Retention of Coded Wire Tags by Juvenile Striped Bass
We evaluated microtag retention in fingerling striped bass (mean total length: 58.5 mm) that were tagged during routine hatchery operations. Striped bass were tagged vertically in the cheek muscle using a Northwest Marine Technology Mark IV tagging machine. Tags were implanted dorsal to ventral, approximately 2 mm deep. During each of 10 days of tagging, 24 tagged fish were randomly selected and placed into each of 4 865-liter circular tanks. At 11-13 weeks after tagging, retention averaged 92.4%. Most tag loss occurred in the first 2 weeks after tagging, and all occurred within 34 days....
