Tag A Tiny

TAG A TINY PROGRAM

Get involved! Help the Large Pelagics Research Center improve scientific understanding of large pelagic species by supporting and participating in co-operative research projects.

The LPRC initiated its Tag A Tiny program in 2006 to study the annual migration paths and habitat use of juvenile Atlantic bluefin tuna. Through this co-operative tagging program, which uses tags from The Billfish Foundation (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) recreational anglers and charter captains catch, measure and release juvenile bluefin with conventional “spaghetti”-ID tags. To date, 885 recreational fishermen have helped LPRC to tag 1,006 bluefin, mostly juveniles from 1-4 years old, and some “medium” size fish, nearing 70 inches. All of the records are entered into the Billfish Foundation, NMFS, and ICCAT databases.

If you are a recreational fisherman, please consider joining our tagging efforts. Click on the volunteer form link and fill out the form. We will contact you with more information about the program.

The distribution of sizes of tagged fish and the number of traditional tags put out by Tag A Tiny participants since 2006.

Click on the tags on the map below to see the number of fish tagged in each general area by Tag A Tiny participants.

Tag A Tiny Conventional Tag Releases by Area

We would like to congratulate the top taggers of 2011 in our Tag A Tiny Program!

2011 Top 3 Charter/Commercial Tagging Boats
1. Tammy Rose
2. Low Bid

3. Fin Seeker

2011 Top 3 Recreational Tagging Boats

1. Rip Dog

2/3. Jeanne Mae & One Summer

2006-2011 Cumulative Top 3 Charter/Commerical Tagging Boats
1. Tammy Rose
2. Tuna Hunter
3. First Light

2006-2011 Cumulative Top 3 Recreational Tagging Boats
1. Rip Dog
2. Connie May
3. Rover

2011 Top 3 Charter/Commercial Tagging Captains
1. Eric Stewart
2. Bob Matthews

3. Joel Jacquard

2011 Top 3 Recreational Tagging Captains
1. Scott Clay
2/3. Jack Kent & Josh Higgins

2006-2011 Cumulative Top 3 Charter/Commercial Tagging Captains
1. Eric Stewart
2. Gary Cannell
3. Derek Spingler

2006-2011 Cumulative Top 3 Recreational Tagging Captains

1. Rich Betts

2/3. Matt Zajac & Scott Clay

2011 Top 3 Charter/Commercial Tagging Anglers
1. George Harms
2. Brian Conolly

3. Clift Hampton, Dale Kramer Jr., Frank Fleming, Lee Desroisiers, Steve Smith, Joe Howe,

& Tim Lajoie

2011 Top 3 Recreational Tagging Anglers
1. Cole Haas
2/3. Al Gagnon, Brian Droney, Chris Roller, Greg Haronitas, John Gobrun, Josh Higgins, Jules Boudreau, Rob Greig, & Scott Clay

2006-2011 Cumulative Top 3 Charter/Commercial Tagging Anglers
1. Corey Stewart
2. George Harms

3. Chris Fenerty

2006-2011 Cumulative Top 3 Recreational Tagging Anglers

1. Matt Zajac

2. Don Nadeau

3. Brian Droney