OXFORD, Miss. – Fishermen will soon have an opportunity to track crappie as they move throughout Sardis Reservoir with the new Adopt-A-Crappie program.
“I think fishermen will be interested to see where crappie are located over the spawning season and into the summer,” said Glenn Parsons, biology professor at the University of Mississippi and creator of the program.
The Adopt-A-Crappie program is seeking donations to benefit a four-year cooperative project conducted by the university and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. The goal is to learn more about the spawning areas of crappie in Sardis and other Mississippi lakes.
“This project will help us better understand crappie movements and define crappie spawning areas in Mississippi flood control reservoirs,” Parsons said. “The Adopt-A-Crappie program will provide additional funds that can be used to purchase radio tags that cost $200 each.”
The radio tags used in the project are inserted into the abdomens of the crappie. Parsons plans to begin tagging fish in December. From that time, the fish will be tracked weekly using a radio receiver attached to a loop antenna. In return for donations, Parsons will provide donors with the tracking information he gathers.
Three levels of donation are offered. For $25, Parsons will send e-mails that provide the latest tracking information within a few days of finding the location. For this level, eight donors will track the same fish.
For $50, text messages will be sent from within minutes to a few hours of locating the fish. Four donors will track the same fish for this level.
A $200 donation will give exclusive rights to the fish and immediate text messages sent after location. Donors will be able to name their fish and it will be posted on http://www.crappie101.com using that name.
“Fishermen may not understand how important, and at the same time, how expensive this kind of research work is,” Parsons said. “There are long hours spent on the water tracking crappie in an open boat and in 30 degree weather in winter. Donors’ contributions will be greatly appreciated.”
For more information about how to donate, contact Parsons at 662-915-7479. For information on the project, visit http://www.crappie101.com.