Report on 2017 Striped Bass Tagging

[Marty Gingras]

Hi all,

A report about this year's tagging is here:

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentId=146153

Nothing earth-shattering, lots of striped bass, few salmonids, no sturgeon (a surprise), some rare striped bass milling behavior detected, and striped bass sex ratios back to 'normal' compared to last year --- though still heavily skewed compared to decades ago.

Like last year, we included length-frequency distributions of the striped bass caught by the Fisheries Branch steelhead-trapping crew. They too caught lots of striped bass.

Reports about tagging in other years are here:

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/delta/data/stripedbass/bibliography.asp

Thanks

Marty Gingras
BDR-IEP Program Manager
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Bay Delta Region
2109 Arch-Airport Road, Suite 100
Stockton, California 95206

Phone (209) 234-3486
email marty.gingras@wildlife.ca.gov

[Tony Buzolich]

Marty,

Is there any information about the number of small fish being caught this year? It seems like an abnormal number and everyone is saying it, "lots of small fish" Lots of shakers" ??? I don't think I can remember ever seeing so many.

Secondly, the few few fish that I've kept this year seem to be loaded with parasites of several kinds. I've always seen a few here and there but these last fish that I took were loaded with flukes the size of a grain of rice, as well as pin worms to the point I had to throw it away.

I hate wasting anything especially stripers, and to throw something like that AWAY is a damn shame. Any thoughts on this?
Tony