A new pilot program recruits recreational fishers to help researchers track reef fish catch-and-release data using onboard cameras — and pays them for every trip.
Not in Tallahassee, but definitely worth sharing with anyone you know in the Tampa Bay area!
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is launching a new paid research program that puts recreational anglers to work for science — and puts money in their pockets in return.
The program, called Cast for Cash: It Pays to Fish for Science, invites private recreational anglers in the Tampa Bay region to record their fishing trips using a temporary camera system installed on their boat by FWC. Selected participants can earn $250 per trip for up to six trips — a potential total of $1,500 over a three-month research period.
The data collected will help scientists better understand how many fish are caught and released on recreational trips, and evaluate whether onboard camera systems can provide reliable, accurate data for long-term fisheries research.
How the program Cast for Cash works
FWC will randomly select 16 private recreational anglers for each three-month research period, which run between July 2026 and September 2027. FWC temporarily installs a camera system on the participant’s boat to record all fishing activity. Participants also communicate with FWC biologists, plan trips in advance, and maintain records of released fish throughout each trip.
Who can apply
Applicants must hold a recreational fishing license with the State Reef Fish Angler designation, live in a household that owns a boat, be 18 or older with no resource violations, and launch from one of six eligible Tampa Bay region counties: Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, or Sarasota.
Applications are now open. Apply online here or learn more at MyFWC.com/Cast-Cash.
