Smallmouth bass with tag in it's lip on LSC

[Grinny]

Yesterday I fished LSC and I caught a 3 pound smallie with a metal lip Tag.... I took down the numbers and weighed and measured the fish. Does anyone know where I send the info? I'm guessing it's a DNR study of some type....

[Mike S.]

I got one theree on a DK open 3 years ago. Message member Bass_Cat. He sent mine in. He will know.

[Grinny]

After looking I found on the Michigan DNR website this link about reporting tagged fish:

https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_52259_48361---,00.html

It had me fill out a form and then they will send me back the stats on the fish I released. I left the tag in it, so someone else can catch it, and report. It weighed 3.1 pounds and was 17.5 inches. Maybe one day it will be a 7 pounder!

[Firefighter Jeff]

We boated two of them this spring and for some reason didn't even think to weigh and measure them.   

[Genie]

Indiana ...

[Redbone]

Those darn rebellious fish. Next thing you know, they are going to have tattoo's.

Indiana ...

[djkimmel]

They've told me in the past to remove the tag and send it in. Seems odd to do. I am playing phone tag with Mike Thomas, the MDNR St. Clair fisheries biologist researcher. I can ask him if that is still the case and refresh my memory why.

Here is the easy link to report tagged fish captures online:
www.michigandnr.com/taggedfish/

Take a look at it to note the things they would like you to collect. There are few cases around the Great Lakes where they have offered bounties. I don't think they do that much anymore.

[Grinny]

Update-- I got the letter from the DNR, that the smallmouth I caught was a female and it was 15 inches long when it was tagged in May 2010. So in 3 years it only grew 2.5 inches.....

[Dan]

In the recent Bassmaster event, I rode first day with Brian Snowden and he too caught a smallie with a lip tag.

[VinceR]

I caught my first "tagged" smallmouth this past weekend at St. Clair in the Cash For Bass tournament. It was a 4.1lb. fish. Unfortunately, it was released before we could get the info off of the tag.

[djkimmel]

Uh oh. The MDNR would have liked that tag info... you left it on to get the extra ounce, didn't you!?!

I think it was an East Lansing member who was with me in the MadWags Open when we caught 2 tagged bass during that one event! Some of the bass roam and some stay home.

[fishhound]

Do they use any radio tags up there to monitor their movements? I know they have done it a few times on champlain.

[djkimmel]

It isn't used a lot. Once in awhile for specific, targeted studies. I know they radio-tagged some walleye in the Great Lakes a few seasons ago but it was in conjunction with the U.S. government, not just the MDNR.