Feb 06

Date: February 3, 2006

Contact: Richard Hartley, MassWildlife Sportfishing Awards Coordinator 508/792-727- x132

Sportfish Awards Ceremony and Program Changes Announced

On Saturday, February 11, at 4 PM , the Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) will be honoring anglers for their big catches in 2005 and announcing changes to the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program as part of the Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition in Worcester ’s DCU Centre. For over 40 years, the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife has sponsored the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program, a program that recognizes anglers who have caught trophy freshwater fish from Massachusetts water bodies open to the public. Anglers catching any one of 22 fish species of a specified weight receive a bronze pin commemorating their accomplishment. These fish are often referred to as “pin fish”. In addition to a bronze pin, anglers who catch the heaviest fish species of the year receive a gold pin and plaque at the Freshwater Sportfish Awards Ceremony.

The 2005 Angler of the Year will also be honored at this ceremony. The Angler of the Year Award recognizes anglers who caught the most “pin fish” species within a year.

2005 Sportfish Award Winners

2005 Angler of the Year-- This year’s winner, Todd Matera of Palmer, won the 2005 Angler of the Year by catching eight trophy size species of fish. Matera caught chain pickerel in Long Pond, Yarmouth ; channel catfish and walleye in the Connecticut River ; largemouth bass at Garrett’s Pond, Barnstable and Quabbin Reservoir; smallmouth bass at Quabbin Reservoir; sunfish at Ludlow ’s Red Bridge Impoundment on the Chicopee River ; white perch at Quabbin Reservoir and yellow perch at Spectacle Pond, Sandwich and Rocky Pond, Plymouth .

“Anglers should be heartened to see that the Angler of the Year doesn’t necessarily have to catch gold pin fish to be competitive for this particular award,” said Richard Hartley, Sportfish Awards Program Coordinator. “No stranger to the Sportfish Awards Program, Todd concentrated his 2005 efforts on a variety of species rather than specifically targeting trophy fish. He spent a lot of time fishing Cape Cod waters in 2005, far from his home in Palmer.”

The purpose of the Angler of the Year Award is to recognize the accomplishments of anglers interest ed in honing their skills on a variety of fish species, rather than one or two. Some anglers become specialists, studying the habits of specific species and learning how to target them, while others become generalists seeking out all the species that the state's waters have to offer. This award is also a way to recognize that the motivations for angling are as diverse as the anglers themselves!

Gold Pin Winners in Adult and Youth Categories

2005 Adult Gold Pin Winners

Broodstock salmon	22 lbs. 14 ozs.	Jamaica Pond, Boston	Roy Leyva, Hyde Park
Brook trout	2 lbs. 8 ozs.	Forest Lake , Methuen	Roger Aziz , Jr., Methuen
Brown Trout	9 lbs. 12 ozs.	Onota Lake , Pittsfield	Roger Driscoll, Pittsfield
Bullhead*	4 lbs. 10 ozs.	Forest Lake , Methuen	Robert Coffill, Somerville
Carp	34 lbs. 1 oz.	Merrimack River , Lawrence	Roger Aziz , Jr., Methuen
Chain pickerel	6 lbs. 6 ozs.	Otis Reservoir, Otis	Andrew Boyne, Lee
Channel Catfish	16 lbs. 0 oz.	Chicopee River , Springfield	Steve Muniec, Thorndike
Crappie	3 lbs. 8 ozs.	Connecticut River , Northampton	Eric Sicard, Southampton
Lake Trout	21 lbs. 4 ozs.	Quabbin Reservoir, Belchertown	Steve McCullough, Belchertown
Landlocked salmon	5 lbs. 14 ozs.	Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston	Dan Draleaus, Northbridge
Largemouth bass	8 lbs. 6 ozs.	Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, Mashpee	Scott Giammalvo, Middleboro
Northern Pike	23 lbs. 0 ozs.	South Pond, East Brookfield	Robert Thibodo, Greenfield
Rainbow Trout	6 lbs. 11 ozs.	South Pond, East Brookfield	Walter Bernier, Brookfield
Shad	9 lbs. 7 ozs.	Connecticut River , South Hadley	Robert Thibodo, Greenfield
Smallmouth bass	5 lbs. 13 ozs.	Hampton Ponds, Westfield	Eric Couture, Westfield
Sunfish	1 lb. 2 ozs.	Merrimack River , Lowell	Joe Baker, Lowell
Tiger muskie	21 lbs. 15 ozs.	Chauncey Lake , Westborough	Dean Sherwood, Taunton
Tiger trout	3 lbs. 7 ozs.	Swift River , Ware	Eric Piquette, Sr., Chicopee
Walleye	9 lbs. 13 ozs.	Connecticut River , Montague	Robert Thibodo, Greenfield
White catfish	6 lbs. 11 ozs.	Mashpee-Wakeby Pond, Mashpee	Eddie Lemieux, Acushnet
White perch	2 lbs. 15 ozs.	Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston	Harry Brown, Hudson
Yellow perch	2 lbs. 7 ozs.	Sheep Pond, Brewster	Roy Leyva, Hyde Park

* new state record

2005 Youth Gold Pin Winners

Broodstock salmon	10 lbs. 1 oz.	Comet Pond, Hubbardston	Lynn Percuoco, Leominster
Brook trout	3 lbs. 8 ozs.	Knops Pond, Groton	Remy Surprenant, Littleton
Carp	26 lbs. 0 oz.	Connecticut River , South Hadley	Nicholas Sorbi, South Hadley
Chain pickerel	5 lbs. 9 ozs.	Forest Lake , Palmer	Nathan Carvalho, Chicopee
Channel Catfish	8 lbs. 10 ozs.	Connecticut River , Springfield	Tom Chisholm, Ludlow
Crappie	2 lbs. 4 ozs.	Webster Lake , Webster	Ryan Smolenski, Oxford
Lake Trout	13 lbs. 9 ozs.	Quabbin Reservoir, Belchertown	Molly McCarthy, Middlefield
Northern Pike	21 lbs. 2 ozs.	Onota Lake , Pittsfield	Nick Kuni, Pittsfield
Shad	6 lbs. 1 oz.	Connecticut River , Holyoke	Conor Olejarz, Chicopee
Smallmouth bass	5 lbs. 3 ozs.	Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston	Peter George , Millbury
Sunfish	1 lb. 2 ozs.	Fresh Pond, Falmouth	Otto Connon, East Falmouth
Tiger muskie	21 lbs. 8 ozs.	Quinsigamond Lake , Shrewsbury	Dan Pustis, Shrewsbury
White perch	2 lbs. 0 oz.	Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston	Jacob Nordquist, Northbridge
Yellow perch	1 lb. 12 ozs.	Wequaquet Lake , Barnstable	Nathan Ryan, Cotuit

Sportfish Award Program Changes

This year, anglers planning to participate in MassWildlife’s Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program should be aware of some changes to this popular program. “The most exciting change to the program is recognition of young anglers’ accomplishments,” said Richard Hartley, MassWildlife Fisheries Biologist and Sportfish Awards Coordinator. “For the first time in the program’s 40 year history, youths 17 years old and under will receive gold pins and plaque for their big catches in their own category, just as in the adult program.”

Hartley noted that another significant change will allow anglers to download Award Program affidavits for submission to the awards program. Other changes to the program include new minimum weights for certain fish species in the adult angler category; allowing anglers to weigh their catch on a certified scale at any location; as well a few housekeeping items designed to clarify current Award Program requirements.

Note that the pinfish weights and youth categories are incorrect in the 2006 Hunting and Fishing Abstracts. A complete listing of the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program minimum weight requirements and rules are found on the Program affidavits posted in the Fishing area of the MassWildlife website: www.mass.gov/masswildlife. Affidavits will also be distributed at Sportsmen’s Shows and to all MassWildlife Offices.

PINFISH WEIGHTS FOR FRESHWATER SPORTFISHING AWARDS PROGRAM

Species Adult Youth

Brook trout 2 lbs. 0 ozs. 1 lbs. 0 ozs.

Broodstock salmon 10 lbs. 0 ozs. 5 lbs. 0 ozs.

Brown trout 5 lbs. 0 ozs.* 3 lbs. 0 ozs.

Bullhead 2 lbs. 0 ozs.* 1 lbs. 0 ozs.

Carp 15 lbs. 0 ozs. 10 lbs. 0 ozs.

Chain pickerel 4 lbs. 8 ozs. 3 lbs. 0 ozs.

Channel catfish 6 lbs. 0 ozs. 5 lbs. 0 ozs.

Crappie 1 lbs. 8 ozs.* 1 lbs. 0 ozs.

Lake trout 7 lbs. 0 ozs. 5 lbs. 0 ozs.

Landlocked salmon** 4 lbs. 0 ozs.* 3 lbs. 0 ozs.

Largemouth bass 7 lbs. 0 ozs.* 4 lbs. 0 ozs.

Northern pike 15 lbs. 0 ozs. 10 lbs. 0 ozs.

Rainbow trout 4 lbs. 0 ozs. 2 lbs. 8 ozs.

Shad 5 lbs. 0 ozs. 3 lbs. 0 ozs.

Smallmouth bass 4 lbs. 8 ozs. 3 lbs. 0 ozs.

Sunfish*** 0 lbs. 12 ozs.* 0 lbs. 8 ozs.

Tiger muskie 10 lbs. 0 ozs. 7 lbs. 0 ozs.

Tiger trout 2 lbs. 0 ozs.* 1 lbs. 0 ozs.

Walleye 4 lbs. 0 ozs.* 2 lbs. 0 ozs

White catfish 4 lbs. 0 ozs. 2 lbs. 0 ozs.

White perch 1 lbs. 8 ozs. 1 lbs. 0 ozs.

Yellow perch 1 lbs. 8 ozs. 1 lbs. 0 ozs.

* reflects changes in the weights for the Adult Category

** Landlocked salmon are only recognized from Quabbin and Wachusett Reservoirs

*** Sunfish category includes bluegill, pumpkin seed and rock bass

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