What does it look like? is it hard? metal? soft?

There are several different kinds. I have caught about a dozen tagged fish in my life, the most recent being a 20" Striper that I caught in about March of this year. Most of these tags, including the Striper, were little round, or oval, plastic tags with a 6 digit number on them. I have caught a couple of the longer, thin, tube like tags. These are called spagetti tags.

You can do a quick search on the internet, for photos of these, and other tags, used by the DFG.

I used to send the tags to the Ca DFG, then they would send me a sheet with some of the info on that particular fish.... when it was tagged, where it had been released, size when released, etc. Plus, on about half of the tags I sent in, I got a check for $10 or $20. Nowadays, especially if it's not a money tag, I just record the tag number, the size and condition of the fish when caught, the location caught, etc, and then leave the tag on the fish when I release it. That way, the Ca DFG can get double duty from a single tag.

Peace,

Fish

I attached a photo... do you think that's a tag?  It looked almost like fish poop material just hanging from the top of the fish to me as it was released. I actually didn't see it until it was being released.  I thought it could've been some parasite leeching onto him or some disease.  Then I was looking at photos of bass and came across one with a tag that ended up in the same area, but the tag seemed stiffer in the photo.  I was wondering if this was a tag... the yellow on top near the tail fin.

Yes, that is a tag.

Fish Chris has the right idea....record the tag number and fish data and then release the fish. The data is a very valuable to your State Department of Conservation and is one tool used to measure the health of both body of water and fish. If you choose to take the fish home to your dinner table you can also send in a scale sample and the otoliths (earstones, located right behind the brain). Both of these are very valuable in determining not only the age but also growth rate.

oh man... i didn't know what that was and released the fish.  i'll look out for the tags next time.

are we suppose to remove the tag and then release?

That was definately a yellow spagetti tag. You don't "have to" remove the tag (unless its a money tag) you can always just record the numbers off of it, for the CFG, then release it.

But don't worry, you will get another one. I did some quick figuring, and I guess I catch about 1 tagged fish for about every 2000 hours of fishing.

Peace,

Fish

I don't think all states do this as I have never caught one nor have heard of anyone catching one. Texas apparently doesn't do this or even Florida???

Keith, there are tagged fish in Deerpoint Lake in Panama City Bch, Fl.  Other than that lake I have no idea.

Some of my tagged Bass:

Baby Bass tag

Look closely and you'll see the missing tag 'core'.

7 lber tagged

6 lber tagged

Those all came from the same State managed Public Fishing Area in Dodge County, GA. They have forms at the dock to fill out with the tag's number, weight, length, and date caught. They ask that you leave the tag on if the Bass is released as I do. That lake is managed for big Bass and it's working as several(many?) double-digit Bass have been harvested there but not by me :-?.

Dan

boy, one day I'm gonna have to come to GA and fish :\

Didnt some company tag a whole lot of bass and let them go and if you catch one its like worth 25,000 or something

THE ONLY TAGGED FISH I'VE CAUGHT WERE WALLEYE. I DON'T KNOW IF MICHIGAN TAGS BASS.

IT IS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW FAR THE FISH TRAVELED AND HOW MUCH IT HAS GROWN.

I've never caught a tagged freshwater fish but have had lots of salt species come up tagged.

Stripers, sailfish, marlin, squeteague

Hmm, 2000 hrs per tagged fish. -.- then I would have to consider ourselves lucky.  This was the second outing that we actually caught good sized fish.  Other than that, we spent about maybe 80-100 hrs catching dinks and weed.  The cool thing about that fish is after releasing it and out of sight... about 30 seconds later it jumped about a feet into the air about 3 feet away from the boat.  Must have been a "thanks for not eating me" gesture.  Either that or it was flicking us off.  

Well calculating, my next tagged fish would be... assuming I fish 12 hours a day.  It would come out to 166.66 days of fishing.  I fish about that long every one or 2 weeks, so 1.5 weeks  So I'm guessing my next tagged fish will be in 36 weeks. ~ 9 months... sooooo long!