Ed Shepherd of Yorktown, tagged more than 3,260 fish in 2023, and was named top tagger in the Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program. He also led in recaptures.

The game fish tagging program is operated cooperatively by the Marine Advisory Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. It trains volunteer anglers to tag recreationally important species of finfish. Data collected are used to study fish migration, growth and habitat use, according to Susanna Musick of the Marine Advisory Program.

Last year, volunteer taggers tagged more than 14,700 fish in the targeted species, black drum, black sea bass, cobia, summer flounder, red drum, sheepshead, spadefish, speckled trout, tautog and triggerfish.

For more information, visit Virginia Game Fish Tagging Program, vims.edu/vgftp.
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