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The fishing season has begun: The Michigan DNR needs help from anglers of all skill levels. If you fish the Great Lakes and catch a marked and tagged fish, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to know. Since the 1980s, the DNR has used the coded-wire tag program to mass mark various trout and salmon species in Michigan. Mass marking provides critical data as fisheries biologists assess the value of naturally reproduced versus stocked fish, as well as lakewide fish movement. The coded-wire tag is located on the snout of a fish. A fish with a coded-wire tag can be identified because its fleshy fin between the dorsal and tail fins has been removed. Anglers who catch these tagged fish can then record needed information: Where and when the fish was caught: Details from the tag: The species, length, and weight of the fish: Anglers should remove and freeze the fish’s snout and drop it off at designated locations. A statewide list of drop-off locations is available on the DNR website.
