| 19 April 2010
Increasing Recreational Anglers say into data that determines slots and bag limits will be one of the benefits of your participation in the Snook Watch-Angler Action Program. Contribute to an accurate picture of snook populations around the southeastern United States by reporting the lengths and numbers of fish you catch, and whether they are released or taken. Snook abundance is tied to the health of inshore habitat, and the more we know about all sizes of snook the more accurately we can deduce not only the state of the fishery but of the habitat that sustains 280 species of inshore game fish and other organisms that constitute one of our national treasures - inshore fishing.
Whether or not you harvest snook, you can certainly make use of the valuable data your fishing trip produces. Information about smaller fish is particularly important since they represent the future breeding population. Also, your 'no catch' trips are important to represent a balanced view of fishing effort required to catch.
Reporting on snook of all sizes is important for an accurate assesment.Not just another Log. The
need for this data is to characterize the size distribution of the snook that
are released, as well as to validate and expand data on harvested snook. Others logs and surveys focus on harvested
fish. The size distribution of
released fish is an unknown that recreational anglers can help fill in. This is especially important following this
winter’s freeze-related fish kill.
This data collection tool also lets anglers to input latitude and longitude if desired. This way a fishing club or group that is focusing on a particular area or habitat can localize their data. Scientists involved with habitat studies have great interest in locale-specific data.
Biologists
can also use the data collected in this program, along with other sources, to
look at CPUE (catch per unit effort). CPUE is particularly useful in
tracking changes in a fishery over time, especially where harvesting technology (tackle) remains fairly constant, as in a recreational, inshore fishery.
Fisheries biologists tell us – and it stands to reason – that logging zero
catch trips is absolutely critical to arriving at an accurate CPUE.
Data collected by anglers will contribute to sound, science-based fishery management decisions
Getting Started .An easy-to-use form can be completed while fishing and then transcribed directly onto the the Snook Watch Data Collection Form, and meetings are scheduled for those who prefer direct instruction and more hands-on experience.
How to Get Involved
>Try out the Online Data Collection Form.
(this will get you started in the system)
>Download an On-the-Water Catch Record for your next fishing trip or pick up a waterproof version at one of the training sessions.
>Plan on coming to one of the upcoming free Snook Watch events to learn more and pick up a kit
Would you like to lead your club or group in a Snook Watch program? Drop an email to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
and plan to visit and train with Snook Foundation AAP leaders at one of these upcoming Events.
By collecting usable information about directed fishing
trips, this program will allow anglers the opportunity to play a part in
conserving our valuable fisheries and habitat. It also ensures that the data
utilized to evaluate stocks of fish includes direct angler input.
Follow this link to view a recently created video on the 2010 Fish Kill
The Snook Foundation designed the online logbook program with Florida Fish and Wildlife Institute and TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division input, and closely tracks the information biologists ask in face-to-face surveys. The web application currently is paid for by donations to the Snook Foundation.
We want angler reports of numbers of snook caught, kept, released, with the option of providing more detailed information about the lengths and locations of each snook captured, kept or released.
“The form takes 2-3 minutes to fill-out, maybe even less after an angler has used it a couple of times,” said Roberts. “We’re excited about the prospect of giving recreational anglers a tool to contribute meaningful information about what are, after all, their fisheries.”
