Return of Tags with Different Rewards in Lake Lanier, Georgia

A multi-reward program was conducted in Lake Lanier, Georgia, in 1982 to see if the reward amount would influence anglers to return tags on rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). Two thousand trout tagged with Floy tags were planted along with 98,000 unmarked trout in December 1981. Lots of 500 fish were marked with tags that had either $5, $10, or $20 REWARD or simply REWARD marked on the tags. There was no evidence that the higher monetary awards increased the incentive to return the tags. Return rates also were less than expected. It is suggested that perhaps a better way to improve angler response would be to use both a variable reward plus a drawing for a single large reward.