June 19, 2014
We're halfway through the 2014 fishing season, so it's high time to review this past season's Master Angler Award winners. These fortunate anglers have recorded some of the biggest freshwater fish caught coast to coast, from Mexico through Canada (click here to view the entire list of 2013 Master Anglers).
Veteran Master Anglers recognize that this report represents a great resource for finding waters that produce giant fish, as well as prime times to visit. Among pike catches, for example, two of the four 50-inchers came from Alaska. But for fish in the mid- to upper-40-inch range, the Taltson River and Lac Seul have been outstanding, particularly in late summer.
Bob Daly of Indiana once again traveled to Alaska's Cinder River to catch the two biggest coho salmon, targeting the early September period. And for the second year in a row, Minnesota's Leech Lake produced the program's biggest muskie, 56 inches long. You can find timing and locational tidbits for every species with sufficient entries from public waters (Click here to view the entire list of 2013 Master Anglers).
It was another great year for catfish, too, highlighted by Ty Konkle's 54.75-inch flathead from the Tennessee River, along with three other 50-inchers. For big channel cats, results from the Red River of the North show it's tops.
Last season we added a category for spotted bass. So far, no one has submitted for a trophy spot. Folks, they're out there. A new world record fish was taken in California and we just received a photo of a 5-fish limit of spots that weighed over 40 pounds!
Catch a lunker, check size requirements for that species and the rules of the program, then fill out an application found in In-Fisherman or at in-fisherman.com.
Check out these noteworthy Master Angler fish photos:
David Worden - 50'' Blue Catfish
Angler: David Worden
Length: 50 Inches
Location: James River, VA
Graeme Shaw - 14'' Bluegill
Angler: Graeme Shaw
Length: 14 Inches
Location: Private Pond, AR
Barry Tocher - 20'' Brook Trout
Angler: Barry Tocher
Length: 20 Inches
Herbert Guarascio - 35'' Brown Trout
Angler: Herbert Guarascio
Length: 35 Inches
Todd Wendorf - 34'' Brown Trout
Angler: Todd Wendorf
Length: 34 Inches
Jeff Buckingham - 35'' Carp
Angler: Jeff Buckingham
Length: 35 Inches
Location: Pond, AL
Mike Miller - 25.5'' Chain Pickerel
Angler: Mike Miller
Length: 25.5 Inches
Steven Wetzel - 28.25'' Chain Pickerel
Angler: Steven Wetzel
Length: 28.25 Inches
Location: Lake Cohoon, VA
Kelly Sabescay - 38.5'' Channel Catfish
Angler: Kelly Sabescay
Length: 38.5 Inches
Location: Red River, MB
Kenneth Walker - 35'' Channel Catfish
Angler: Kenneth Walker
Length: 35 Inches
Tyler George - 33'' Channel Catfish
Angler: Tyler George
Length: 33 Inches
Mathew Schwark - 35.5 Pound Chinook Salmon
Angler: Mathew Schwark
Weight: 35 Pounds 8 Ounces
BoB Daly - 34.75'' Coho Salmon
Angler: Bob Daly
Length: 34.75 Inches
Location: Cinder River, AK
Daniel Long - 15.75'' Crappie
Angler: Daniel Long
Length: 15.75 Inches
Location: Res, UT
Matt Ress - 16'' Crappie
Angler: Matt Ress
Length: 16 Inches
Steve Probst - 17'' Crappie
Angler: Steve Probst
Length: 17 Inches
Blaze Nelson - 47'' Flathead Catfish
Angler: Blaze Nelson
Length: 47 Inches
Weight: 56 Pounds
Location: Virginia Lake, NV
Eric Leis - 43'' Flathead Catfish
Angler: Eric Leis
Length: 43 Inches
Justin Bair - 48'' Flathead Catfish
Angler: Justin Bair
Length: 48 Inches
Matt Pelletie - 45'' Hybrid Muskellunge
Angler: Matt Pelletie
Length: 45 Inches
Location: Lake Bluewater, NM
Steve Williams - 45'' Hybrid Muskellunge
Angler: Steve Williams
Length: 45 Inches
Location: Canyon Lake, ON
Drew Nelson - 28'' Hybrid Striped Bass
Angler: Drew Nelson
Length: 28 Inches
Jesse Date - 26'' Hybrid Striped Bass
Angler: Jesse Date
Length: 26 Inches
Natthavipa Huttemeyer - 25.25'' Hybrid Striped Bass
Angler: Natthavipa Huttemeyer
Length: 25.25 Inches
Derek Scott - 35'' Lake Trout
Angler: Derek Scott
Length: 35 Inches
Kevin Wolff - 52'' Lake Trout
Angler: Kevin Wolff
Length: 52 Inches
Location: Lac La Martre, NWT
Marlene Lachat - 38'' Lake Trout
Angler: Marlene Lachat
Length: 38 Inches
Catherine Hagerty - 23'' Largemouth Bass
Angler: Catherine Hagerty
Length: 23 Inches
Christopher Pereira - 22'' Largemouth Bass
Angler: Christopher Pereira
Length: 22 Inches
Steve Cicciarelli - 27.5'' Largemouth Bass
Angler: Steve Cicciarelli
Length: 27.5 Inches
Location: Big Lake, IL
Chris Moore - 32.5 Pound Muskellunge
Angler: Chris Moore
Weight: 32 Pounds 8 Ounces
Location: Res, NY
Danny Gagner - 56'' Muskellunge
Angler: Danny Gagner
Length: 56 Inches
Location: Leech Lake, MN
Quinn Leonard - 51'' Muskellunge
Angler: Quinn Leonard
Length: 51 Inches
Hunter Anderson - 44.5'' Northern Pike
Angler: Hunter Anderson
Length: 44.5 Inches
Joe Rottkamp - 48'' Northern Pike
Angler: Joe Rottkamp
Length: 48 Inches
Leslie Dalton - 46.5'' Northern Pike
Angler: Leslie Dalton
Length: 46.5 Inches
Gary Harmon - 13.5'' Redear Sunfish
Angler: Gary Harmon
Length: 13.5 Inches
Weight: 2 Pounds 6 Ounces
Location: Res, VA
Aaron Nichols - 23'' Smallmouth bass
Angler: Aaron Nichols
Length: 23 Inches
Matt Heggem - 20'' Smallmouth Bass
Angler: Matt Heggem
Length: 20 Inches
Todd Wendorf - 21'' Smallmouth Bass
Angler: Todd Wendorf
Length: 21 Inches
Chris Langeman - 34'' Steelhead
Angler: Christ Langeman
Length: 34 Inches
Rich White - 38'' Steelhead
Angler: Rich White
Length: 38 Inches
David Tanner - 40'' Striped Bass
Angler: David Tanner
Length: 40 Inches
Location: Piney Run River, MD
Matt Morgan - 54'' Striped Bass
Angler: Matt Morgan
Length: 54 Inches
Location: Chesapeake Bay, MD
Hegyi Fox - 30.5'' Walleye
Angler: Hegyi Fox
Length: 30.5 Inches
William Hartman - 30.6'' Walleye
Angler: William Hartman
Length: 30.6 Inches
Dustin Bellinger - 17.5'' White Bass
Angler: Dustin Bellinger
Length: 17.5 Inches
William Evans - 22.5'' White Bass
Angler: William Evans
Length: 22.5 Inches
Location: Creek, MO
Daniel Bauer - 26'' Rainbow Trout
Angler: Daniel Bauer
Length: 26 Inches
Location: Lake Ogallala, NE
John Ferencak - 33'' Brown Trout
Angler: John Ferencak
Length: 33 Inches
Location: New York
