Fish-tagging program recognizes top volunteers
The Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program celebrated the achievements of its top volunteers at Bass Pro Shops in Hampton on Friday, February 22. Efforts by these top taggers produced the majority of the program's data on habitat use and movement patterns of target species. In 2018, VGFTP anglers tagged more than 17,600 fishes and recorded more than 1,100 recaptures.
A cooperative effort between the Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and the Virginia Saltwater Tournament at the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), the VGFTP uses state saltwater license funds to train volunteer anglers to tag recreationally important
Top Taggers for 2018
Category | Winner | Runner Up |
Overall Tags | Ed Shepherd (Yorktown) | Scott Vinson (Williamsburg) |
Overall Recaptures | Ed Shepherd | Scott Vinson |
Black Drum | Jim Robinson (Virginia Beach) | Scott Vinson |
Black Sea Bass | Ed Shepherd | Rob Collins (Norfolk) |
Cobia | Jorj & Hayden Head (Seaford) | Wes Blow (Newport News) |
Flounder | Ed Shepherd | Scott Vinson |
Red Drum | Charlie Church (Virginia Beach) |
Tie: Cachin Prutsman (Virginia Beach) |
Sheepshead | Joe Hudgins (Chesapeake) | |
Spadefish | John Knight (Virginia Beach) | Charles Laurens (Virginia Beach) |
Speckled Trout | Ed Shepherd | Sheldon Arey |
Tautog | Rob Collins | David Gladysiewicz (Greenbackville) |
Triggerfish | Bill Knapp (Virginia Beach) | Rob Collins |