Tag Alabama Program

The Tag Alabama Program is a project of the University of South Alabama's Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences and the Alabama Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) designed to provide critical information on many of the inshore marine sportfish in Alabama. Information on movement, growth, and mortality (both natural and fishing mortality) can be gathered through our network of volunteer anglers and fishing guides that participate in the program. The information gathered is shared with the Alabama Marine Resources Division to better manage and conserve these valuable fish populations.

Since 2018, Tag Alabama has grown to include 1,100 participating anglers (more than 900 recapture anglers, 193 taggers) resulting in more than 10,017 fishes tagged and 1,385 recaptures reported.

How to Report Tags

All tags are reported through a web portal tags.southal.edu. Anglers reporting fish receive a Tag Alabama hat or t-shirt. In September and October 2023, 300 hundred high dollar reward tags were also released. These bright yellow tags (as opposed to the traditional green and orange tags) entitle fishermen to a $250 gift card in addition to the signature hat or t-shirt. Anglers also get a personalize report of where their recaptured fish was originally tagged (see example).

For more information on Tag Alabama and the University of South Alabama’s marine fisheries research program, click here to listen to a podcast with Dr. Powers explaining the program on a recent outdoor show (FM1065 Outdoors with Sean Sullivan).

High dollar reward tag  (yellow)– Limited time to claim $250 reward  (before 12/31/2024) Please clip tag and follow directions at reporting web site.

Regular Tag Alabama tag (Orange or green) - Record number and take length of fish. Keep or release as you would normally do with your fish. Follow directions at reporting web site to claim your t-shirt or hat.

If it's a Red Drum or Speckled Trout with a YELLOW $250 VALUE tag you need to clip the tag and send it to address below to receive reward:

Dauphin Island Sea Lab 
Attn: Crystal Hightower
101 Bienville Blvd 
Dauphin Island, AL 36528

Rewards

All anglers that report a tag through our website receive their choice of a Tag Alabama performance hat or a t-shirt of their requested size.

Species

To become a volunteer tagger, contact chightower@southalabama.edu to register for the next workshop training session.

Coastal Conservation Association Alabama

About Tag Alabama

Project Directors:

Dr. Sean Powers, Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of South Alabama

Blakeley Ellis, Director, CCA Alabama

Research Support -  Crystal Hightower and Dylan Kiene, Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of South Alabama