It’s a call to all fishermen, to help the snook species many of us target. If you catch a fish with a yellow tag, write down the following details: tag number found on the dart tag, total fish length, capture date, location, time, angler name, address and phone number, and email address. Send information via email to tagreturn@MyFWC.com or call (800) 367-4461. Perks of the good deed could include T-shirts and cash prizes.

You just helped FWC biologists on a new snook-tagging program researching the genetic intermixing of the Gulf and Atlantic varieties of snook, as well as their seasonal movements. Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) researchers and local fishing guides are placing yellow dart tags just below the dorsal fin of common snook in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys.

Anglers are encouraged to release the fish with the tag intact after recording research information for FWRI. This practice will enable biologists to track long-term movement through multiple recaptures and releases. Researchers also will use the study to estimate the number of Gulf snook compared to the number of Atlantic snook. Maybe, if more fish materialize than expected, snook restrictions may become less like a lottery, and snook fishermen can now do more than just hope.