Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Is it TAG time?

So is there any data or recommendations on when to tag bass to start research on growth and development?

I have a unique lake that Bob helped me stock with feed trained bass. They were around a year old and 8 - 10 inches last July.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=23723&Number=298075#Post298075


So my question simply is, is it too early this spring to start tagging and gaining data?


Which systems do you recommend?


thanks

dustin

I think the opinions vary. I do not think so. The sooner you can gather data the better understanding you will have.

Dustin, I agree. Records regarding growth should begin asap(or whenever convenient).

Dustin:

Do you want to be able to track and monitor each individual fish, or just each group (as in year class or batch of stocked fish)?

I've used the Floy Tags that Greg Grimes and n8ly sells. I've used numbered ones to track individual fish, and colored ones to track certain batches of stocked fish. I think your LMB will be large enough now. Greg has a video on his website on how to insert the floy tags properly.

I would like to monitor individual fish, but i believe that data, will in turn help me monitor the year class of fish. The bass will have their fist spawn this spring, so they are already 18 months ahead of their offspring, so it think it will be easy to tell the class apart at least at for the first few years.

On a separate note, i hope these feed trained bass don't forget how about the pellet over the winter.



I had read about the FLOY tags. I think i will buy that system.

Thanks for the advice.


Dustin

Dustin, I have feed trained LMB in my pond. My winters are longer than yours, and mine remember year to year about the pellets.

If you just want to monitor year classes of fish, and don't need to differentiate between fish when they're swimming in the pond, a fin clip will do it. Clip one adipose fin off.

I can see the yellow Floy tags in the fish, even when they've been in the fish for 3 years. If I catch a tagged fish, I will scrape the algae off the tag to read it, but I still can tell the color of the tag when I see a fish swimming in the pond.

I've used the red non-numbered tags too to tag a group of fish.

SO i have seen my bass hitting pellets today. Yahoo