

From the data, we look at population size, growth of fish, mortality, and do we see any issues with overfishing. We provide individual angler kits which allow the angler to enter data on the fish they catch.

She says, “The Tag Alabama program started in 2018. I also learned how important custom, personalized Alabama car tag renewal can be.Ĭrystal Hightower, Lab Manager of the Dauphin Island Sealab, helps oversee the Tag Alabama program, and she offers us some general information about the program. Fish that are handled properly and released quickly don’t suffer much damage, even when tagged. Secondly, I found that catch and release really does work. They still eat and they still can be caught. Placing the tag properly in caught fish is not hard, and the fish don’t seem to mind…much.įirst off, the tagging process doesn’t seem to bother the fish much at all. The same fish was caught three times in the same location in a week. I had another guided trip the next day, and on Saturday, we caught that same speck less than 100 yards away from the initial location it was caught. On the Friday of that week I had a guide trip that I took back to the location I tagged that speck, and we caught it again in the same area. On a Tuesday I caught and tagged a nice speck. However, perhaps my coolest tagging experience came with a speckled trout I caught and tagged. Several redfish that I caught and tagged were caught in the same area for the second round of tagging.

I have even recaptured fish that I had tagged earlier. Other reds I have caught have been recaptured and they haven’t moved any at all. That fish really travelled a long way in a short period of time. Since I’ve been tagging reds and specks for the Tag Alabama program, I have learned a lot, both about fish and how they move and travel.įor instance, one redfish I caught up near the Causeway on Mobile Bay was recaptured later in the Biloxi, Mississippi area.
#Alabama tags professional
There are annual contests for anglers who have tagged the most fish, and there are categories and rewards for professional guides and for non-professional anglers.
#Alabama tags how to
The money generated from the sale of these specialized tags goes a long way in helping the conservation effort of specks and reds in our Gulf waters.Īnglers who are members of CCA are automatically eligible to take part in the Tag Alabama program, and there’s a training session- either in person or online- to demonstrate how fish can be safely tagged, how to keep and maintain data from the fish, and how to submit data to the folks from South Alabama so the information can be entered into the program’s data base.
#Alabama tags driver
This program receives much of its funding from the sales of CCA’s Alabama custom tags, and when a driver buys a CCA tag when renewal time comes around, their Alabama personalized tag fees really go a long way to support this vital program. The Tag Alabama redfish and speckled trout program is sponsored by the Coastal Conservation Association of Alabama, and they provide funds for the materials and operation. How The Program is Funded: Alabama Personalized Custom Car Tags and Renewal It’s easier to do the tagging thing than to explain it- it’s not hard at all. The last step that I do is to reload the needle with another tag and record the number and date of it so I’m ready for the next fish to be tagged. When I get a fish that I want to tag, I measure and weigh the fish and then quickly apply the tag and make sure that it’s properly applied so it will stay in place. I make sure that the number of the tag is recorded in the log along with the date. First, I have my tag ready in the needle so I don’t have to scramble around to find the materials when I catch a good fish. Here’s what I do to make sure this tagging process is easy on all involved. It’s not a big deal to do, and what we are learning from this work and the work done by other taggers is crucial to help advise those who make fishing regulations and limits in their process. This is not an involved or difficult process. After I have tagged the fish, I submit my catch log and data to the folks from South Alabama who manage the loading of data in the system.
