2023 Award Winners
Take a peek at the winning catches for the 2023 Angler Achievement Awards Program!
Effective January 1, 2024, the Angler Achievement Awards Program has been updated with new rules, prizes, and ways to submit your entry. Before making a submission, check this page to review new entry rules, award categories, and a list of eligible fish species along with their minimum qualifying lengths.
Take a peek at the winning catches for the 2023 Angler Achievement Awards Program!
The Angler Award recognizes anglers who catch any of the 40 eligible fish species that meet or exceed the minimum qualifying lengths established for that species. Anglers receive a species-specific Angler Achievement Award sticker – can you collect all 40!?
Same as the Angler Award Category; however, minimum qualifying lengths for eligible species are adjusted for anglers under the age of 16. Qualifying entrants receive a species-specific Angler Achievement Award sticker.
The State Record Award recognizes anglers who break current New York State records for any of the 39 eligible fish species. Anglers receive a custom engraved plaque, an Angler Achievement Award lapel pin, and a Certificate of Achievement.
Entry forms must be received within 30 days of the catch. Be sure to review the entry rules prior to submitting the form. The online or printable form can be used for Angler Award and Youth Angler Award category entries. State Record entries must be submitted using the printable form only.
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.
Species | Minimum Qualifying Lengths | ||
---|---|---|---|
Angler Award | Youth Angler Award | ||
Bass, Largemouth | 20 inches | 18 inches | |
Bass, Smallmouth | 18 inches | 16 inches | |
Bass, Rock | 10 inches | 8 inches | |
Bass, Striped (inland – Hudson River, Delaware River) | 36 inches | 34 inches | |
Bass, White | 16 inches | 14 inches | |
Bluegill (sunfish) | 10 inches | 8 inches | |
Bowfin | 27 inches | 25 inches | |
Bullhead, Black | 14 inches | 12 inches | |
Bullhead, Brown | 14 inches | 12 inches | |
Burbot | 24 inches | 22 inches | |
Carp, Common | 34 inches | 32 inches | |
Catfish, Channel | 30 inches | 28 inches | |
Catfish, White | 15 inches | 13 inches | |
Cisco (Lake Herring) | 17 inches | 15 inches | |
Crappie, Black | 14 inches | 12 inches | |
Crappie, White | 14 inches | 12 inches | |
Drum, Freshwater | 26 inches | 24 inches | |
Fallfish | 15 inches | 13 inches | |
Gar, Longnose | 38 inches | 36 inches | |
Muskellunge | Great Lakes & Tributaries | 54 inches | 54 inches |
All other waters | 48 inches | 46 inches | |
Muskellunge, Tiger | 38 inches | 36 inches | |
Perch, White | 14 inches | 12 inches | |
Perch, Yellow | 14 inches | 12 inches | |
Pickerel, Chain | 25 inches | 23 inches | |
Pike, Northern | 36 inches | 34 inches | |
Pumpkinseed (sunfish) | 10 inches | 8 inches | |
Redbreast (sunfish) | 9 inches | 8 inches | |
Salmon, Atlantic | Great Lakes | 30 inches | 28 inches |
Inland | 24 inches | 22 inches | |
Salmon, Chinook | 38 inches | 36 inches | |
Salmon, Coho | 30 inches | 28 inches | |
Shad, American | 20 inches | 18 inches | |
Sucker (Redhorse species) | 22 inches | 20 inches | |
Sucker, White | 20 inches | 18 inches | |
Trout, Brook | 18 inches | 16 inches | |
Trout, Brown | Great Lakes | 26 inches | 24 inches |
Inland Lakes | 24 inches | 22 inches | |
Inland Streams | 20 inches | 18 inches | |
Trout, Lake | Great Lakes | 33 inches | 31 inches |
Inland | 30 inches | 28 inches | |
Trout, Rainbow | Great Lakes | 30 inches | 28 inches |
Inland Lakes | 24 inches | 22 inches | |
Inland Streams | 20 inches | 18 inches | |
Trout, Splake | 20 inches | 18 inches | |
Walleye | 25 inches | 23 inches | |
Whitefish, Lake | 21 inches | 19 inches |
Current State Record Fish as of January 1, 2024 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Species | Weight | Length | Angler | Lure | Water | Date |
Bass, Largemouth | 11 lb. 4 oz. | 25.5 | John Higbie | Spinnerbait | Buckhorn Lake, Otsego Co. | 9/11/1987 |
Bass, Smallmouth | 8 lb. 6 oz. | n/a | Thomas Russell Jr. | Berkley Maxscent Minnow | Cayuga Lake, Seneca County | 6/15/2022 |
Bass, Rock | 2 lb. 0 oz. | 14.5 | Jason Leusch | Live shiner | Port Bay (Lake Ontario), Wayne Co. | 5/24/2020 |
Bass, White | 3 lb. 8 oz. | 18 | Morgan Fonzi | Steelshad | Lower Niagara River, Niagara Co. | 5/6/2020 |
Bluegill (sunfish) | 2 lb. 8 oz. | 12 | Devin VanZandt | Worm | Kohlbach Pond, Broome Co. | 8/3/1992 |
Bowfin | 13 lb. 8 oz. | 30.5 | Chase Soptelean | Cut Bait | Yanty Creek, Monroe Co. | 6/13/2021 |
Bullhead, Black | 7 lb. 7 oz. | 26 | Kevin Kelly | Wonder Bread | Mill Pond, Nassau Co. | 8/25/1993 |
Bullhead, Brown | 7 lb. 6 oz. | 22.2 | Glenn Collacuro | Sawbelly | Lake Mahopac, Putnam Co. | 8/1/2009 |
Burbot | 16 lb. 12 oz. | 34.75 | Terrance Colwell | Minnow | Lake Ontario (Black River Bay), Jefferson Co. | 2/14/1991 |
Carp, Common | 50 lb. 6 oz. | 44.5 | Charles Primeau Sr. | Nightcrawler | Tomhannock Reservoir, Rensselaer Co. | 5/12/1995 |
Catfish, Channel | 35 lb. 12 oz. | 40 | Bailey Williams | Cut Bait | Black River, Jefferson County | 5/8/2022 |
Catfish, White | 10 lb. 5 oz. | 25.5 | Joe Silicato | Jig & Cut Bait | New Croton Reservoir, Westchester Co. | 5/17/1998 |
Cisco (Lake Herring) | 5 lb. 7 oz. | n/a | Albert Baratto | Tear Drop & Grub | Lake Lauderdale, Washington Co. | 1/25/1990 |
Crappie, Black | 4 lb. 1 oz. | 18.5 | William Wightman | Black marabou jig | Lake Flavia, Cattaraugus Co. | 5/6/2018 |
Crappie, White | 4 lb. 7 oz. | 19 | Roy Isaac | Minnow | Sleepy Hollow Lake, Greene Co. | 8/21/2021 |
Drum, Freshwater | 36 lb. 0 oz. | 42.75 | Jason Bair | Rapala Jigging Rap | Oneida Lake, Oneida Co. | 6/16/2017 |
Fallfish | 3 lb. 9 oz. | 19 | Jonathan McNamara | Tube Jig | Susquehanna River, Tioga Co. | 4/15/2009 |
Gar, Longnose | 14 lb. 10 oz. | 52.25 | Michael Gatus | Chunk bait | Lake Champlain, Washington Co. | 8/18/2018 |
Muskellunge | 69 lb. 15 oz. | 64.5 | Arthur Lawton | n/a | St. Lawrence River, Jefferson Co. | 9/22/1957 |
Muskellunge, Tiger | 35 lb. 8 oz. | 50 | Brett Gofgosky | Sucker | Tioughnioga River, Broome Co. | 5/25/1990 |
Perch, White | 3 lb. 1 oz. | 17.5 | Joseph Tansey | Alewife | Lake Oscaletta, Westchester Co. | 9/21/1991 |
Perch, Yellow | 3 lb. 8 oz. | n/a | George Boice | Minnow | Lake Erie, Erie Co. | 4/28/1982 |
Pickerel, Chain | 8 lb. 1 oz. | n/a | John Bosland | n/a | Toronto Reservoir, Sullivan Co. | 2/13/1965 |
Pike, Northern | 46 lb. 2 oz. | n/a | Peter Dubuc | Heddon Flaptail | Great Sacandaga Lake, Fulton Co. | 9/15/1940 |
Pumpkinseed (sunfish) | 1 lb. 9 oz. | 11.5 | R. Kennard Mosher | Nightcrawler | Indian Lake, Hamilton Co. | 7/19/1994 |
Jordan Tontarski | Jig w/spike | Black River, Jefferson Co. | 1/26/2020 | |||
Redbreast (sunfish) | Vacant (minimum weight of 1 lb.) | |||||
Salmon, Atlantic | 24 lb. 15 oz. | 35 | Mike Dandino | Bomber Long A | Lake Ontario, Wayne Co. | 4/5/1997 |
Salmon, Chinook | 47 lb. 13 oz. | 48 | Kurtis Killian | Orange Fly | Salmon River, Oswego Co. | 9/7/1991 |
Salmon, Coho | 33 lb. 7 oz. | 41.9 | Stephen Sheets Jr. | Cut Bait | Lake Ontario, Oswego Co. | 8/13/1998 |
Shad, American | 9 lb. 4 oz. | 28 | Robert Kubica | Shad Dart | Hudson River, Albany Co. | 5/9/2007 |
Sucker, Shorthead Redhorse | 11 lb. 11 oz. | n/a | Joe Williams | Nightcrawler | Salmon River, Oswego Co. | 5/26/1996 |
Sucker, White | 5 lb. 8 oz. | 24 | Joshua Wegner | Nightcrawler | Cold Brook, Steuben Co. | 4/14/2015 |
Trout, Brook | 6 lb. 0 oz. | 22.6 | Richard Beauchamp | Lake Clear Wabbler | Silver Lake Wilderness Area, Hamilton Co. | 5/16/2013 |
Trout, Brown | 33 lb. 2 oz. | 38 | Tony Brown | Smithwick Rogue | Lake Ontario, Oswego Co. | 6/10/1997 |
Trout, Lake | 41 lb. 8 oz. | 42.75 | Jesse Wykstra | NK Spoon | Lake Erie, Chautauqua Co. | 8/9/2003 |
Trout, Rainbow | 31 lb. 3 oz. | 39 | Robert Wilson | Joe's Pirate Crystalina | Lake Ontario, Niagara Co. | 8/14/2004 |
Trout, Splake | 13 lb. 8 oz. | 31 | Jonathan Simon | Rapala | Limekiln Lake, Herkimer Co. | 6/27/2004 |
Walleye | 18 lb. 2 oz. | 32 | Brian Hartman | Swimbait | St. Lawrence River, St. Lawrence Co. | 5/5/2018 |
Whitefish, Lake | 10 lb. 8 oz. | 27.87 | Randolph Smith | Worm & Spinner | Lake Pleasant, Hamilton Co. | 8/29/1995 |
***Retired Historical State Records*** | ||||||
Eel, American | 7 lb. 14 oz. | n/a | Larry Manino | Nightcrawler | Cayuga Lake, Seneca Co. | 7/25/1984 |
Pickerel, Redfin | 2 lb. 1 oz. | n/a | Duane Gillespie | Do Jigger | Lake Champlain, Essex Co. | 3/5/1989 |
Salmon, Kokanee | 3 lb. 6 oz. | 21.5 | Kenneth Shear | Wobbler & Worm | Boy Scouts Clear Pond, Franklin Co. | 6/14/2002 |
Salmon, Pink | 4 lb. 15 oz. | n/a | Randy Nyberg | Johnson Sprite | Lake Erie, Chautauqua Co. | 9/16/1985 |
Sauger | 4 lb. 8 oz. | 22.19 | Darrin Schwenkbeck | Gitzit | Lower Niagara River, Niagara Co. | 9/30/1990 |
Striped Bass | 60 lb. 0 oz. | 53 | Eric Lester | Blood Worm | Hudson River, Orange Co. | 5/14/2014 |
Striped Bass, Hybrid | 15 lb. 5 oz. | 26.5 | Bryan Colley | Sawbelly | Lake Waccabuc, Westchester Co. | 7/30/2004 |