Striped Bass Citizen Science Project | MA Marine Fisheries

Capt Mike from Salty Cape and Hogy Lures is joined by The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries to take part in the Striped Bass Citizen Science Study! The crew steams out to MiddleGround aboard Capt. Mikes 28′ Contender to do some rip fishing for striped bass. The goal was to catch striped bass and record data on the catch details to aid in conservation of striped bass here in Massachusetts. With the help of The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, the crew was able to catch, record important data, and release multiple striped bass to aid in the study of Striped Bass conservation.

Become a DMF Citizen Scientist

Project Steps

1. Start Your Timer: Using any form of time recording (phone, stopwatch, smartwatch) start your timer once you hook-up to the fish. Whether you have another angler on the boat, or you do it yourself, now is the time to start your timer!
2. Record the Fight Time: Once you have successfully landed your fish, note the time your first get your hands on the fish. Either take a look down at your time recording device or have your partner indicate the time, this will be your total fight time. NOTE: Keep your timing running even after landing the fish.
3. Assess Fish Condition: Now is the time to look at the details of your catch. Where was your fish hooked? Was it hooked in the upper lip? Was it gut hooked? Was there any blood when landing the fish? All of this is crucial data for the study.
4. Fish Measurement: Get a quick measurement of your catch. It’s important to note that any surface you are placing your fish on to be measure, make sure that it is thoroughly wet to insure there is no harm being done to the slime coating of the fish.
5. Revive and Release: Now is the time to release your fish. If you need to revive it, then take the time to do so. It’s important to note the condition of the fish as it swims off. Was it a strong release? Or was the fish reluctant to swim away at all? Once the fish has left your hands, you can now stop your timer.
6. Record The Data: Now it’s time to record all of this data on to your given data sheet. Fill out the given sheet with all of the data you gathered from the previous 5 steps.