Weigh Master/Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Agent Gabrielle Fignar of Rockefeller Refuge checks the bright green tag on a redfish coming through the 2023 weigh station on Saturday, Aug. 5, to see if it is one of LDWF tags.

Biologists use the tags to learn more about the fish’s history, biology, mating, travel, etc. Fignar discovered this fish had been tagged by Grayfish.org which tags many species of fish for research.
Sometimes it’s possible to find tagged fish specific to fishing tournaments and win big prizes.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries encourages all recreational anglers to cooperate with the agency if you come across a tagged fish. Here is what they recommend you do with any tagged fish:

Record: The tag number, the time you caught the fish, the bait used, the date, time and location, the description, and the overall health appearance of the fish.

Call 1-800-567-2182 to forward the information as soon as possible (bonus: you might receive a reward depending on the fish).

Release the fish with the tag still intact if under/over size.