Tagging Studies on the Hudson River
Many natural resource agencies and researchers use tags or marks as a tool to estimate population statistics (e.g. abundance, growth rates, fishing and natural mortality) and identify migration routes of certain fishes and other aquatic organisms. Recreational and commercial anglers may encounter tagged individuals and are often asked to contact the responsible tagging agency to report specific information. This information can greatly help the management and/or conservation of a species of interest.
What To Report
The DEC, in conjunction with other collaborative agencies and organizations, routinely tag striped bass, American shad, river herring, Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, and blue crab.
If you catch a tagged fish or crab, please be sure to record the following information:
- The tag number
- The date the fish or crab was caught
- The specific location where you caught the fish or crab, for instance, "In Rondout Creek near Lou's Boat Basin." If fishing on the main stem of Hudson River, you can identify location by using daymarkers, buoys, a bridge, points of land, a bay location (as listed on the NOAA navigation charts of the Hudson), a town, or other prominent geographic features.
- The estimated size and/or weight of the fish.
- Note: possession of American shad, Atlantic sturgeon, and shortnose sturgeon is prohibited in the Hudson River and the Marine District of New York and these species should be immediately released back into the water if they are incidentally caught.
If you catch a largemouth or smallmouth bass, please send the information listed above to the NYSDEC, by e-mail or regular mail. Address the regular mail to Inland Fisheries, 21 S. Putt Corners Road, New Paltz, NY 12561. Use the e-mail link in the column to the right to send the information by e-mail.
Striped Bass
If you catch a striped bass, please record all of the information listed above. Also, note the color and the location of the tag on the body of the fish. The tag will have information on how to report the details about the fish you caught.
Pink tag in belly:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and 800-448-8322. Please call the toll free phone number to report the catch information for your fish.
Yellow tag in belly:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, a reward amount of $5-$1000, and an address: HRF, P.O. Box 1731, Grand Central Station, New York, NY 10163. Please mail the tag and catch information to this address.
Yellow tag before tail:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, ALS, Highlands, NJ 07732. Please mail the tag and catch information to this address.
Green tag in belly:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and 800-448-8322. There is a reward of $125 for this tag. Please call the toll free phone number to report the catch information for your fish.
Orange tag in belly:
The tag legend states "Please call 845-256-3009 HRFU, 000##. Research Fish Please Release". If you catch a fish with an ORANGE tag, we request that you release the fish and call the phone number above to report the catch information for your fish.
Fish with an orange tag have an internal sonic tag that was implanted inside the fish by the Hudson River Fisheries Unit to learn more about movement and migration patterns within the Hudson River, other coastal rivers, and marine waters. If you harvest a fish with an orange tag, please call (845-256-3009) and return the internal sonic tag to the Hudson River Fisheries Unit, 21. S. Putt Corners Rd., New Paltz, NY 12561.
American Shad
Red, orange, or green tag below dorsal fin:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and 800-448-8322. Please call the toll free phone number to report the catch information for your fish. Note - commercial and recreational fishing for American shad is prohibited in the Hudson River and the Marine District of New York. American shad should be immediately released back into the water if they are incidentally caught.
River Herring
Yellow tag below dorsal fin:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and 800-448-8322. Please call the toll free phone number to report the catch information for your fish.
Atlantic and Shortnose Sturgeon
Red tag below the dorsal fin:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and 800-448-8322. Please call the toll free phone number and report the information described at the top of the page and return the fish back to the water (possession of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon is prohibited).
Yellow tag below the dorsal fin:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, USFWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), and 800-448-8322. Please call the toll free phone number and report the information described at the top of the page and return the fish back to the water (possession of Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon is prohibited).
Blue Crab
Yellow tag across back:
The tag legend will bear the tag number, DEC research, and 845-256-3009. Please call the phone number to report the catch information for your blue crab if it is caught in the Hudson River. If you happen to capture a tagged crab while in the Marine & Coastal District, please visit the Blue Crab Tagging Program webpage or call 631-444-0429 to report it.
