VSRFDF - Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund
RFAB - Recreational Fishing Advisory Board
Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program
VGFT ...Practice Makes Perfect...
Lewis Gillingham, Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament,VMRC, and Jon Lucy, VIMS, hold training sessions for the Virginia Game Fish Tagging (VGFT) program.
The program currently tags 10 species: black drum, black sea bass, cobia, summer flounder, gray triggerfish, red drum, sheepshead, spadefish, speckled trout, and tautog.
PLEASE, PLEASE, report all fish caught with tags (whether kept or released) to the phone number listed on the tag. If it is a VGFT program tag, the phone number to report to is 757-491-5160 and the website is VGFT Program. There are other tagging programs, so it is important to report the fish to the proper tagging entities. If you cannot read the contact information on the tag, Jon or Lewis may be able to assist you with identifying the tagging program. Many offer rewards!
Cheriton, VA 3/20/08
Jon demonstrates the use of the T-Bar tagging gun with some of the new anglers to the tagging program...
Cheriton, VA 3/20/08
Cheriton, VA 3/20/08
Practicing with the tagging equipment...
Cheriton, VA 3/20/08
The T-Bar tags are for the smaller fish. The stainless steel dart tags are for the larger species, such as red and black drum...
Call 757-491-5160 for information on what to do, if you catch a tagged fish. The best approach is to write the tag number down with additional information such as total length, condition of the fish, and catch location, and release the fish with the whole tag attached. If you must cut the tag before releasing the fish, only cut the end tag number off and leave the phone number and second tag number in place. If you kept the fish or it died, please let the Program know.
