A new tagging study in the Chesapeake Bay to find out how many released striped bass really survive, and what anglers can do to help more of them swim away.
The fixed release mortality rate used for striped bass since the late 1990s
The new estimate found by Mass DMF's latest research
Applied to every season, every gear type, and every stretch of the coast
Striped bass is a catch-and-release fishery. Most stripers are sent back to the water. For decades, managers have assumed that 9% of those released fish die, no matter when, where, or how they are caught.
That single number shapes how the fishery is managed. It makes recreational releases account for roughly half of all striped bass removals on paper. But survival after release depends on water temperature, depth, salinity, gear, hook placement, handling and angler experience. A fixed rate can't capture any of that.
New research is already challenging the old estimate. The Chesapeake Bay, where much of the coast's striped bass are born, is the next piece of the puzzle.
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has recently led some of the most comprehensive striped bass release mortality research ever done, using acoustic telemetry to track fish after anglers let them go. Their work gave the coast a far clearer picture of what happens to released stripers in northern waters. Read more about DMF's research →
The ASGA Striper Project extends that work south, to the most important spawning area on the coast: the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay is the primary spawning and nursery ground for an estimated 70–90% of the entire Atlantic migratory stock, so what happens to fish here is felt from North Carolina to Maine. Fishing activity in the Bay is highly debated in fisheries management, so findings here could be critical.
The study takes place on Maryland's Choptank River, a Chesapeake tributary with a long history of large spawning runs. Together, these efforts help us understand how angling affects striped bass in every season and in every critical waterway they depend on.
In 2027, researchers will tag 200 striped bass on the Choptank River across winter, spring, summer and fall. Each fish is caught and handled the way a typical recreational angler would, so the results reflect real-world fishing.
Fish are caught on both artificial lures and live bait, so the two can be compared.
Each fish is fitted with an external acoustic telemetry tag.
Fish go back in the water, typically within 3 minutes of landing.
Underwater receivers detect each tagged fish as it passes, recording water temperature and depth.
Those detections let researchers follow each fish week by week and tell whether it survived. Survival is measured over the short term, 1–2 weeks after release, and the long term, 8 weeks after.
Fish tagged in winter and spring also show whether being caught and released changes how striped bass migrate and spawn.
The study uses high-reward tags to encourage anglers to report tagged fish they keep. Those reports help researchers separate fish that were legally harvested from fish that died after release, so harvest isn't mistaken for release mortality. So if you catch one, call it in!
What We'll Learn
A realistic release mortality estimate for Chesapeake Bay striped bass, in place of a single fixed number.
How water temperature, depth and gear type (artificial lures vs. live bait) affect survival, alone and in combination.
Whether being caught and released changes striped bass spawning behavior and migrations.
Real-world estimates of fishing, natural and total mortality, checked against what the coastwide stock assessment predicts.
Planning and permits wrap up in fall 2026. Tagging runs from winter through fall 2027, and tracking continues through 2028 as researchers analyze the data and share what they find. This timeline is tentative and may shift.
Bars show the seasons each task is active. Based on the research team's project chart; dates may shift.
Principal Investigator: Potomac Environmental Research and Education Center, George Mason University
Principal Investigator: The Nature Conservancy
The Striper Project is a collaboration between the American Saltwater Guides Association, George Mason University and The Nature Conservancy.
Tagging begins in winter 2027. As tagged fish move through the Choptank and beyond, we'll share their journeys, early findings and project news right here. Check back as the data comes in!
Coming 2027
Coming 2027
Coming 2027
Every tag, receiver and season on the water takes funding. Your gift helps put real-world science behind how striped bass are managed, so the fish you release today are here for the next generation.
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