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DEC’s
Angler Achievement Awards Program Begins Another Season
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Recognizing
New York’s Top Anglers Since 1990
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Albany,
NY – April 2016 / Newsmaker Alert / The Department
of Environmental Conservation’s annual Angler
Achievement Awards Program that recognizes anglers who make exceptional
catches begins its 27th season, DEC Acting Commissioner Basil Seggos announced.
“The
Angler Achievement Awards are a popular way to recognize the outdoors people
who have made notable catches in New York’s water,” Acting Commissioner
Seggos said. “New York is fortunate to have a wealth of amazing fishing
opportunities, and this awards program showcases the best catches of the
year and the record fish New York has to offer.”
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The
awards recognize the anglers who caught the heaviest freshwater fish of
the year from 43 different species in New York State’s lakes, rivers, ponds,
and streams. Each fish entered must meet or exceed the minimum qualifying
weights. The three categories that make up the program are: Catch and Release,
Annual Award (kept fish) and State
Record.
The
winning anglers are awarded an Angler Achievement Award lapel pin and a
Certificate of Achievement suitable for framing. Those who catch a trophy-sized
fish have a chance at establishing a new State
Record.
In
addition to providing deserved recognition to those anglers catching trophy
fish, the program also provides a useful snapshot of the quality of the
state’s freshwater fishery.
The
Angler Achievement Awards Program is comprised mostly of New York resident
anglers, but in 2015 an additional 13 states were represented, including
a “Catch and Release Award” recipient hailing from Hawaii. Of the 150 entries
submitted into the program last year, almost 75 percent of those qualified
under the Catch and Release Category, indicating the sound stewardship
ethic of New York’s anglers. Sixteen fish qualified in the Annual Award
(kept) Category, with brown bullhead and black crappie making up the majority.
Although
warmwater fish species such as bass, crappie, pickerel and sunfish comprised
well over half of the entries received, there was a slight increase in
the number of trout entries compared to previous years.
Joshua
Wegner established the one and only state record for 2015 with a 5½
lb. white sucker from Cold Brook (Steuben County) on April 14, 2015. It
surpassed the previous state record set over 20 years prior by five ounces.
Other notable catches include an impressive 37-inch steelhead caught and
released from Sandy Creek (Monroe County), a northern pike weighing over
31 pounds caught in Great Sacandaga Lake, a 24-inch largemouth bass caught
and released from Guilford Lake (Chenango County), and a 31-inch brown
trout caught and released from Walton Lake (Orange County). Fish from waters
in 44 of New York’s 62 counties were entered into the program in 2015.
More
information about the Angler
Achievement Awards Program, including a downloadable application form
and photo slideshow of fish entered, can be found on DEC’s website.
Full
program details and an entry form can also be found in DEC’s current Freshwater
Fishing Regulations Guide. For additional information on the Angler
Achievement Awards Program contact 518-402-8891 or email fwfish@dec.ny.gov.
Contact:
NYS-DEC
Office
of Communication Services
518-402-8013
Email |