If I may share some tagging experience here, I will add that for the most part, in Kansas, the state has turned away from Tag studies when related to growth rates. I can get the info but I believe it was 2000 that Region 1 conducted a final tag study that was a 3 year project. The conclusion proved that when using tube tags on black bass, the subject fish showed poor growth rates on average compared to re catch rates of fin-clipped specimens that were clipped in a very specific size structure.
Lead biologists felt stress of the extra structure attached to this fish, even though very small, created enough abnormal resistance and discomfort that this method was not favorable for determining growth rates. It's very effective for location reference and re catch percentage but growth was much less in a given size than those that were fin clipped. Food for thought.
