Tag and release of reef fish.

[herby]

I have just started tagging reef fish which are just undersize. I fish in about 35 to 40 meters and also spike the bladder of all the fish I dont keep. Can any body give me a few clues on how to give my releases the best chance of survival?

[Brian]

Hi Herby,

What club you with if you don't mind me asking???? ........... As with any fish to be tagged the least amount of handling and time out of the water the better. When handling your fish support thier body weight and use a wet cloth so they do not lose there protective film on the body, stop them from thumping about and don't place them on a hot measuring board.

Use only clean gear and make sure the needle of you gun is cleaned all the time i dip mine in Betadine Antiseptic Liquid which is what a mate uses who tags a lot with the DPI, that stuff can be obtained from your local chemist.

Once the fish is out of your hands and back to the water well he / she has a most dangerous race to the bottom.

Hope that helps and was what you were after

Happy Tagging