Bill Couch
04-05-06, 10:33 AM
For more information, contact
Melissa Cummings, Sr. Public Relations and Information Specialist – (770) 918-6788
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAKE ALLATOONA SPOTTED BASS TAGGING STUDY
Chance to Win a Georgia Lifetime Sportsman’s License!
CALHOUN, Ga. (March 24, 2006) -- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) will tag 1,000 spotted bass in Lake Allatoona during Spring 2006. Spotted bass of all sizes will be tagged with two-inch plastic coated tags bearing an individual tag number. Anglers who catch a tagged fish over the next year should clip the tag off, regardless of whether they keep or release the fish, and are encouraged to call the phone number on the tag to report the catch information. This tagging study is designed to assess the survival of spotted bass in Allatoona, which make up 80-90 percent of the black bass population. Anglers who participate will have a chance at a FREE Georgia Lifetime Sportsman’s License.
Of particular interest during the course of this study is the fate of larger spotted bass. While Lake Allatoona has large numbers of this species, rivaling any spotted bass lake in the state, the average fish size tends to be smaller in comparison to other Georgia spotted bass lakes. This tagging study will allow WRD Fisheries personnel to determine if natural mortality or harvest mortality is the reason larger spotted bass are at a premium in Lake Allatoona.
Anglers who call the number on the tag and report their catch information will be given an address to return the tag. Each returned tag will generate a letter to the angler about where and when that particular spotted bass was originally caught and tagged. This is similar to letters sent out to duck hunters by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who turn in harvested duck bands or tags. In addition, anglers who mail their tags back will be entered into a 2007 drawing for a Georgia Lifetime Sportsman’s License (License purchase courtesy of the Allatoona Team Tournament). The lucky recipient of this license will enjoy a lifetime of free hunting and fishing privileges.
“We opted for the lifetime license drawing, rather than give anglers a nominal reward for returned tags because it was a unique incentive for fisherman to report the tag information,” says Jim Hakala, the WRD Fisheries Biologist managing the project. “Without angler understanding and participation in what we are trying to accomplish, tagging studies like this would be rendered ineffective.”
Anglers who catch a tagged fish should follow these three steps: 1. Cut the tag off close to where it enters the fish. You may then keep or release the fish. 2. Call the phone number on the tag (706-857-3394) to make a report. 3. Mail the tag back per instructions given during the phone call.
For more information about the Lake Allatoona spotted bass tagging study, contact the WRD Fisheries Office located in Summerville at 706-857-3394.
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Melissa Cummings, Sr. Public Relations and Information Specialist – (770) 918-6788
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LAKE ALLATOONA SPOTTED BASS TAGGING STUDY
Chance to Win a Georgia Lifetime Sportsman’s License!
CALHOUN, Ga. (March 24, 2006) -- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) will tag 1,000 spotted bass in Lake Allatoona during Spring 2006. Spotted bass of all sizes will be tagged with two-inch plastic coated tags bearing an individual tag number. Anglers who catch a tagged fish over the next year should clip the tag off, regardless of whether they keep or release the fish, and are encouraged to call the phone number on the tag to report the catch information. This tagging study is designed to assess the survival of spotted bass in Allatoona, which make up 80-90 percent of the black bass population. Anglers who participate will have a chance at a FREE Georgia Lifetime Sportsman’s License.
Of particular interest during the course of this study is the fate of larger spotted bass. While Lake Allatoona has large numbers of this species, rivaling any spotted bass lake in the state, the average fish size tends to be smaller in comparison to other Georgia spotted bass lakes. This tagging study will allow WRD Fisheries personnel to determine if natural mortality or harvest mortality is the reason larger spotted bass are at a premium in Lake Allatoona.
Anglers who call the number on the tag and report their catch information will be given an address to return the tag. Each returned tag will generate a letter to the angler about where and when that particular spotted bass was originally caught and tagged. This is similar to letters sent out to duck hunters by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service who turn in harvested duck bands or tags. In addition, anglers who mail their tags back will be entered into a 2007 drawing for a Georgia Lifetime Sportsman’s License (License purchase courtesy of the Allatoona Team Tournament). The lucky recipient of this license will enjoy a lifetime of free hunting and fishing privileges.
“We opted for the lifetime license drawing, rather than give anglers a nominal reward for returned tags because it was a unique incentive for fisherman to report the tag information,” says Jim Hakala, the WRD Fisheries Biologist managing the project. “Without angler understanding and participation in what we are trying to accomplish, tagging studies like this would be rendered ineffective.”
Anglers who catch a tagged fish should follow these three steps: 1. Cut the tag off close to where it enters the fish. You may then keep or release the fish. 2. Call the phone number on the tag (706-857-3394) to make a report. 3. Mail the tag back per instructions given during the phone call.
For more information about the Lake Allatoona spotted bass tagging study, contact the WRD Fisheries Office located in Summerville at 706-857-3394.
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