Expanding Atlantic Redfish Data

Feature Photo: Blane Chocklett in the Costa “Hooked on Redfish” Film.

Redfish are among the most coveted recreational species on the East Coast. From the Everglades to the Georgia marsh and the Lowcountry, these fish embody everything anglers desire in a sport fish: diverse targeting methods, aggressive strikes and fierce fights.

Red drum are managed in two distinct areas along the East Coast: the Northern stock, from New Jersey to North Carolina, and the Southern stock, from South Carolina to Florida. A 2017 stock assessment couldn’t determine if the population was overfished or not due to insufficient data on redfish. The current stock assessment is a simulation because of data constraints. The third most popular fish on the East Coast doesn’t have enough data to perform a normal assessment. Think about that for a moment. The recreational community needs to step up and help.

ASGA recognizes the crucial need to fill data gaps for such an immensely valuable Atlantic species like redfish. In order to combat these challenges, ASGA and the GotOne app have partnered with the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to provide new recreational data inputs for future stock analysis. One of the biggest data gaps revolves around released fish. Managers need to know the length of redfish released alive and you can help.

This collaboration represents a significant step as management bodies and agencies begin to recognize the need for more robust data. Going forward, release lengths from the GotOne app will be submitted to ASMFC to enhance red drum databases with the goal of more informed management decisions for this vital East Coast species. That’s all managers need to know. How big was the redfish you released and what state were you fishing in? Without good data, the future of redfish could be questionable.

This partnership is exciting for several reasons. First, it highlights a growing openness among larger agencies to expand their horizons for data inputs. Second, it provides anglers with an opportunity to actively contribute to the management of a species they cherish. By logging your catches on the GotOne app (available for free on the Apple App Store or Google Play), you can help gather crucial data that will support better management of redfish. Our team has participated in hundreds of fisheries meetings in which data sourcing has been discussed. Now is the time to take advantage of a great opportunity to participate in the process.. Together, we can aid in painting a more comprehensive picture of our fisheries, ultimately leading to science-driven management, healthier populations and better fishing experiences.

How can you log a catch?

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. For redfish in the Atlantic, they just want to know the state.

Getting started is easy…

1. Get The App: Download GotOne! from your preferred app store (Google or iOs).
2. Quick Recording: Tap to log a catch.
3. Log Your Fish: Log the species, location and size of your catch. If you upload a photo captured from your phone, metadata from the photo will contribute the date, time and gps location of the photo! If not, you can simply drag the location pin to the most accurate location.
4. Let Got One Do The Rest: GotOne captures other critical data from a variety of sources, including wind, tide stage, moon phase and even water temperature.
5. Review & Learn: Review your log entries and historical charts. See patterns in fishing weather and other conditions that can help you catch more fish.
6. SMILE: You just contributed data that will help better understand the fisheries you love. That’s something to be proud of. Now go catch some more fish! More released fish means better data and lots of fun on the water.

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. Please note that only released redfish logged in the GotOne app will contribute to this data input.