Angler Achievement Awards

HAVE YOU CAUGHT A BIG FISH LATELY?

New York State offers anglers some of the best freshwater fishing in the country with numerous trophy fish landed each year. The Angler Achievement Awards Program acknowledges these angling accomplishments and helps promote the fantastic fishing opportunities the state’s waters provide. You can enter your catch in any of three categories: Angler Award, Youth Angler Award, and State Record. For more information, including an application form, scan the QR code below.

Qualifying Lengths for Angler Award Categories:

ENTRY RULES

1. Fish must be taken during their respective open season by angling or ice fishing in New York State waters in accordance with New York State Fishing Regulations. Fish showing signs of foul hooking (hooked other than in the mouth), gill nets, tampering, or foreign objects will be disqualified. Bowfishing entries are not eligible.
2. Qualifying fish must be entered on the official entry form. All applicable portions of the entry form must be completed.
3. Entry forms must be received by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

(DEC) Bureau of Fisheries within 30 days of the catch.

1. A side-view photograph that shows the entire fish (angler with the fish is encouraged) must be enclosed with the entry form. The fish should also be photographed next to a ruler, measuring tape, or an object of known size (e.g., fishing rod, tackle box, etc.). Information provided on the entry form and any associated photographs become the property of the DEC and may be used for promotional purposes. Photographs will not be returned.
2. The number of stickers awarded annually will be limited to one sticker per angler per species.
3. To enter a fish in the Angler Award and Youth Angler Award categories:

1. The fish must be one of the 40 species designated under the Angler Award and Youth Angler Award categories.
2. The fish must be measured from tip of nose to tip of tail.
3. The fish must meet or exceed the minimum qualifying length for its species.

7.To enter a fish in the State Record category:

1. The fish must be one of the 39 species designated under the State Record category.
2. Fish must be weighed on a certified scale by the owner or employee of the business where the scale is located. Certified scales can be found at post offices, supermarkets, and bait shops. Fish weighed on personal handheld scales will not be accepted.
3. Weighing must be observed by one witness other than the scale owner or business employee. d.The fish must exceed the previous record by at least 1 ounce to qualify as a new state record. e.Fish must be kept for the purposes of being weighed on a certified scale (see b. above) and examined by a DEC Fisheries Biologist.

f.The fish must be identified and examined by a DEC Fisheries Biologist prior to any cutting of the fish or removal of entrails. Section F will be completed by the biologist verifying the fish. If caught during the weekend, keep fish on ice (do not freeze) after weight certification.

Contact the appropriate DEC Regional Fisheries Office on the next business day.

g. Fish fed or otherwise grown with the intention of breaking a state record will be disqualified. The DEC Bureau of Fisheries reserves the right to reject any Angler Achievement Award Application on the basis of erroneous species identification, improper handling, illegal fishing methods, evidence of tampering or foreign objects, or inability to adequately document any of the circumstances relating to the catch.