Reflecting on a Year of Citizen Science: GotOne App x ASGA 

As we step into 2025, we’re proud to highlight the remarkable contributions of our partnership with the GotOne app and its community of data-driven anglers. This collaboration has not only fostered a deeper connection between anglers and fisheries science, but also demonstrated the transformative power of citizen science in sustainable fisheries management.

A Record Year for GotOne Anglers

In only its second year, GotOne has grown into a thriving community of over 3,000 anglers who share a passion for both fishing and conservation. Together, these anglers logged an impressive 8,102 fish in 2024, with striped bass leading the way at 5,220 recorded catches. Other species, like bluefish (635 catches) and fluke (401 catches), also showcased the diversity of fishing opportunities along the East Coast.

Anglers across the country contributed to these achievements, with Massachusetts leading the pack at 2,381 catches. The community’s collective effort has created a treasure trove of data that helps us better understand fishing trends, species distribution, and the factors influencing fish behavior—such as the role of lunar phases in catch productivity.

Elevating Science and Advocacy

Our partnership with GotOne has been pivotal in advancing ASGA’s mission to advocate for sustainable fisheries. In 2024, GotOne’s data supported groundbreaking initiatives, including:

• Striped Bass Catch-and-Release Research: We leveraged data to assess and reduce striper post-release mortality in tandem with leading research by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries.
• False Albacore Tracking: We are expanding our knowledge of this popular species through collaborative studies – learn more about The Albie Project here. The influx of data has helped paint a clearer picture of its coastwide importance, which is currently driving groundbreaking precautionary management measures in several key states.
• Redfish and Bluefish Data Collection: Extending our efforts across the Atlantic and Gulf coasts to inform science-based management decisions by recruiting new catch data in data-poor regions and for data-poor species.

GotOne’s rapid development and expansion were highlighted at key events like the NOAA Citizen Science Workshop in Miami, FL, and the ASGA Science Symposium in New Orleans, LA, and Woods Hole, MA. These gatherings created opportunities for anglers, scientists, and policymakers to share insights and collaborate on future data innovations.

Local Singles: Data Drives Voluntary Community Action

One of the standout initiatives of 2024 was the launch of the ASGA Local Singles program. By combining GotOne’s angler data with leading research from Massachusetts DMF, and product development by Hogy Lures, the Local Singles Program empowers anglers and manufacturers to reduce striped bass release mortality through science-driven gear choices. This program exemplifies how partnerships between like-minded organizations can produce tangible impacts on catch-and-release fisheries.

Supporting Sustainable Tournaments

In 2024, GotOne also transformed how fishing tournaments engage with anglers and conservation. With its new tournament features, GotOne enhanced the Tightlined Slam tournament experience, enabling real-time data collection and seamless catch validation. The app’s functionality proved invaluable to tournament organizers and fisheries scientists, who gained access to detailed catch data to inform future management efforts. 

Citizen Science: The Future of Fisheries Management

The achievements of 2024 reaffirm our belief that citizen science is a powerful tool for driving positive change. By involving anglers directly in data collection, we’re building a foundation of trust and collaboration that benefits both the fishing community and the resource itself. Every fish logged, every insight shared, and every collaboration forged brings us closer to a future where sustainable fisheries thrive.

We encourage anglers to download the GotOne app, available in all major app platforms, and start logging your catches! In addition to contributing your catch data in 2025, you can also backlog old catches to gain insights into your fishing behavior for a more effective 2025 season.

GotOne developed a comprehensive 2024 Almanac depicting unique trends from angling around the country. You can explore that Almanac by clicking here. All GotOne data is condensed to 10+ mile regions to ensure data integrity while protecting angler privacy.