The 4th Annual Hell’s Bay Tarpon Cup Tournament at Cabin Bluff in Woodbine, Georgia, was a major success, raising $6,000 for BTT tarpon research! In this unique fishery, anglers were able to target tarpon from the backwater estuaries to the deep water coastal areas, and had their caught tarpon tagged as part of BTT’s Tarpon Acoustic Tagging Project, generously sponsored by Maverick Boat Group. During this year’s tournament, recent data indicated the same tarpon caught last year were in the same general area, offering exciting insight into the fishery.
With a tag battery life of five to seven years, we’ll be able to track these fish across multiple migrations throughout Atlantic and, potentially, Gulf of Mexico waters. This research effort represents a major step towards refining tarpon management and conservation efforts – none of which would be possible without a cast of dedicated tarpon anglers and guides. We look forward to more thrilling angling adventures, acoustic tagging, and the important findings this project will provide.
A special thank you to Hell’s Bay Boatworks, Cabin Bluff, Fish Hippie, Tito’s Vodka, Pure Fishing, and Release Ruler for the generous support and for helping us tag these fish! We look forward to learning more about the movement patterns and habitat use of Georgia tarpon. (photo: Dr. Aaron Adams)
