ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Anglers assemble, and fish fans come forth. The Department of Environmental Conservation is looking for interested parties to help keep track of striped bass. The DEC’s Striped Bass Cooperative Anglers Program works to track and understand the bass population across New York.

Anglers who volunteer with the program will be issued logbooks and instructions on how to use them by the DEC. Volunteers will be asked to record information such as where their catches have been made, what gear was used, and how many fish they have caught. Anglers also have the option to use an online logbook and catalog their catches by computer or phone. Participation is welcome from both those who fish on land and those who do it by boat.

Volunteers may also be asked to collect bass scales using tweezers. Although possibly intimidating, the process does not harm bass, and scales will regrow naturally. The DEC demonstrates how the process works in educational video content on YouTube.

All information gathered in the process goes back to DEC biologists. Information on striped bass is used in an annual DEC newsletter. The striped bass research process is a requirement of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, which asks for annual data from recreational fisheries in the state on the species’ wellbeing.

The signup procedure depends on the location around New York. All who fish for striped bass in the Hudson River, north of the George Washington Bridge, can reach out to hudsonangler@dec.ny.gov. Fish size for recreational bass fishing must stay within a window of 18-28 inches, and the season runs from April 1 to Nov. 30.

South of the bridge, anglers can reach out to sbcaprogram@dec.ny.gov. In that part of the state, slot limits sit at 28-35 inches, and the season runs from April 15 to Dec. 15.

Across New York, the striped bass possession limit sits at one fish per angler. Anglers are encouraged by the DEC to take part in the Recreational Marine Fishing Registry before fishing for themselves.