Official Site of The State of New Jersey
NJ DEP Fish & Wildlife (NJFW) has participated in the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Cooperative Coastal Striped Bass Tagging Program since 1989 and has tagged more than 35,000 striped bass.
State and federal agencies from North Carolina to Massachusetts participate in the USFWS Cooperative Coastal Striped Bass Tagging Program. During the spring, NJFW staff use gillnets in the Delaware Bay to catch striped bass. The striped bass are tagged with pink USFWS tags. More than 35,000 striped bass have been tagged by NJFW staff since 1989. Over 8,700 of those tagged fish have been recaptured and reported to the USFWS.
Tag and recapture data provides invaluable information on the movements, migration, and stock characteristics of striped bass along the coast. Recaptures tagged in New Jersey have extended from North Carolina to as far north as Nova Scotia. The majority of fish tagged by NJFW are recaptured north of New Jersey (65%), while 22% are recaptured in New Jersey (Figure 1). Only 9% of recaptures are reported south of Delaware (MD, VA, NC) and 3% of recaptures are reported from Delaware & Pennsylvania. The majority of the fish tagged by NJFW staff are immature females or young adult males which travel as part of the mass migration up and down the coast.
Biological data are also collected from the tagged stripers prior to release, including length, weight, and age data. Scale samples are collected which allows NJFW staff to identify the age and year class of the tagged fish. This data is invaluable for the development of age-length keys and for use in the coastwide stock assessments.
The recapture rate of fish tagged by NJFW staff is about 25%. If you see a pink tag protruding from the belly of a striper, record the tag number, length, date, location, and capture method. If you cannot record the data, cut the tag at its base, retain the tag, then call (800) 448-8322 to report the recapture. The USFWS will send information from when your fish was tagged and will reward you with a hat. The success of this program relies heavily on anglers reporting the recaptured fish.
Project Lead Contact Information
Brendan Harrison, Fisheries Biologist
Brendan.Harrison@njdepwptest.net
609-748-2020
Partners/Funding
Funding for this survey is supported by the Sport Fish Restoration Program administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
