Report a Tagged Fish

Submitted by jbissette1 on

Thank you for participating in the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries Tagging Program. Our program currently tags Red Drum, Southern Flounder, Spotted Seatrout, Striped Bass, and Cobia in North Carolina’s inshore and offshore coastal waters. To report a tagged fish, please complete the form below. Your tag reward packet will arrive within 2-4 weeks. The reward packet contains a letter with information about your tagged fish, certificate, reward item, and a map of where your fish was originally tagged and where you caught it. If you reported a red tag, please call 1-800-682-2632 to claim your $100 reward.

For questions about the North Carolina Tagging Program or your tagged fish submission, please contact the Tagging Biologist, Ami Staples, at 252-948-3913 or Ami.Staples@deq.nc.gov.

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Fish Information

Congratulations on catching one of our red tagged fish! To receive the $100 monetary reward for the red tag, the tag must be mailed to our Morehead City office so we can verify the tag number. To ensure the tag does not get lost in the mail, please tape the tag to a sheet of paper and write your name, address, and phone number on the paper. Fold the paper with tag, place in an envelope, and mail to:  

NC Div. Of Marine Fisheries
Attn:  Tagging Program
P.O. Box 769
Morehead City, NC 28557  

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Tagging Biologist, Ami Staples, at 252-948-3913 or Ami.Staples@ncdenr.gov.

GPS coordinates or waterbody and nearest landmark. Please be specific so the map on your certificate is accurate. (ex: In front of Cape Lookout Lighthouse, sound side in Barden Inlet or 34.625466, -76.527116)

 

Contact Information

Please share your fishing story with us! We would love to feature you and your fish on our "Tagging Tuesdays" social media posts. Anglers who share their fishing story and picture will receive an additional Tagging Program item in their reward packet. You can e-mail your fishing picture to the Tagging Biologist, Ami Staples, at Ami.Staples@ncdenr.gov.

Please note: pictures will only be posted to social media that display proper fish handling techniques. Hold the fish with one hand supporting the head and the other hand supporting the body or tail. Do not use fish grippers. Do not hold the fish by the gills or only by the lip.