The Mission of Gray FishTag Research Our mission is to support the charter sportfishing industry and overall fishing community while producing valuable data to marine science research. Gray FishTag Research is bridging the gap between professional charter fishermen and the science community, in an effort to sustain our fisheries for our future generations.

The program is collecting information in real-time directly from anglers in every part of the world. The research and studies are shared to the public at no cost. Results are providing biologists and scientists with valuable information on migration patterns, fish stocks, growth rates, habitat depths and much more.

Meeting Agenda

- Group Introductions - 2018 Research Projects: Costa Rica and - Program Timeline - New Advisory Board Members

- Research Center Acknowledgements - Introducing new Director of GFR

- Tagged and Recoveries - Potential Tagging Projects

- 2018 GFR Recovery Highlights - Open Discussion

GrayFishTag.org Tel: 844.824.8353 • [email protected] • 803 S.W. 14th Court • Pompano Beach, FL 33060, U.S.A.

2 2018 Gray FishTag Research Program Timeline 2018 was another very busy yet successful year. With everyone working towards a common goal and with support from professional fishermen, GFR ambassadors, sponsors and donors, we have truly begun to make a positive difference. We are living our mission each day around the globe to bridge the gap between professional fishermen and science.

๏ 25,000+ Tags Distributed ๏ 98 Species Tagged ๏ 133 Tag Recoveries / 32 species

FEBRUARY Mr. Moises Mug joins Gray FishTag Research MARCH Scientific Advisory Board Captain John Brownlee joins as the latest supporter and Advisory Board Member APRIL Gray FishTag Research visited Beachside MAY Montessori Village Donation from the Ortiz and members of Marina Pez Vela allowed for continuation JUNE of the Roosterfish PSAT Initiated Striped Bass satellite tag study. Study during the Annual Manhattan Cup

JUNE First Ever Recovery of a PSAT deployed on a Roosterfish.

AUGUST JULY Swordfish Recaptured GrayFishTag Research is after 238 Days!! teaming up with Pescadora Billfish AUGUST Championship GFR recovers a satellite tag off the in JULY Costa Rica Mrs. Samantha Mumford AUGUST joins GFR Advisory Board Welcomed Casa Vieja Lodge, Guatemala as the newest Research Center. SEPTEMBER Leah Baumwell Joins GFR as the Director of OCTOBER the program Tracy Ehrenberg sponsors a satellite tag deployed on a Striped Marlin Cabo San Lucas,MX NOVEMBER 4th Annual Meeting

3 2018 Research Center Accomplishments

Gray FishTag Research wishes to recognize our Research Centers for their commitment to tagging and releasing fish with GFR tags. The combined efforts from the Research Centers have laid the foundation of the GFR program by providing the program with ongoing relevant and accurate data.

Guatemala

Casa Vieja NEW! Casa Vieja Lodge was built over 20 years ago as the private retreat of a Guatemalan sportfishing family and today, it is visited by sportfishing enthusiasts and professionals from around the globe. The lodge is committed to sustainability and conservation and have completely eliminated single-use plastic bottles. Thanks to owners Kristen and David Salazar, GFR will be able to expand to a new geographic location, bridging the gap that once existed in our Central American tagging efforts. Welcome to the GFR family, Casa Vieja!

Costa Rica

Marina Pez Vela • 368 tags deployed in 2018 • Double Nickel: 202 tags deployed with the majority on Pacific Sailfish (139) and Blue Marlin (49) • Good Day: 70 tags deployed with the majority on Pacific Sailfish (41) and Roosterfish (19) • Idra II: 57 tags deployed with the majority on Roosterfish (51) and Pacific Sailfish (23) • Big Eye II: 12 tags deployed with the majority on Dolphinfish (7) • Captain Sky: 7 tags deployed on Roosterfish • Finest Kind: 8 tags deployed with the majority on Blue Marlin (7) • The Hooker: 4 tags deployed with 2 on Blue Marlin • Los Gatos: 4 tags deployed with 3 on Roosterfish • Super Fly, Marlin B, and Panga, Caribsea each deployed one tag • MPV also provided an office (iFish) for customers and crew to log their GFR catch data

Los Sueños Resort and Marina • 32 tags deployed in 2018 • Sea Fly deployed 16 tags with the majority on Blue Marlin (14) • NsatiaBill deployed 8 tags with the majority on Pacific Sailfish (6) • Geaux Fly deployed 6 tags with 3 on Pacific Sailfish • Epic deployed 2 on Roosterfish

The Zancudo Lodge • 11 tags deployed in 2018 • Contender deployed 11 tags with the majority on Blue Marlin (9)

4 Mexico

Aquaworld • 25 tags deployed in 2018 • Sea Hunter deployed 22 tags with the majority on Atlantic Sailfish (18) • RT2 deployed 3 tags on Bluefin Tuna

Pisces Sportfishing • 52 tags deployed in 2018 • Tracy Ann deployed 14 tags on Striped Marlin • Andrea deployed 9 tags on Striped Marlin • Reel Machine deployed 8 tags on Striped Marlin • Bill Collector deployed 6 tags on Striped Marlin • Valerie deployed 6 tags on Striped Marlin • La Brisa deployed 3 tags on Striped Marlin • Rebecca deployed 2 tags on Striped Marlin • Cloud Nine, Tiburon, Ruthless, and Reel Match each deployed 1 tag on a Striped Marlin • Pisces Sportfishing sponsored a satellite tag that was deployed on a healthy Striped Marlin in November 2018.

United States

Grand Alaska Lodge • 21 tags deployed in 2018 • Predator deployed 10 tags with the majority on Pacific Halibut (5) and Lingcod (4) • Tail Watch deployed 6 tags on Pacific Halibut • Arctic Cat deployed 4 tags on Pacific Halibut • Blue-boat deployed 1 tag on a Yellowfin Tuna

Sunset Marina • 5 tags deployed in 2018 • Reel Fantasea Charters deployed 3 tags on Atlantic Sailfish • Osprey deployed 2 tags on White Marlin

The Magazine Headquarters • Sponsoring a tagging project during the 2019 Manhattan Cup, a striped bass tournament in New York.

5 Tagged Species Data (March 2014 - Nov 2018)

98 fish species have been tagged and registered. 32 various fish species recovered. Species Tagged Recovered Recovery % Amberjack, greater (Seriola dumerili) 322 26 8% Barracuda, great (Sphyraena barracuda) 131 5 4% Bass, largemouth (Micropterus salmoides) 3 Bass, peacock (Cichla spp.) 1 1 100% Bass, striped (Morone saxatilis) 32 Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) 1 Bonefish (Albula vulpes) 1 Bonito, Atlantic (Sarda sarda) 9 Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) 28 2 7% Dolphinfish, Common (Coryphaena hippurus) 86 2 2% Drum, red (Sciaenops ocellatus) 37 1 3% Escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) 1 Grouper, black (Mycteroperca bonaci) 94 7 7% Grouper, broomtail (Mycteroperca xenarcha) 2 Grouper, gag (Mycteroperca microlepis) 29 3 10% Grouper, goliath (Epinephelus itajara) 2 1 50% Grouper, red (Epinephelus morio) 63 12 19% Grouper, scamp (Mycteroperca phenax) 3 Halibut, Atlantic (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) 5 Halibut, Pacific (Hippoglossus stenolepis) 62 17 27% Hind, Rock (Epinephelus adscensionis) 2 Jack, almaco (Seriola rivoliana) 14 Jack, crevalle ( hippos) 10 Jack, horse-eye (Caranx latus) 2 Jack, Pacific (Caranx caninus) 21 Jack, yellow (Caranx bartholomaei) 2 Kawakawa (Euthynnus affinis) 1 Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus) 8 Mackerel, king (Scomberomorus cavalla) 6 Mackerel, Spanish (Scomberomorus maculatus) 1 Margate, black (Anisotremus surinamensis) 1 Marlin, black (Istiompax indica) 20 Marlin, Blue (Makaira nigricans) 419 1 0.20% Marlin, Striped (Kajikia audax) 395 1 0.30% Marlin, white (Kajikia albidus) 61 1 2% Milkfish (Chanos chanos) 1 Needlefish, Pacific agujon (Tylosurus pacificus) 1 Permit (Trachinotus falcatus) 11 Pompano, African (Alectis ciliaris) 2 Pompano, Florida (Trachinotus carolinus) 2 Remora, common (Remora remora) 1 Rockfish, black (Sebastes melanops) 1 Rockfish, yelloweye (Sebastes ruberrimus) 1 Roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis) 356 15 4% Runner, Blue (Caranx crysos) 6 Sailfish, Atlantic (Istiophorus albicans) 678 7 1% Sailfish, Pacific (Istiophorus Platypterus) 690 2 0.30%

6 Sawfish, small-tooth (Pristis pectinata) 1 Sea Robin (Prionotus carolinus) 1 Seatrout, spotted (Cynoscion nebulosus) 5 Shark, Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon 8 terraenovae) Shark, blacknose (Carcharhinus acronotus) 11 Shark, blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) 69 3 4% Shark, Blue (Prionace glauca) 4 Shark, bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) 8 Shark, bull (Carcharhinus leucas) 192 5 3% Shark, caribbean reef (Carcharhinus perezi) 6 Shark, dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus) 207 1 0.50% Shark, hammerhead great (Sphyrna mokarran) 215 1 0.50% Shark, hammerhead scalloped (Sphyrna lewini) 428 1 0.20% Shark, hammerhead smalleye (Sphyrna tudes) 8 Shark, hammerhead smooth (Sphyrna zygaena) 22 Shark, lemon (Negaprion brevirostris) 14 Shark, mako shortfin (Isurus oxyrinchus) 19 Shark, night (Carcharhinus signatus) 3 Shark, nurse (Ginglymostoma cirratum) 60 1 2% Shark, oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus) 1 Shark, sandbar (Carcharhinus plumbeus) 51 2 4% Shark, silky (Carcharhinus falciformis) 73 4 5% Shark, spinner (Carcharhinus brevipinna) 20 Shark, thresher bigeye (Alopias superciliosus) 28 Shark, tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier) 28 Shark, whale (Rhincodon typus) 1 Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) 1 Snapper, cubera (Lutjanus cyanopterus) 15 Snapper, mutton (Lutjanus analis) 20 Snapper, Pacific cubera (Lutjanus novemfasciatus) 3 1 33% Snapper, Pink (Pristipomoides filamentosus) 1 Snapper, red (Lutjanus campechanus) 8 1 13% Snapper, Rock (Hoplopagrus guentherii) 2 Snapper, yellowtail (Ocyurus chrysurus) 1 Snook, Atlantic (Centropomus undecimalis) 42 4 10% Snook, Pacific black (Centropomus nigrescens) 9 1 11% Stingray, southern (Dasyatis americana) 1 Spearfish, roundscale (Tetrapturus georgii) 2 Spearfish, shortbill (Tetrapturus angustirostris) 15 1 7% Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) 32 2 6% Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) 10 Trevally, bigeye (Caranx sexfasciatus) 3 Trevally, giant (Caranx sexfasciatus) 1 Triggerfish, Queen (Balistes vetula) 1 Tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis) 5 Tuna, blackfin (Thunnus atlanticus) 4 Tuna, Bluefin (Thunnus thynnus) 11 Tuna, skipjack (Katsuwonus pelamis) 1 Tuna, yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) 137 1 0.70% Tunny, little (Euthynnus alletteratus) 8 Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) 1 98 Species 5442 Tags 133 Recoveries 2.4% Recovery Rate

7 2018 TAGGING ACTIVITIES AND HIGHLIGHTS

The Gray FishTag Research program continues to exceed the expectations for fish recapture rates thanks to the hard-working professional fishermen on the water day in and day out. Our program is constantly growing with new species being tagged in new regions every day. Tags are provided free-of-charge to the collaborating professional fishermen, and the tag data is available to the public at www.GrayFishTagResearch.org

TOP TAGGING CHARTER VESSELS OF 2018

Charter Vessel Region Total Tagged

Double Nickel Marina Pez Vela, Costa Rica 202

Out Of The Blue Fleet Fort Lauderdale, FL 151 Therapy IV Haulover Marina, Miami, FL 83

Good Day Marina Pez Vela, Costa Rica 70 Lady Pamela Dania Beach, FL 62

Idra II Marina Pez Vela, Costa Rica 57 Big Game Fort Lauderdale, FL 45

Bouncers Dusky 33 Miami Beach Marina, Miami, FL 22 Good Hit Fort Lauderdale, FL 22

Sea Hunter AquaWorld, Cancun, MX 22

TOP TAGGING CHARTER VESSELS OF ALL-TIME

Charter Vessel Region Total Fish Tagged

Out of the Blue Fleet Fort Lauderdale, FL 525 Therapy IV Haulover Marina, Miami, FL 495

Double Nickel Marina Pez Vela, Costa Rica 298 Lady Pamela II Dania Beach, FL 214

Bouncers Dusky 33 Miami Beach Marina, Miami, FL 217 Second Nature Key West, FL 187

8 March, 2018 - A Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) named “Lucky” (Tag ID: GFR3815) was originally tagged and released by angler Shawn Friedbacher while fishing with Captain Ed McCormick aboard Shark Ventures on September 22, 2017 in the norther Gulf of Mexico near Crystal River, Florida, USA. The Blacktip Shark was measured at 27 inches (68.58 cm) total length weighed approximately 10 lbs. While being reeled in, the shark was bitten by another shark and sustained two small surface muscle wounds.

The small wounds didn’t bleed, and therefore Shawn named the fish “Lucky” since it swam away in a healthy condition. Just over five months later, on March 3, 2018, “Lucky” was recaptured by Hugh Gallagher while fishing with Captain John Snouse aboard the Shadow Caster charter boat out of Key West, Florida, USA, 309 miles (497 km) away from where the shark was originally tagged. Lucky was measured and was the same size as when it was caught five months earlier.

April, 2018 - GFR visited Beachside Montessori Village School on April 20 to celebrate 2018 World Fish Migration Day. The GFR team educated young and eager students on proper fish tagging and biology. The students took part in dissecting various fish species to learn about their organs and anatomy. The response was overwhelmingly positive and the education of future anglers and scientists is important to GFR and plans on continuing this tradition in 2019.

9 Costa Rica: Roosterfish Satellite Tagging Project

Over the past year, the GFR team has been working on a collaborative research project to evaluate the behavior and migration patterns of Roosterfish along the Pacific coast of Central America. During several research expeditions, GFR deployed six implantable electronic tags in Roosterfish, which can record data (the same time of data as satellite tags) for up to six years but it requires the tag to be returned in to access this data.

Los Gatos

GFR team, alongside Ramiro Ortiz Group, representatives from Marina Pez Vela, Dolphin Electric, The Hooker Sportfishing, Jackpot Sportfishing, and Big Oh Sportfishing, deployed two satellite tags generously sponsored by the Ortiz family and several employees at Marina Pez Vela. The first tag named “Las Gatos” was deployed on April 28, 2018 and popped up 60 days later, on June 29, 2018 due to a broken pin. The second tag named “Nicaragua” was deployed on June 9, 2018 and popped up 17 days later, on June 26 off of the southern coast of Nicaragua.

Nicaragua

10 PSAT Recovery - Incredible Story

April, 2018 - The satellite tag deployed on a Roosterfish on 4/28/2018 popped up on 6/29/2018 after 62 days at large and was then recovered! Satellite tags, priced at $4,500 per tag, are quite expensive because recovery isn’t required in order to retrieve data collected during the time spent on a fish. But when it is recovered, the data from every minute on the fish can be accessed versus a summary of the stored data when it is not. The odds of recovering a satellite tag are very small, but thanks to the world-wide support GFR received, one made it back to headquarters in Pompano Beach, FL.

The tag was recovered by Mr. Emiliano Vasquez while he was kayaking the coastal waters off the Gulf of Nicoya, near Paquera, Costa Rica. Mr. Vasquez described seeing “something unusual in the water” and once he pulled the tag out of the water, he returned it to a Gray Taxidermy employee. Mr. Vasques was thrilled to learn the importance of his efforts and GFR rewarded him with $250.00 a pair of Costa Sunglasses and GFR apparel.

What makes this story even more remarkable is how the tag got back to our office in Florida. While once again visiting Costa Rica, this time in Los Sueños Resort & Marina, Mr. and Mrs. Ingram met with our representative Christian near Los Sueños. The Ingrams excitedly returned the Tag to our office in Pompano Beach the next day. Talk about full circle!!

These are the kind of stories that make our program so unique and worthwhile. The large Gray FishTag Research network, all the supporters, Charter Captains and Mates, marina personnel and friends in general, all pulling together making the program move ahead. We could not do this without all the help and we are forever grateful.

11 August, 2018 - On December 16, 2017, a Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) was tagged (GFR6486) and released by angler Anthony DiMare while fishing with Captain Nick Stanczyk aboard the Broad Minded out of Bud’N Mary’s Marina, Islamorada, Florida USA. The fish was estimated to be 47 in. (119 cm) with an approximate weight of 50 lbs. 238 days later, on August 11, 2018, the swordfish was recaptured by NOAA observer McKenzie O’Connor while aboard the PLL Vessel Ellen Jean. The tag recapture location was approximately 475 miles (764 km) north from where the swordfish was originally tagged, in the waters 90 miles east of Savannah, Georgia. The measured length of the fish was 55 in. (139 cm) and a weight of 96 lbs. (43.5 kg).

A white Marlin tagged off the coast of Puerto Aventuras, Mexico in May of 2016 was recaptured 844 days later in September of 2018 in City Maryland, 1,267 nautical miles away!

12 October, 2018 - On November 20, 2016, an Amberjack [GFR12753] was tagged off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and nearly two years later, the tag was recovered on October 11, 2018. The fish had grown 26 inches and swam over 500 nautical miles to the Florida Keys.

Mexico: Striped Marlin Satellite Tagging Project

This past November, the GFR team traveled to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for the Las Cabos Tuna Jackpot in order to educate and inform anglers about the benefits of tag and release, and the great work being done by GFR. The team sold raffle tickets to the anglers and the winner received complimentary entry to the next year’s tournament, compliments of GFR. Also, on the day prior to the first fishing day in the tournament, November 6, 2018, the GFR team alongside GFR Advisory Board Member Tracy Ehrenberg, GFR Advisory Board Member Dave Bulthuis, Accurate Reels Justin Poe, deployed a satellite tag generously sponsored by Tracy Ehrenberg of Pisces Sport- fishing after she had a quick fight with a lively, estimated 160 lb. striped Marlin aboard Reel Machine. The satellite tag was programmed for 240-days and so the tag is due to report July 4, 2019.

Two other satellite tags were deployed by GFR on striped Marlin in Cabo in the winter of 2016 and 2017 with both fish migrating quite differently despite similar oceanographic conditions. It will be very interesting to see where the 2018 tagged fish travels during its eight-month journey.

Fish Tagged and Named : Tracy Fish Tagged and Named : Bill Gray

13 Welcoming New Advisory Board Members

Moises Mug is a fish biologist with 32 years of professional experience in sustainable fisheries and ocean conservation. Specifically, he has worked in policy, strategic planning, complex fishery program implementation, teaching, and research. For the last 15 years, Moises has worked in international fisheries, focusing on policy, governance, capacity building, markets and livelihoods, and sustainable finance. Moises has an MS in Science from Oregon State University (OSU) & The University of Washington (UW). He earned a Fulbright – LASPAU scholar in 1990-1993 and has been a member of the Marine Stewardship Council since 2015.

John Brownlee is an internationally recognized light-tackle fishing expert and journalist. As the former editor-in-chief of Salt Water Sportsman and Marlin magazines, John traveled the globe honing his skills and learning techniques from the best captains and guides in the world. John currently works as an executive producer and host of the Discovery Channel’s “Anglers Journal TV”, the video extension of the award-winning Anglers Journal magazine, where John is an editor-at-large. John and his wife, Poppy, live in Islamorada, Florida, where they pursue their shared passion for saltwater fishing, full-time. Thanks to John, GFR will be featured on the “Anglers Journal TV” where he will discuss how the program operates, the importance of tag and release fishing, and GFR’s open-access policy. Also, on each episode, John and his team will tag and release at least one fish with a GFR green spaghetti tag. This will allow GFR to expand its audience and reach new masses. The show will be airing on the Discovery Channel, staring on August 5th.

Samantha Mumford has worked in Quepos, Costa Rica since 2011 where she and her brother launched Premium Marine. Premium Marine initially repaired propellers with Prop Scan Technology, which eventually led to the development of digital shaft inspection, repair equipment, and full-service fabrication. Her company now services and repairs all running gear for yachts and sport-fishing boats throughout Central America. With Samantha’s aid, GFR will be providing tags to deploy on Marlin caught during the Pescadora Billfish Championship, female-angler only billfish tournament. Further, Gray Taxidermy will be awarding a full-size fish mount to the angler who has the most tagged fish during the tournament. The tournament will take place in Quepos, Costa Rica at Marina Pez Vela on February 21-23, 2019.

Kristen Salazar is the owner of Casa Vieja Lodge, a 19-bedroom hotel with a fleet of 10 charter boats on the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. Casa Vieja Lodge delivers luxurious turn-key fishing packages while concentrating on the 5-Star Angling Experience. Although Kristen grew up in Hawaii, David introduced her into the sportfishing world 12 years ago. On a day off, you can find Kristin fishing the Sailfish- rich, waters of Guatemala. GFR is excited to be able to expand its tagging efforts to a new geographic location, bridging the gap that once existed in its Central American tagging efforts.

14 Introducing Leah Baumwell, Director GFR + Strategic Plan

GFR is excited to welcome Leah Baumwell to the team. In her role as GFR Director, Leah will be your go-to contact and she will be handling all daily activities for the organization. We are all very happy to have her on-board, and we are looking forward to working together.

Leah’s contact information: 1 (954) 675-3896 / [email protected]

A note from Leah… GFR was created to promote catch & release fishing, assess various aspects of fish populations, and to ultimately provide useful information not only to fisheries managers (tagging programs can be a vital part of a fishery manager’s tools for assessing fish populations), but to fishermen as well. What makes GFR unique is that we are made up of over 10,000 fishing professionals (charter boat captains and mates) who are supplied with tags, applicators, data cards, and proper-tagging- education free of charge and what is likely the most important component of our program, is that all of the data is open-access to the public. Meaning, all the tagging and recoveries appear on the “live feed” portion of our website: https:// grayfishtagresearch.org/

When conducted properly, tagging can yield a wealth of information, including data about movement patterns, population structure, and mortality rates. And when operated correctly, tagging programs can also allow anglers to become actively involved, more aware, and better stewards of natural resources. Although the program is essentially in its infancy, it is rapidly growing and as director, I was hired to navigate the program as it continues to expand. That means (a) focusing my efforts on development, (b) finding ways to integrate our data to that of scientific agencies to increase the utility of their data for management purposes, (c) establishing GFR as a voice for the recreational fishing community, and (d) making sure GFR continues to be a sound-science program with clear research questions and goals, set forth each year, with large input from the diverse and talented members of the advisory board. The beneficial effects of angler-based tagging programs can be far reaching and it is my intention to dedicate my efforts to our mission of bridging the gap between the recreational fishing community and scientists in an effort to sustain our fisheries for future generations.

2019 Scientific Meetings

In line with our mission of bridging the gap between the recreational fishing community and scientists, bringing our data to scientific meetings and spreading the word that our data is available for the taking is key. Some meetings that would beneficial for GFR to be involved with are:

1. American Fisheries Society Southern Division (SDAFS); discuss research findings and management implications pertaining to the southern region of the and the Caribbean.

2. The American Fisheries Society (AFS); largest gathering of fisheries professionals in the world, opportunities or data sharing and collaboration.

3. Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI); issues of connectivity, fisheries management, and conservation within the Wider Caribbean Region.

15 Proposed Swordfish Satellite Tag Project:

Fishermen in south Florida are eager to understand the fine-scale movement of Swordfish. From previous studies, we know that Swordfish spend the dark hours near the surface and the light hours near the bottom. However, what is unclear is the depth of Swordfish at every hour within each day. The depth information collected by satellite tags will help answer those questions and provide much sought-after information to the fishing community. GFR would like to thank sponsor Seaguar Fluorocarbon for there sponsorship of a satellite tag in this endeavor.

16 Proposed Striped Bass Spaghetti Tag Project:

GFR and Sponsor The Fisherman Magazine are prepared to team up for a tagging project during the Manhattan Cup in New York, a premier striped bass tournament. Currently, there are many questions by Hudson River anglers surrounding striped bass. Anglers are reporting that the stripers in the area are not only smaller, but they’re staying further offshore to than ever before. By supplying spaghetti tags and sticks to all of the teams to catch and release during the tournament, GFR hopes to put together some puzzle pieces in striped bass movement patterns while also engaging anglers in citizen science.

Gray FishTag Research has named The Fisherman Magazine and its headquarters to become an Official Research Center for the program. The plan is to target striped bass and other regional species in an effort to learn more about this Northeastern fishery.

As a kickoff to Gray FishTag’s tagging efforts throughout the Northeast region, General Manager of Gray Taxidermy, Mr. Bill Dobbelaer plans to bring a trophy sized Gray Taxidermy striper mount, a 50-incher, to be awarded to the team who tags the most striped bass in the shortest period of time during the annual Manhattan Cup Tournament taking place on June 8.

On this day approximately 50 professional fishing guides will provide their boats and expertise to individual teams competing in the Manhattan Cup, one of the largest, one-day inshore tournaments in the Northeast with a strictly catch and release format. After a two- year hiatus, the tournament returns to the Hudson River again in 2018 running out of Liberty Landing Marina, thanks to the efforts of Capt. Frank Crescitelli and the Alliance (RFA). The contest will include live-release, fly fishing, wounded veterans and celebrity categories once again, but a new wrinkle will provide a new tagging incentive through Gray FishTag.

By providing enough tags and tagging kits for all the participating teams to incorporate into their daily tournament efforts, the hope is to kick of a wide scale tagging effort for striped bass this spring. Ultimately, Dobbelaer and his team believe that more tournament organizers – whether for striped bass, mako shark or even summer flounder (fluke) – will want to adopt similar contest parameters in the future by which released fish can also add up towards tournament prizes. “If we can get guys to tag one or two fish on each boat in future tournaments, think about the data we’ll be getting down the road,” said Dobbelaer.

17 Official Research Centers

The success of our program is a tribute to the Official Research Centers that continue their efforts and support of our program. Without continuous commitment from Aquaworld, The Zancudo Lodge, Marina Pez Vela, Crocodile Bay Resort, Los Sueños Resort and Marina, Grande Alaska Lodge, Pisces Sport-fishing, Sunset Marina, The Fisherman Magazine and our newest research partner Casa Vieja Lodge, Guatemala and their willingness to offer the tagging experience to their customers; we wouldn’t be able to sustain our growth and commitment to connect the two worlds of professional fishing and science. We have also proven that by including our tagging program in to their sport-fishing experience, it has created a valued element to their business model. We strongly believe that by tagging, naming and “owning” their own fish, will increase customer retention.

Sponsors/Contributing Partners

This program would not be possible without the continued support and contribution from our partners and sponsors. We like to extend a special thank you to SQUIDNATION, our most recent sponsor and contributor. SEAGUAR for the generous contributions that helped us continue the Roosterfish Satellite tagging expeditions. AFTCO for once again providing us with the tag-applicators, and COSTA Sunglasses for their support and providing every angler of a tag recapture with a pair of Costas. We would also like to thank American Fishing Wire, Stay in Costa Rica, FECOP, CR-Primo, and Shadow Graphics for providing support in the form of marketing materials and printing services. AA Video for continuing to provide video documentation and Navionics who is providing the integrated map found on the “Live Tag Map” on the website (grayfishtagresearch.org/tag-map/) as well as on each individual tagging post.

18 Captains & Crews - The core of the program

In the center of it all, we continue to have the hard working captain and mates. Their loyal support and work ethic is paramount to the success of our efforts. The bond and trust Gray Taxidermy has made with these professionals over the last 50+ years is the backbone of the tagging program. There are currently over 10,000+ Charter Captains and Mates Gray Taxidermy reaches on a regular basis and the list continues to grow. A successful Charter business run an estimated 250 – 300 days per year. By supplying the professional Captains and crews with the right equipment and support, they have the ability to produce more relevant data than any other existing group.

Gray FishTag Online

Social Media Statistics

We will remain active on social media using state-of-the-art technology to market our program, and by establishing new strategic partnerships and implementing creative marketing campaigns we see no slowing down on the exposure we are currently receiving.

22,000 + Active Facebook followers. 1,079 + Active followers. We regularly promote our activities to the 172,000+ Gray Taxidermy audience.

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