On June 11, more than 70 attendees participated in the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) 2nd Annual Congressional Fishing Competition in Annapolis, Maryland. Held as a catch-and-release event, participants had an opportunity to learn about the importance of conservation and the key role anglers play in funding management of our nation’s fish and aquatic resources.
Throughout the tournament, participants used the iAngler Tournament App, one of several examples of smart phone applications that can provide fisheries managers with valuable information, including the number of fish harvested or released, size of fish in both length and weight and other important information, according to Chris Horton, CSF Senior Director, Fisheries Policy. Recently, the Modern Fish Act of 2018 specifically called for NOAA Fisheries to explore the use of electronic reporting by individual anglers to improve fisheries management. Providing the opportunity for sportsmen and women to report their catch in real time has the potential to significantly increase the reliability of data used to monitor in-season quotas, improve stock assessments, and contribute to healthy fish populations now and in the future.
David Sikorski, Executive Director of the Maryland Chapter of Coastal Conservation Association, spent some time with the participants explaining the importance of electronic reporting as it relates to monitoring aquatic invasive species and stressed that “we all need to be responsible stewards of our nation’s resources.” These new methods are just one of the ways recreational anglers can continue to be leaders in aquatic resource conservation.
Special guests included Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chair Representative Richard Hudson (NC) and Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Jeannie Haddaway-Riccio.
This event took place during National Fishing and Boating Week, also the same week that the Sport Fish Restoration, Recreational Boating Safety, and Wildlife Restoration Act of 2021 was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2021 was introduced in the U.S. Senate.
An awards ceremony took place during the event once participants returned from the water.
Fishing Competition Awards
Most Fish Caught
1st Place: Chris Kelly
2nd Place: Lenny Rudow
3rd Place: Chris Edmonston
Largest Fish Caught
1st Place: Chris Kelly
2nd Place: Joe Goergen Sr.
3rd Place: Chris Kelly Jr.
Most Unique Fish Caught
1st Place: Tony Schoonen (Toad Fish)
CSF would like to thank our sponsors and participants who made this event possible.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
