Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Rocky Neck State Park is also closed until further notice due to a brush fire. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at a 'very high' or 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Marine Volunteer Angler Survey Program

An image of a fish being measured by a measuring tape.

The Marine Fisheries Division is seeking marine recreational anglers who will volunteer to participate in the Connecticut Volunteer Angler Survey (VAS) Program. The VAS Program is designed to collect fishing trip and catch information from marine recreational (hook and line) anglers who volunteer to record their angling activities via a logbook. VAS anglers contribute valuable fisheries-specific information concerning striped bass, fluke, bluefish, scup, tautog, and other important finfish species used in monitoring and assessing fish populations inhabiting Connecticut marine waters.

A baseball cap with a logo that is provided to people who volunteer to take angler surveys.

The survey logbook is easy to fill out. Each participating angler is assigned a personal code number for confidentiality. Recording instructions are provided on the inside cover of the logbook. Upon completion, simply tape the pre-postage paid logbook shut and drop it in the mail. As a token of appreciation, anglers that send in logbooks are given a VAS hat and summary of the fishing data they submitted in their logbooks that year. This summary includes percent of the catch that was harvested/released, percent of different species caught, and length graphs for your most caught species. See an example of an individual report below! After all the logbooks are computer entered and error checked, the logbooks are returned to each participant for their own records.

Interested in participating in the survey?

Fill out the Online Sign-Up Form

 

Logbook Example:

An example of a Marine Volunteer Angler Survey form.

Individual Report Example:

An example of several graphs that came from data collected through the Marine Volunteer Angler Survey.

Additional questions, please contact:
David R. Molnar
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
Fisheries Division Marine Fisheries Program
P.O. Box 719
Old Lyme, CT  06371
Phone:  860-434-6043
Email: david.molnar@ct.gov

Content last updated in April 2024.