Hyattsville Boy Wins Boat Grand Prize at Maryland Fishing Challenge Finale

Grand Prize winner, Luke Adams, with his new boat

DNR awards more than $40,000 in cash and prizes

More than $40,000 in cash, prizes and merchandise was awarded to lucky anglers this morning at the 2015 Maryland Fishing Challenge Finale. Nearly 2,000 people, including sponsors, contestants and their guests, attended the celebration held in conjunction with the Maryland Seafood Festival at Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis.

“The Maryland Fishing Challenge celebrates our state’s excellent fishing, and provides a little extra incentive for anglers, young and old, novice and pro, to get outside and cast a line,” Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Secretary Mark Belton said. “Keeping the longstanding tradition of fishing alive in Maryland is important because anglers not only benefit our local economy, they aid in conservation and management efforts.”

Since Labor Day last year, more than 1,000 anglers qualified to participate in today’s grand prize drawing by catching an Angler Award-sized fish ─ a select species above a certain length.

Walking away with today’s grand prize of a boat, motor and trailer from Bass Pro Shops and Tracker Boats was Luke Adams, 12, of Hyattsville. Adams caught an Angler Award-qualifying, 13.25-inch white perch in the Chesapeake Bay off Calvert County.

“I am in shock,” said Adams. “My dad takes me fishing every weekend. I can’t wait to use this boat with him.”

DNR awarded a total of $23,000 to 14 randomly selected anglers. The 9 $2,000 winners listed below caught award-sized fish, drawn evenly among the three catch regions – the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic and freshwater areas. Prizes also included fishing/tackle packages from Bill’s Outdoor Center, coolers filled with Costa gear, and gift cards from AllTackle, Marty’s Bait & Tackle Shop, PotomacSnakehead.com and Tochterman’s. All contestants left with commemorative shirts, courtesy of Under Armour.

The youth component of the challenge celebrated 12 lucky Maryland Youth Fishing Club anglers, who were randomly selected from their DNR Angler’s Log online postings. These individuals were awarded guided fishing trips and gear from the sponsors.

Flying Dog Brewery presented a check for $8,230 to the Maryland Seafood Marketing’s True Blue program.

“For eleven years now this contest has been going strong, thanks to our incredible sponsors,” DNR Assistant Secretary for Aquatic Resources David Goshorn said. “We are grateful to have partners that share in our mission of introducing people to the joys of fishing, inspiring future generations of stewards along the way.”

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*The $2,000 winners by catch region are:

Chesapeake:

Kien Le of Silver Spring with a white perch

Brian Haney of Chesapeake Beach with a Spanish mackerel

Randy Bohlman of Annapolis with a chain pickerel (catch & release)

Freshwater:

Dennis Butler of Abingdon with a rainbow trout

Jason Sweeney of Frederick with a rainbow trout

Wydell Buzard of Middletown with a rainbow trout

Atlantic:

Jordan Tibo of Baltimore with a hammerhead shark (catch and release)

Buddy Bricker of Dover, Pa. with a summer flounder

James Dasch of Ridgely with a blue marlin (catch & release)