Tagging Jacks: Conservation Through Collaboration

Earlier this summer, the Jack Project took another big step forward. On the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, scientist Dr. Marcus Drymon from the University of Mississippi teamed up with Monster Energy athlete and renowned guide Jako Lucas and legendary fly designer and YETI Ambassador Blane Chocklett for a focused tagging mission on jack crevalle out of Port O’Connor, TX. Together, they deployed 10 new acoustic tags, pushing the total number of tagged jacks in this groundbreaking study to 27 fish.

Tagging fish can be a monstrous undertaking. Not only does it take collaboration, manpower, lots of funding and cooperative conditions, it also takes the right group of people with an abundance of skills to successfully deploy the tags in the fish. Acoustic tags are expensive, and every opportunity to put a tag into a fish is elevated into a high-stakes situation that demands focus, precision, and quick decision-making to deploy a tag successfully.

The Basics of Tagging Jacks

Tagging wild fish is never guaranteed and always requires a lot of alignment for success. Weather, fish behavior, and time on the water all need to line up just right. These moments are fleeting if you ask anyone who spends most of their time on the water. But when the stars align and everything comes together, real progress can be made.

The heart of this project is learning how jack crevalle move — and that starts with making sure the fish are treated with the utmost care. Every step of the process is designed to reduce stress and set each jack up for a healthy release:

• Landing the fish quickly: The faster a fish is brought in, the more viable it is for receiving a tag. If a fish is fought for too long, it will likely be too stressed out and not be a good candidate for an acoustic tag.
  
• Keeping them oxygenated and calm: To insert an acoustic tag into a fish, it needs to be brought on board. Once on the vessel, the fish’s head must be kept in water via a live well or a cooler to keep it oxygenated and calm. A soaking wet towel laid over the head of the fish is also sufficient when space is limited on the boat. The key is keeping the fish calm to ensure ease of operating quickly.

• Tools at the ready: All the tools and data are prepped and recorded before the fish even comes aboard to ensure the successful deployment of the tag and limit the fish’s exposure out of the water.
  
• The surgery: A small two-inch incision is made on the fish’s ventral (bottom) side. The acoustic tag is placed in the body cavity, then sealed with surgical staples. In addition to the acoustic tag, a traditional tag is added externally as an extra measure to let other anglers know the fish carries hidden tech. When done efficiently, this process can be done in just minutes!
  
• Healthy fish matter: To adhere to science, we have to replicate the average catch-and-release experience for these fish. This is significantly complicated by performing surgery on the fish prior to their release. Tags are extremely expensive. Each fish is handled under the highest standards to ensure our values and the fish’s survival.

These acoustic tags are then tracked through a network of underwater receivers, painting a picture of where jack crevalle roam and how they use different habitats. A surprising takeaway from this most recent trip was the fact that they were able to tag two distinctly different-sized class fish. Dr. Drymon explained,

“We only saw two different size classes of fish (18” and 35”) and not much in between. Getting tags in the smaller fish is a huge bonus as we will start to be able to paint a detailed movement picture for both younger and older fish.”

Getting tags into younger age classes is especially valuable, offering insights into how these fish grow and move through their lives. With each tag deployed, we inch closer to answering key questions that will help ensure jacks — a species currently unmanaged — get the attention and protection they deserve.

A Collective Effort

The success of this trip shows what happens when science, guides, and industry partners unite around a shared goal. Monster Energy’s support has been critical in powering the Jack Project forward, and with more trips planned, the data will continue to pile up.

For now, the Gulf’s newest tagged jacks are out there swimming strong — carrying with them the story of what’s possible when anglers, scientists, and conservation advocates team up for the future of our fisheries.