Mdc Smallmouth Tag Data

[Stoneroller]

2010 Smallmouth Tag Results

1420 Tags

12" and larger fish

6 River segments

Return rate of tags (7 month total)

Castor 43%

N.Fork White 44%

Courtois 46%

Black 49%

LCurrent 40%

UCurrent 43%

total 44%

　

*castor/white=wadable water

*courtois/black=floatable water

*current=boatable water

　

　

Harvest rates varied from very low to moderately high

[Stoneroller]

sorry about the font size, i copied and pasted from my document and it made the font tiny.

[Smalliebigs]

Ron I turned in two from the Black river and when I called the gal I talked to told me on the phone how far down stream they had been tagged. I caught one at what most would call the old party hole where Mill creek flows in across the road into the river, just below Black River Lodge and it was tagged below HWY K.The other smallie I turned in was caught wher the East Fork of the Black comes in and was tagged just above HWY K about a mile, both were $75 tags and both fish were about 17 inches. So you know and I know those fish traveled pretty far and I hope they are still in there

I have some pics of some the fish they tagged if you would like to see them as we met the gentlemen that did the tagging study and they happily emailed them to me....they were both really cool MDC employees.The MDC even sent me a letter explaining where and when they tagged the fish I turned.I fished the Black knowing they were tagged and provided pics of the fish,gps cordinates, and as much info as I could provide.

[Smalliebigs]

Ron, here are some of the pics the MDC guys gave me when we met them on the Black in early spring.It was a very crappy float that day.

[Smalliebigs]

Ron, here's a nice one that I'm not sure if it was giged or Herron

this fish had a tagged removed but, I'm not sure about this damage...same fish

[Stoneroller]

the damage is forward of the dorsal fins, the tag is placed between the first and 2nd dorsals. I'm not sure even a heron would attempt to tackle a fish that size, but it's possible i guess.