# 2012 Texas Satellite Tag Data



## Scott (May 24, 2004)

We've posted some information on the satellite tagging data page on the website. Check it out.

http://www.projecttarpon.com/PATresearch.html


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## Bill C (May 23, 2004)

It is amazing to me to be able to follow a tarpon's travels. Really interesting stuff.


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## michaelbaranowski (May 24, 2004)

i looked at the website and I am trying to figure out how the fish are crossing land.

It might be cause of the time of the year the fish are tagged but seems that most are staying in the same area. They also seem to stay East/West of the mississippi River.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

When a signal comes in, it has various strength ratings. Some of that is based on numbers and locations of the satellites when the tarpon rolls and how effective the rolling fish is at getting the tag in the right position. So, strength ratings go from accurate within a couple hundred meters to within a couple miles. When you see the ones across the beach and/or on land and then there is another ping immediately offshore again, the likely answer is that that particular ping is not very accurate. I didn't post the accuracy levels of the individual pings, the biologists just include all of the locations, whether they are real accurate or not. They don't weed through them. Hope that helps you understand some of those wayward pings. No science is perfect.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

One more thing, the lines are just as a bird flies between the pings, they are not the path the fish took between the pings - that make sense?


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## michaelbaranowski (May 24, 2004)

Thanks Scott. That is very infomative. I am very impressed when I see data that is related to helping wildlife.


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## cpthook (Jan 16, 2008)

Seems these fish aren't making it to Galveston and east but are staging primarily infront of POC, Corpus or S. Texas.


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## Scott (May 24, 2004)

cpthook said:


> Seems these fish aren't making it to Galveston and east but are staging primarily infront of POC, Corpus or S. Texas.


Don't make that assumption based on this data. Remember, these fish were all tagged late in the season - September. One fish we tagged in POC in early September went to Freeport, even in late September. So that assumption is not entirely accurate. Also, most of these fish were in the 100 - 120 lb range. Not real big boys.

All you can decipher from this is that the fish spend some time around POC. Anything else is stretching it. This is just a glimpse of their fall migration south. That's all.

We've had fish quite a few fish tagged in Mexico in the spring that go all the way to Louisiana.


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## My Little Big boat (Apr 24, 2012)

Looks like someone took this one home...
Well can't post the pic but you'll see it

I remember seeing them all the time when I was a kid even caught one well hooked it while bass fishing in a canal in Davie fl. Didn't last long on 10 lb test line. LOL


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## cpthook (Jan 16, 2008)

Scott said:


> Don't make that assumption based on this data. Remember, these fish were all tagged late in the season - September. One fish we tagged in POC in early September went to Freeport, even in late September. So that assumption is not entirely accurate. Also, most of these fish were in the 100 - 120 lb range. Not real big boys.
> 
> All you can decipher from this is that the fish spend some time around POC. Anything else is stretching it. This is just a glimpse of their fall migration south. That's all.
> 
> We've had fish quite a few fish tagged in Mexico in the spring that go all the way to Louisiana.


Agreed, I remember some of the previous trackings you posted showed the fish moving between La and S. Texas. But as you said these latest trackings were late in he year and smaller fish so they most likely staying south prior to their migration south.

By the way on a side note I had the pleasure of meeting and having lunch with Tom Gibson in Dec of 2012 and he also stopped by my business today to chat. For those of you not familiar with Tom he held the Texas, La. and world record Tarpon at one time. Great guy. He was in Trinadad last December tarpon fishing where he had a great trip and is headed to Angola in Feburary once again tarpon fishing. We were attempting to fill out his Visa online for his Angola trip.


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