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Post by mwardncsu on Aug 1, 2012 13:46:50 GMT -5
No, not for your soup, but you can help the VA-DGIF and our striped bass fishery by submitting the heads of the stripers which you harvest to one of the collection freezers around the lake.
The DGIF Biologist extracts the otolith (ear bone) from the striper in order to determine the age of the fish. When submitting the fish heads, please ensure you provide the length of the fish as well the data caught - if you'd like to know the info when collected, provide your e-mail address as well.
Update: There is a freezer located outside at Captains' Quarters available now to deposit fish-heads.
Taking this little step on fish which you are already harvesting can provide invaluable data to help manage our striped bass fishery to its highest potential and also minimize the number of fish which have to be killed in gill-nets to get the data.
Update: Per Dan Wilson, VDGIF asks that only fish heads from dish larger than 26" be submitted - they have plenty of data on the smaller fish and the fish heads are one of the only ways they are able to collect growth data on our larger fish - so if you do harvest a larger fish, let's get the max out of it that we can - not only can you enjoy it at dinner, but we can gather vital data from it as well.
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Post by mwardncsu on Aug 1, 2012 13:51:26 GMT -5
I actually just got the data back on the fish-heads I submitted from some fish harvested last summer. | Date Caught | Length | Age | | 7-1-11 | 31 | 8 | | 7-23-11 | 32 | 7 | | 7-23-11 | 29 | 6 | | 7-23-11 | 29 | 6 |
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BentRod
Global Moderator
Posts: 2,252
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Post by BentRod on Aug 1, 2012 14:00:30 GMT -5
Nice! Those numbers look better!
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Post by CorneliaGale on Aug 1, 2012 18:40:57 GMT -5
Captian's Quarters not doing it anymore, or at least I think they used to have a Freezer for them?  |
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Post by mwardncsu on Aug 1, 2012 18:50:44 GMT -5
Nope - they don't have a freezer for the fish heads this year (they have in the past). Saunders is the only "public" freezer. A few guides around the lake have one to collect some heads from their trips but they are not available to others.
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Post by hillbilly on Aug 1, 2012 20:08:36 GMT -5
You mean to say the fish you and your son harvested last summer. You're showing 3 fish on one day there pardner.  Just giving you a hard time  |
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Post by mwardncsu on Aug 1, 2012 20:19:31 GMT -5
You mean to say the fish you and your son harvested last summer. You're showing 3 fish on one day there pardner. Ha! Good eye..... you can't put anything past those WVU fans.... Checking my log, that trip was Bentrod, his buddy Brock, and me - so 1 each..... I'm good  |
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Post by 2 oars & a trash can on Aug 1, 2012 21:19:41 GMT -5
I checked my log and got nothing but a hand full of splinters
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Post by sniper on Aug 1, 2012 21:41:35 GMT -5
In the past we've had biologists come to our striper club tournaments and collect the heads after the weigh in. Not sure if this is an option for ya'll on SML but thought I'd mention it.
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Post by mwardncsu on Aug 1, 2012 22:24:16 GMT -5
Thanks Sniper - I think when the Striper Club has done tourneys and cleaned fish after the tourney they would generally save the heads to get to our biologist - but definitely a good idea and reminder - another way to make sure any fish harvested in a tourney go to the maximum good....
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Post by hillbilly on Aug 2, 2012 20:16:51 GMT -5
Now I wish I hadn't checked - termites  |
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Post by mwardncsu on Aug 2, 2012 20:24:45 GMT -5
I checked my log and got nothing but a hand full of splinters Now I wish I hadn't checked - termites Now that's funny right there.... I'm just hoping Travis does not post any pics of his log...... ;D |
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Post by mwardncsu on Aug 31, 2012 9:45:14 GMT -5
Just a "bump" - I received word from Dan that he asks that anglers only submit fish heads from fish larger than 26" - I updated the original post with this info.....
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Post by mwardncsu on Jun 21, 2013 11:51:03 GMT -5
Bumping this thread again...... I know this is the time of year some of us will harvest fish more than other times - chop those heads off, put them in a zip-lock bag and write the date & length of the fish, and if you want, your name / email - and toss them in the freezer until you can take them by Saunders Sporting Goods so that DGIF can pick them up and collect the oolith bone to get age/ length data. Reminder - DGIF only wants heads from 26"+ fish at this time.
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Post by mwardncsu on Oct 12, 2013 21:07:15 GMT -5
Just an update - with Saunders closed, there is not a public collection location at present...... stay tuned...
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