Dr. John Graves of the Virginia Institute of Marine Science is conducting a study of large red drum near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Red drum are being caught with sportfishing gear, fitted with both advanced pop-up satellite tags and conventional Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program tags, and released.
Conventional tags rely on the fish being recaptured and reported. Return rates have been good for smaller drum but very low for large drum. Pop-up satellite tags do not depend on the recapture of the fish. The tag releases from the fish after a preprogrammed amount of time, floats to the surface, and transmits stored data up to a satellite. These tags store very detailed information as to water column usage, light levels, temperature, and pressure.
This study is designed to find out what happens to these large red drum post-release. Are they surviving the catch-and-release experience? Where do they go? How do they spend their days? We will soon find out.
Anglers are asked to look for these tags. When you capture a tagged fish, record the tag numbers, and release the fish with the tags in place. Report the recapture as soon as possible.
Boaters and beach combers should look for released tags also. A returned pop-up tag is worth a $100 reward. Besides earning a little money, you will be helping science. Data transmission to the satellite is not 100%. With the tag in hand, all of the stored data can be retrieved plus the tag can be refitted and used again.
Tags deployed in this study are programmed to release after various times from one month to six months at large.
For information about the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program contact Lewis Gillingham at: vswft@mrc.virginia.gov
The tags have been deployed. All the fish were caught on the 24-foot Albemarle, Special Kate, owned and operated by Charles T. Southall. Charles found the trophy-sized red drum at Smith Island Inlet in 4 to 6 feet of water. All fish were caught on natural bait, live blue crabs. The fish were brought into the boat with a landing net, measured, tagged and released. The fish were held in the water until they were ready to swim away on their own, usually about a minute.
The first tags (one third of total) are scheduled to release on June 24. The next third are scheduled to release in 3 months and the final third in 6 months. Tags could release early. They are designed to release if the animal does not survive the catch and release experience. This is based on a lack in movement up and down in the water column. There is a possibility of a tag being “tricked” if a fish stays at the same depth for a couple of days. More likely would be shedding of the tags. This is a possible reason for such low tag return rates with large drum.
To look at this, prior to investing in more of these tags, a single red drum was tagged. This was a fish caught by Tricia Neill in May 2008 aboard the Healthy Grin. This fish was tagged with a 30-day tag. This fish survived and held the tag for the scheduled amount of time. A single fish does not tell us much but it is a start. This particular fish was caught near buoy 10 on the seaside of the high rise section of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It was deep-hooked. The leader was cut and the hook left in the fish. After being tagged with both a satellite tag and a normal tag, the fish was held for photographs and released. It remained in water ranging from 60 to 78 degrees. The fish went as deep as 56 feet but it spent most of its time in shallow water from 0 to 16 feet deep. At the time of the tag release, the fish was next to the beach near the Concrete Ships at Kiptopeke.
Right on schedule, the first group of red drum tags popped off today. Each of these fish were tagged at the inlet between Fisherman’s and Smith Islands one month ago. Three of the fish were on Nautilus Shoal when the tags released. Another fish was on the other side of the mouth of the bay, near the 2C buoy. The fifth fish was up in the bay, on the eastern side near Silver Beach.
These tags will be floating around with the current, transmitting their stored data up to a satellite. If you find one of these tags, its return is worth $100. Data transmission is never 100% complete. With the tag in hand, the scientist can retrieve all of the data and the tag can be re-used.
The next batch of tags are schedule to release in another two months.
interesting post..those are really neat old fish. we get em around aug-sep where i live in the neuse/pamlico area. this tagging program should provide some cool info about those old drum. great pics too.
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