

                                                                  

In February of 2015, the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) held their fifth annual Legendary Captains and Crew Awards (LCCA) dinner. The primary criteria for receiving the award is that the captain or crew member must have provided leadership in their trade and have earned the respect of their peers by making a meaningful contribution to the sport of recreational angling over time.

 Recipients received the Tommy Gifford Award at the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame and museum in Dania Beach, Florida.  This year, Capt. Al Anderson from Rhode Island received the award.   Capt. Anderson was inducted into the IGFA Hall of Fame in 2013. He started charter fishing on the PROWLER out of Snug Harbor Marina in 1967 and started tagging bluefin tuna.

 

 Anderson has tagged more than 60,000 gamefish in his career, and is credited by the IGFA with tagging more fish for science than anyone in the Atlantic.  Anderson has authored five books and over a hundred sport fishing articles for regional, national and international magazines.

 

RISAA tag & release program

 

The Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) is running a tag and release program for members this year.  Contact committee chairman Bob Murray at murry@risaa.org  for information and tagging kits.