NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

June 5, 1998

CONTACT: Rick Slack (850) 957-4172

STRIPERS TAGGED IN CHOCTAWHATCHEE RIVER

In sort of an "E.T. call home" scenario, fisheries biologists are hoping to hear from 2,000 tagged striped bass in the Choctawhatchee River.

Biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission aren’t expecting the fish to call in, but they are hoping that anglers who catch the tagged stripers over the next several years will report their catch to the nearest FWC office. Biologist Rick Slack said the 8-inch stripers were tagged with small dart tags on the back near the dorsal fin and released in two different areas of the Choctawhatchee since January.

"Some of these fish were released in brackish water near McDaniels’ Landing and the others in freshwater at Highway 20," Slack said. "There has been this belief that stripers released in brackish water have a better chance at survival and the results of this project should provide some insight into which is better."

Slack said the 8-inch fish should be 18-inches in length, the legal size for stripers, in 2-1/2-to-3-years. Meanwhile, anyone who catches tagged stripers from the Choctawhatchee are requested to record the number and contact the FWC.

The FWC’s Panama City office number is (850) 265-3676.