While we were planning the Inshore Slam last summer, we thought to ourselves — “ten days worth of data on fish has been fascinating, but what if we could capture a whole year!…” And the year-long REEL Science Fishing Challenge was born! The idea was to invite anglers to record and submit their catches over a full twelve-month period so we could start to see seasonal patterns in both fish and anglers, species composition, and identify any interesting trends in the data.
The inaugural REEL Science Challenge kicked off on October 13, 2025 when the Inshore Slam wrapped up, and it will conclude in three weeks on September 13. With about three weeks left in the challenge, we dove into the data to see what participating anglers have told us so far!
A Note on Angler Effort
When we published this post, we were sitting right at 1,471 fish recorded and submitted as part of the REEL Science Challenge! What’s worth noting is 78% of these catches were reported by only SIX anglers (Alex Stamateris: 377, Jim Knowlton: 306, Joe Richards: 151, Mark Damiano: 115, Ryan Roberthon: 106, Gary Underhill: 92). The graph below illustrates angler effort on any given day over the full year, which never exceeded four anglers in a day. Kudos to the die-hard anglers for their patience, perseverance, enthusiasm, and commitment to the Challenge! Now, can you imagine how much data we can collect with more anglers reporting?!
But the fact that the majority of the recorded data was generated by only six anglers makes it hard to put much stock in it, because it’s highly influenced by their individual fishing behaviors and preferences. So while the data is interesting, it will be important to have more anglers contributing to be meaningful.
How Data is Captured
Like the Inshore Slam, the REEL Science Challenge is facilitated through the MyCatch app. Every fish an angler catches is photo-recorded on a measuring board and submitted through the mobile app. The app also allows us to record information such as the species, length, latitude and longitude of the location, date and time, whether the fish was released, etc. As the fish records are submitted to the database, we are able to analyze that data for trends, anomalies, surprises, etc.
Top Species Recorded
The top eight species recorded throughout the year are listed in the table below, along with the number of individuals captured and the mean, median, minimum, and maximum lengths. Not surprisingly, red drum were the top catch, followed by seatrout and flounder. Kingfish, perch, bluefish, and croaker followed, a common bycatch when targeting the prized recreational fish. Sheepshead barely made the cut, most likely a seasonal effort by our anglers, coupled with some bycatch. Other notable species recorded this year were gaftopsail catfish, Atlantic spadefish, cobia, crevalle jack, longnose gar, Spanish mackerel, and smooth dogfish.
| SPECIES | # Fish Recorded | Mean (in) | Median (in) | Min (in) | Max (in) |
| Red Drum | 542 | 19.22 | 17.50 | 7.25 | 39.49 |
| Spotted Seatrout | 271 | 12.94 | 12.52 | 7.99 | 22.99 |
| Southern Flounder | 105 | 12.52 | 12.25 | 4.75 | 18.74 |
| Southern Kingfish | 104 | 10.26 | 10.30 | 6.18 | 13.25 |
| American Silver Perch | 67 | 6.08 | 6.25 | 4.75 | 9.50 |
| Bluefish | 53 | 10.25 | 10.24 | 6.25 | 17.50 |
| Atlantic Croaker | 48 | 7.12 | 7.25 | 3.75 | 9.50 |
| Sheepshead | 27 | 13.39 | 13.25 | 10.25 | 20.25 |
Star of the Show: Red Drum
Since twice as many red drum were recorded as any other species, let’s look at the data the REEL Science Challenge yielded for this fish species! With 542 individual fish recorded, ranging from 7 inches to nearly 40 inches, it’s obvious anglers have an affinity for these coppery fighters. Red drum are found in the waters of the Port Royal Sound at every stage of their life cycle — from young-of-the-year to juveniles, young adults, and elderly breeders.
We can generally tell how old a red drum is by its length. Like most animals, red drum grow quickly when they are young and more slowly as they age. On average, a red drum will grow up to 11 inches in its first year, and an additional 6 inches in its second year. By their third year, red drum typically reach about 25 inches in length, and by their fourth year, about 30 inches. By year 5, they can be up to 34 inches, and by year 6, 35 inches. A 39-40-inch red drum can be as old as 12-15 years!
The graph below illustrates the length distribution of red drum caught and recorded in the REEL Science Challenge. You can see that the majority of the red drum caught were in the 15-18 inch range, or the two- to three-year age class. Again, keep in mind that this data was largely generated by only six anglers, so its anecdotal but intersting.
Seasonal Patterns
Another set of questions we are interested in exploring with this data concerns seasonal patterns of fish in the Port Royal Sound. The graph below is a first attempt to explore species patterns by month using the data we were able to collect. You can see the year-round presence of red drum; the spring and summer flounder spikes show how the species utilizes the estuary in the warmer months; and large spikes of bluefish in the late spring and early summer show seasonal migration through the Sound. Unfortunately, with so few anglers contributing, this data is also highly effort-biased, as illustrated by the drop-off in January and February. It’s not that fish weren’t here, but that it was too cold for those six anglers to go out! Again, more angler participation will help us build a more interesting and accurate story of fish in the Sound!
And because we are excited about other ways to visualize the data on fish caught and recorded through this effort, here are two additional graphs illustrating catch data over the 11 months of the REEL Science Challenge so far!
Data from Inshore Slam vs. REEL Science Challenge
The Inshore Slam is a fishing tournament that incentivizes anglers to concentrate their efforts during a defined 10-day period in the fall. And while we emphasize the value of recording EVERY fish caught, the prize categories are primarily focused on the three SLAM species — red drum, southern flounder, and this year… sheepshead! We get a lot of information from many anglers, which is helpful! But the idea behind the REEL Science Challenge is to encourage anglers to tell us about EVERY SINGLE FISH they catch over the course of the year.
Get Ready: REEL Science Fishing Challenge – Year Two
The Port Royal Sound Foundation Inshore Slam is coming up! Registration is open, and the tournament kicks off September 25 and concludes October 4. When the last hook is reeled in for the Inshore Slam, the 2nd REEL Science Fishing Challenge will begin!! Registration for the REEL Science Challenge is free when you register for the Inshore Slam! Every fish recorded each month qualifies for a prize. Competition to join the REEL 100 and REEL 250 Clubs is fierce! And most importantly, the 2026-27 REEL Science Challenge will bring new data insights and a better understanding of fish in the Port Royal Sound — but only with more anglers contributing! So encourage the anglers in your life to put their fishing to good use and join the REEL Science Challenge in October!
Inshore Slam: Register Today
The 3rd Annual Inshore Slam starts September 25 and ends Sunday, October 4. Registration is $130 for adults/ $50 for youth. With more than $10,000 in prizes and incredible giveaways, the value of participation FAR outweighs the cost of registration! You can fish one day or every one of the ten days to win prizes and contribute valuable data.
