To fish is to think. More accurately, it is to think like a fish. This natural curiosity is shared by both anglers and fishery scientists alike. By thinking like a fish, we hope to understand bits of information that can help us catch more fish in the future. On your last fishing trip, many of these questions probably came to mind. Where would I live if I was a fish? What does a fish want to eat? Does the bait presentation need to change due to the conditions today? What did I do right that time? Can I do it again to catch another? How many fish are here? Are all of the fish in the area the same size? This fish looks just like the one I threw back; am I catching the same fish over and over? Where did that fish go after I released it? How fast is it growing?
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Fortunately, people have been asking these questions and developing solutions for many years. Mark-recapture studies have been used for centuries to improve our understanding of the biology, ecology, and movements of fish. Over time, fish marking techniques have evolved from the original studies that consisted of tying ribbon around the tail of migrating salmon to something out of science fiction.
Tagging is an important tool for fisheries scientists which provides information that otherwise would be impossible to collect. The ability to identify individual fish allows us to peer under the water to see things from the perspective of the fish.
Louisiana’s aquatic realm consists of diverse and dynamic habitats that can change by season and year. As a result, LDWF biologists have incorporated a wide range of tagging techniques to better understand many of our important fish species. Each different tagging method can provide specific benefits based on project goals, which vary depending on the scope of the study and the species involved.
From whale sharks in the Gulf of Mexico to speckled trout in Lake Pontchartrain, follow these species and more using our Fish Tracker.
