Bluefish are synonymous with angling excitement: high-octane feeds, drag-screaming runs and a mouthful of razor-sharp chompers. The “yellow-eyed devils” are an iconic recreational species along the Atlantic coast. Unfortunately, the bluefish spawning stock biomass has declined over the past decade. Bluefish are jointly managed and very data-poor. ASGA has launched a campaign to improve recreational data collection in partnership with the GotOne app to develop more robust stock assessments for the species in the future.
Our Association is devoted to improving recreational data collection and increasing collaboration between the angling community and management bodies. We recognize the potential impacts that data gaps can have on critical processes like stock assessments and their influence on recreational fishing effort. ASGA remains committed to improving and discovering new cooperative solutions to these data needs.
Our team sees similar patterns in many stock assessments for important saltwater species. There are gaps in data sets for these species that, if filled, would produce a significantly better data set for assessing the stock. ASGA has spent the last few years expanding partnerships with various state and federal agencies while working to develop what we consider to be the best solution to new data inputs: The GotOne! App, available on Apple App Store and Google Play.
We are pleased to announce that ASGA and GotOne! have teamed up to collect data on bluefish. All collected data will directly contribute to enhancing future stock assessments. Now recreational anglers can log their bluefish catches to gain detailed insights on their fishing performance while contributing to better fisheries science. Stock assessment scientists are focused on release lengths and geographic area.
Remember: GotOne doesn’t spot burn. All your data is protected for your own personal catch log and all data shared with fisheries scientists is congregated to geographic areas at scale (~10mile radius, though for many agencies just the state matters).
The most significant gaps in bluefish release data stem from coastal waters south of Virginia. Scientists would have a better data foundation if the angling community contributed even ~100 new bluefish release lengths from the southeast. ASGA and GotOne! have spent countless hours in fisheries meetings, developing the app, and looking for legitimate opportunities to contribute sound, usable data.
Now, we need you to go fishing and upload your catches. Don’t forget, your catch log from last year still matters! We encourage you to backlog your catches from last season to start building a critical mass and gain angling insights for an effective 2024 season.
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