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This
article was written by Karl Anderson for Salt Water Sportsman; it
is reprinted with permission from their May, 2004 issue:
Tagging offshore game fish provides valuable information that can help
protect stocks worldwide, but only if you know how to do it properly.
Have you ever wondered where the billfish or tuna you catch have
traveled, or will travel after you release them? Participating in a
tagging program can help satisfy that curiosity, as well as add to a
database of information on the migratory habits of these valuable
offshore fish. Government agencies such as the National Marine Fisheries
Services and conservation groups like The Billfish Foundation (TBF) not
only provide the tags you’ll need, they also manage the information
collected from tagged and recaptured fish. This data is useful for
establishing migratory patterns or population fluctuations, and is
essential to the process of fishery management.
Ellen Peel, president of TBF, summarizes that traditional tagging data
“has been extremely important in identifying stock structure for
determining management units (whether one stock or multiple stocks of a
species exist within an ocean); for answering questions as to seasonal
area fidelity and movement patterns; and for learning more about age and
growth of billfish from time-at-large comparisons between original
tagged data and recaptured/re-tagged data. Traditional tagging has also
provided data for management to identify what it considers to be
critical habitat for billfish and for assisting scientists in a wide
variety of analyses.
“Anglers have provided a key role in collecting tagging data,” said
Peel. “Otherwise it would have been impossible for the government or any
one scientific organization to reach the many far regions that billfish
swim and tag enough fish over the years to be meaningful. Traditional
tagging is an excellent example where the user of the resource has taken
an active and direct role in assisting scientists and managers in the
management of the species.”
Getting tags is as simple as contacting The Billfish Foundation, but
first let’s take a closer look at how to tag a large, fast-moving fish
such as a billfish or tuna. Tagging a fish can be tricky, as there are
many things happening during the end stage of the fight. In the
confusion and excitement it is possible to do more harm than good by
attempting to tag at the wrong time. Although there are no hard numbers
to back me up, I think it’s fair to say that the majority of fish that
“get away” are lost at the boat just prior to or during the wiring,
tagging or gaffing process.
Setting It Up
When I first started crewing on tournament boats in my early teens, it
was made very clear to me that my job as the tag- or gaffman was
critical. Some skippers even joked that my life was on the line,
although I’m not so sure they were actually joking. Fortunately, I
worked for some great captains who also happened to be great teachers,
and the “endgame” became one of my favorite parts of fishing. What I
learned from them and my fellow crewmembers would prove invaluable when
I became a captain myself.
A couple seasons ago, after watching my deckhands miss several tagging
shots, I realized that I had wrongly assumed that our finely tuned crew
understood the endgame sequence. Tim Mitchell, one of my deckhands at
the time, and I had taken much of the endgame for granted, so we sat
down and had a team meeting as we often did to review the day’s action.
We discussed our miscues and set up a plan to be more efficient. After
our meeting, my deckie, Ricardo Cetina, one of the finest deckhands I
have worked with, admitted that he had never been taught the things we
had just discussed. It all made so much sense that he and Tim couldn’t
wait to give the tagging routine a try. Here’s what’s involved:
There are some basic procedures for properly tagging fish alongside a
boat. First and foremost, the boat must be uncluttered and the decks
free of obstructions. The wireman must be able to lead a fish alongside
the boat while keeping his eye on the fish to anticipate its next move.
He cannot be concerned with stepping around or over items such as
coolers or safety lines, which can become hazards if left on deck.
With a very large or fast fish, the wireman’s ability to move freely
about the boat is paramount. While working as a deckhand on the Cats
Meow for Captain John Sabonis, I had the privilege of learning the art
of wiring from renowned deckhand Charles Perry, arguably the best
wireman in the history of this sport. Being able to watch Perry work a
huge tuna or marlin around the cockpit to the gaff or tag stick was
invaluable. Like a great tailback, he saw and felt the whole field, and
focused on using it to his advantage. He exercised patience, mobility
and finesse — much more than brute strength — to control the fish.
Once the wireman grabs the leader or the angler has the fish near the
boat using a wind-on leader, the object is to lead the fish into
position for gaffing or tagging. The fish should be led alongside the
boat, where it will present a broad target, not to the transom, where it
will be facing toward the tagman and offer a slim profile. In the latter
situation, it may not be possible to plant the tag without damaging the
fish.
Tagging is a team effort, and requires that everyone do his part and pay
attention. For example, if the wireman grabs the leader of a standing
angler, the angler must back off the drag, step out of the way of the
wireman, and assume a position behind him, yet always remain ready to
fight the fish again if the wireman is forced to dump the leader.
The helmsman also has a very important job. Trying to tag a fish from a
dead boat, while the fish is swimming about erratically, trying to
escape, usually leads to a lost fish. To help lead the fish alongside,
the captain must position the boat to the side of the fish and maintain
momentum in the same direction as the fish. As the wireman or angler
brings the fish within range of the tagman, the helmsman should begin a
slight inside turn if possible to give the tagman a good, clean shot. By
keeping the boat moving with the fish, the wireman is usually able to
control the fish a bit better, thereby reducing the risk of it swimming
around and under the boat.
As the wireman works the fish closer to the boat, the tagman should be
busy turning the fighting chair (when fishing heavy tackle) so the
angler will be in position to engage the fish if the wireman has to dump
the leader. Once the fish is in position for a tag shot, the tagman
should come in behind and alongside the wireman, not in front of him.
This allows for the cleanest shot. If the fish surges ahead, the wireman
can move with the fish and the tag stick will not be in the way.
For years, the recommended tag-placement area was just behind the fish’s
head, in the upper shoulder. But this spot is now considered too close
to the gillplates, head and eyes to be safe under most tagging
conditions. Data shows that the best place to plant a tag is towards the
middle of the fish and well above the lateral line. The tag should be
planted no closer than 12 inches from the head, gillplates, eyes and
other vital organs to avoid damage to these areas if the fish makes a
sudden move.
Once the tag has been planted, the tagman can either remove the hook or
cut the leader as close to the hook as possible, reducing the amount of
line trailing from the fish after the release.
Tagging takes practice, so remember to go over the endgame routine with
your crew so that everyone will have a better understanding of what his
job is. The next time you get the chance to tag a fish, take your time
and work through the procedure so the chances of a missed or misplaced
tag — or a lost fish — are eliminated. Treat every fish as if it were a
tournament winner, and practice the moves on everything you catch, even
if you don’t actually tag the fish. Follow this advice and soon you’ll
be ordering more tags for your boat, and taking pride in the fact that
you are helping scientists and fishermen learn about and ultimately
protect stocks of offshore game fish.
Tagging-Procedure Recommendations
Conditions and opportunities for using in-water techniques can vary
depending on numerous factors, including weather, species and
circumstances involving individual fish. The Billfish Foundation offers
the following general recommendations for tagging large, highly
migratory species:
• CIRCLE HOOKS: Use circle hooks whenever possible (with live or dead
bait) as this minimizes deep-hooking, foul-hooking and bleeding. Thus,
circle hooks reduce the physical trauma related to hook damage and
promote the post-release survival of tagged fish. Use of circle hooks on
lures is not recommended at this time due to incomplete information.
• TIMING: Only attempt to tag fish that are calm or subdued at boatside.
If the fish is still active, slow down and wait until it calms down
before attempting to insert the tag. “Speed tagging” leads to inaccurate
tag placement and could result in injury to the fish or crew.
• SNOOTERS: When possible, use a “snooter” on billfish, as this tool
provides better control over the fish and reduces risk to the crew.
• MEASUREMENT: Attempt to measure the length of the fish when
circumstances permit, as measured size is always better than estimated
size.
• TAGGING STICK: Use a dual-applicator tagging stick to increase the
flexibility of the angle of tag entry and promote accurate tag
placement. This is particularly important when tagging tuna and
billfish, which often turn sideways when brought alongside the boat.
• TAGS: Use appropriate hydroscopic nylon double-barb dart tags, as
these tags have significantly higher retention rates as compared to
stainless-steel dart tags when applied by recreational and commercial
constituents using in-water tagging techniques on large, highly
migratory species.
• HOOK REMOVAL: Remove hooks whenever possible. Use of a dehooker can
facilitate quick and easy hook removal.
• RESUSCITATION: Resuscitate all fish that show an inability to remain
upright in the water due to exhaustion. Be aware that resuscitation
methods can differ between tuna and billfish. A snooter can helpful in
resuscitating billfish.
• REPORTING: Fill out fish-tagging report cards immediately and mail
them back as soon as possible.
Tag-Recovery Procedure
The following recommendations should be adopted by all anglers, even
those who do not participate in the tagging portion of the program:
• Examine the dorsal musculature on both sides of every fish to see if a
tag is present.
If the fish is to be kept, cut off the old tag. Measure and record the
length and weight of the fish. If the fish is to be released, lean over
the side of the boat, cut the old tag off and re-tag the fish. Try to
measure the length of the fish before release. Tags that look old can
indicate that the fish has been at large for a long time, and long-term
recaptures are particularly valuable.
• Record the recovery information, including species, latitude and
longitude of the recapture site, date, method of fishing, and size of
the fish.
• Report the tag-recovery information as soon as possible. Contact
information is printed on the tags. You can get additional Atlantic
tagging information for large pelagic species from the following
websites:
o Southeast Fisheries Science Center www.sefsc.noaa.gov
o Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission http://.fwie.fw.vt.edu/tagging
o International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
www.iccat.es
o The Billfish Foundation www.billfish.org. TBF encourages all anglers
to contact them for information on their annual prestigious tag and
release awards. (800) 438-8247.
Tagging Kits and Information
The Billfish Foundation, (800) 438-8247; www.billfish.org
Atlantic:
• National Marine Fisheries Service, Cooperative Tagging Program, (800)
437-3936; www.sefsc.noaa.gov/
Pacific
• National Marine Fisheries Service, http://swfsc.ucsd.edu/frd
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