CONTACT:
Gabe Gries: (603) 352-9669
Liza Poinier: (603) 271-3211
August 13, 2007

Do Not Remove Tags from Winnipesaukee Bass Study Fish

CONCORD, N.H. - Anglers reporting tagged bass to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department as part of a study on bass movement in Lake Winnipesaukee are being asked NOT to remove the tags from bass that are caught and released.

"The survey is going great, but it is of the utmost importance to the success of this study that anglers not remove the tags from fish they release," said Gabe Gries, Fisheries Biologist and Warmwater Project Leader for N.H. Fish and Game.  "The purpose of the study is to follow the movements of bass over months or even years, not just record their location a single time."

To date, 1,500 bass have been tagged and released by Fish and Game since the Bass Movement Study got underway on June 30, 2007.  Anglers have already reported on the location of more than 100 recaptured fish.  Click here for updates on the progress of the study, a print-and-mail reporting form, and more information about the study.

"Anglers have been fantastic -- we couldn't conduct this study without their help," Gries said.  "We just need them to be aware that it's important to leave the tags on bass they plan on releasing."

As part of the N.H. Fish and Game Warmwater Fisheries Management Program study, anglers fishing Lake Winnipesaukee are being asked to watch for tagged largemouth and smallmouth bass. Data collected from tagged bass will allow biologists to examine bass movement after release from bass tournament weigh-ins held at Ames Farm Inn.

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