VIMS Gamefish Tagging Research

The VIMS Marine Advisory Program and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) jointly operate the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program, which coordinates tagging of 10 species of fish and maintains a tag-recapture database. The majority of project support is provided by VMRC Saltwater Recreational License funds.

Target species are black drum, black sea bass, cobia, gray triggerfish, red drum, sheepshead, spadefish, speckled trout (spotted seatrout), summer flounder and tautog.

Note: important species currently tagged by other projects are not tagged in this program to avoid duplication of effort (e.g. striped bass)


The VIMS Marine Advisory Program and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC) jointly operate the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program, which coordinates tagging of 10 species of fish and maintains a tag-recapture database. The majority of project support is provided by VMRC Saltwater Recreational License funds. Target species are black drum, black sea bass, cobia, gray triggerfish, red drum, sheepshead, spadefish, speckled trout (spotted seatrout), summer flounder and tautog. Note: important species currently tagged by other projects are not tagged in this program to avoid duplication of effort (e.g. striped bass)
The program has a team of 150-200 trained anglers.	Seasonal movement patterns of species important to recreational fisheries are revealed through tag recaptures.