2014 Bass Tagging Programme - First Outing

14/07/2014
We had our first tagging session as a continuation of the ESB CMRC Bass Tagging Programme. I suppose this is both news and catch report!

Andy D, Daire L and myself headed to fish the East Ferry area. We need to create a new tagged group of fish. Upon launching we could see that water clarity was going to be an issue and there was some colouration due to strong winds over low water. We fished away and managed to capture to bass.

These fish are taken in turn to the marina and the shore team set about taking data. The fish are anesthetised and the acoustic transmitter is surgically implanted. A floy tag is placed in the outer body. Scale and tissue samples are taken and dimension data is recorded. The fish is then placed in an oxygenated recovery tank. Once recovered the fish is returned to the water at the point of capture. All this usually takes less than ten minutes.

We persevered with our fishing. On a drift at a likely spot I hooked a decent fish. It fought well but spent more time close to the surface than you would expect from a good sized bass. When the net was slipped under the net we realised we had something special. The bass was 78cm and 10.6lb - A specimen fish!

Obviously I was delighted to catch the fish - my PB lure caught fish - but to have the fish become part of our tagging programme is an added bonus.


We will have another few trips to get the full complement of fish required for the study. The information coming back is going to be important for the future of bass Europe-wide.

(You can find further information on the programme here: http://www.topfisher.eu/bass-attag/ )

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I would love to see a list of everything that she has eaten in her lifetime.
Can you imagine - Crabs - 2324, Sandeels 1243, Mackerel - 134 and so on. Would be fascinating.
Based on where she was caught Jim do you have an idea of what she was probably feeding on..?
I wonder would she calmly swim up to a reef and inhale small pollock and then sit on her ass for a week..?
Is she a big scavenger..? So many questions...!

I'd imagine a lazy girl like that needs a lure dropped on her nose.

Cant was to see how old she is.

Ha! That would be gas! Based on where she was caught she is typical bass: crab, crab and more crab along with opportunistic fish. There was nothing slow about the going out of her when hooked

what a fish!

Thats some fish Jim! Best of luck with the tagging.

Nice fish Jim,well done on the pb

Great jobs lads well done, that's a mighty fish!