In accordance with this settlement, each winter striped bass are tagged in the Hudson River off Manhattan. Anglers who catch these tagged fish cut off the tags and send them to HRF. In return, HRF will send them a $5 or $10 check and a questionnaire. A check will be issued ONLY if the exterior section of the tag is returned.

When an angler returns a completed questionnaire, his or her name is entered into an annual drawing for nine prizes: two $1000 prizes; two $500 prizes; and five $100 prizes.

In addition, each angler is sent a certificate of participation, stating when and where the fish was originally tagged.

What to do if you catch a striped bass with an HRF tag.
When you catch a striped bass with an HRF tag, regardless of whether you intend to keep the fish or not, please cut off the tag and make a record of the date, location, total length of the fish (the distance from the tip of the upper jaw to the tip of the tail), and the condition of the tag insertion site. Then send the tag to:

Hudson River Foundation
Box 1731
Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163

Some common questions about the striped bass tag recovery program.
Why are fish tagged?
Fish are tagged to get answers to a wide variety of questions concerning their abundance and behavior. Much has been learned about the migrational patterns of Hudson River striped bass through this program. Where are tagged fish released?
Tagged striped bass are released at several sites located in the lower Hudson River and New York Harbor. See map at right.→

How many fish are tagged?
Each winter from November to April approximately 10,000 - 25,000 striped bass are tagged in the Hudson River. Over 400,000 fish have been tagged through 2004.

How long are the fish when they are tagged?
In the HRF program, most striped bass are between 7 and 12 inches when tagged.

How are the fish tagged?
The tag is placed into a small incision made in the area of the fish's belly. The wound is treated with a disinfectant and the fish is quickly placed back into the river.

Can I tag fish for the Hudson River Foundation?
HRF does not have a tagging kit for recreational anglers. Anglers can tag a wide variety of fishes through programs of the:

American Littoral Society
18 Hartshorne Drive, Suite #1
Highlands, NJ 07732
732-291-0055
http://www.littoralsociety.org

Some striper facts:

• Striped bass eggs hatch in about two days and young grow to 6 inches in one year.


• Female striped bass can mature as early as age 4, but do not reach full productivity until age 8.  Males reach maturity by age 2 or 3. On average, of the 600,00 eggs a young female may lay, only 600 will hatch. Of those, only 3 will reach age 2.  Older females may produce over 3 million eggs. 

• The oldest striped bass ever caught were estimated to be between 31 and 36 years old.

• Striped bass are considered "true" bass. Smallmouth, largemouth, rock and spotted bass are all members of the sunfish family.


• Although striped bass are found from the Saint Lawrence River to the Gulf of Mexico, only three populations migrate along the Atlantic: Hudson River, Delaware River, and Chesapeake Bay.


• The all-time angling record is 78 lbs 8 oz, taken off Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1982. The commercial record is 125 lbs, near Edenton, NC in 1891.


• Angler returns of tags have shown that Hudson River striped bass travel as far north as Nova Scotia, and as far south as North Carolina.


• The first striped bass fishing clubs were organized just after the Civil War, and used carrier pigeons to correspond with one another.
  

• At one time, stiped bass were so plentiful, they were used to fertilize farmer's fields.  

• According to the Hudson River Foundation's records of tags returned, some of the most productive fishing spots in the NY area are Liberty Island; South Street Seaport; Coney Island; 69th Street Pier, Brooklyn; and Liberty State Park, NJ.

Click HERE for Records from the HRF Tagging Program.

Links
New York State Department of Health

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

US Fish and Wildlife Service

National Marine Fisheries Service

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

American Fisheries Society

American Littoral Society

Staff

Data Manager

Eric Maczka