Lucky Winners of Striped Bass Survey Raffle Announced

DURHAM, N.H. – Two lucky winners in the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department’s 2017 Striped Bass Survey raffle recently took home nice prizes. Striped bass are popular sport fish along New Hampshire’s coast. During late spring, their arrival coincides with the flocking of fishermen from near and far to our beautiful coastal rivers, estuaries, and seaward. To better manage this highly sought-after species, Fish and Game’s Marine Fisheries Division has conducted Striped Bass Volunteer Angler Surveys since 1993, in addition to doing yearly creel surveys.

Angler volunteers fill out logbooks to provide Fish and Game with information about their fishing trip. The volunteers are able to supply length data on catch-and-release fish, information that is not obtained through creel surveys. The important data collected from these anglers are used by state and federal fisheries biologists to assess the status of the striped bass population each year.

The Coastal Conservation Association of New Hampshire (CCA NH) has been helping the Department with this project since 2000. The CCA NH helped increase participation by distributing survey forms to its members and recruited participants at sporting shows. They increased awareness of the survey through posters at access sites and sporting goods stores. The group also annually donates to the Fish and Game Department a signed and framed, first-of-state striped bass print, “Shadow” by Victor E. Young. This print is raffled off to a lucky volunteer.

Kittery Trading Post has also supported the Department by contributing raffle items in support of the striped bass program. This past season, they graciously donated a 9-foot Penn Battle rod and reel to raffle off to a second participating angler.

The lucky winners in 2017 were Sam Saunders of Amherst, NH, and Eric Turcotte of Lee, NH. The Department extends thanks to both anglers helping to monitor this precious resource. Thanks also go to the additional 108 striped bass anglers who took the time to fill out logbooks in 2017.

If you are interested in taking part in Fish and Game’s Striped Bass Volunteer Angler Survey, visit www.fishnh.com/surveys/striped-bass.html, or contact Becky Heuss at (603) 868-1095 or Rebecca.Heuss@wildlife.nh.gov.