We're very lucky to have TPWD here in TX. Although I don't agree with everything they've done, for the most part they've done an outstanding job.

The reason for the failure of the Toledo Bend tracking survey surprised me. Wouldn't the LMB get a dip of some kind?

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/...ad-15033732.php

The dip should be the first place they go.. that's usually when/how the anesthesia is administered.
What I've seen in past tagging/tracking is the fungus starts from handling elsewhere, but to start at the incision seems strange to me.

My thoughts exactly. The procedure is invasive, so the insertion site should be a priority. I wouldn't think 62 degree water would be too cold to cause the fungus, but that's way over my pay scale.

That's sad...

#HippocraticOath

Cold water fungus is really tough on fish with incisions/internal tags. We lost lots of fish due to cold water fungus (Saprolegnia)whenever we tagged fish in the fall. Very few would make it through the winter, less thank 25%. We did everything within our means to deter bacteria as well. Results were much different in the spring and summer.

I would strongly agree with this..
We start electrofishing in the low 60's and try to be finished up by 70. Anything I recall being a problem was Fall related but if everything is in line, fish health should be good in early fall. Maybe with metabolism speeding up in spring they are less vulnerable.
I can say, we see large numbers of GSD with Saprolegnia coming into spring, seems to be somewhat normal though coming out of winter stress periods.

Ouch - an expensive mistake. Have seen a number of studies where this is not a problem. Scratch head ? Younger , fast growing fish in spring would be better. In some of the other studies the amount of mortality from birds is high. I bet some of the mortality is not fungus related but rather predation by birds.

This is classic case of:
1. We thought we knew what we were doing.
2. We don't know what we don't know.