The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Bass Pro Shops invite you to the TrophyCatch program’s annual Hall of Fame Ceremony. This event recognizes anglers who documented and submitted catches of bass 13 pounds or heavier that were approved during the popular citizen-science program’s 11th season, which ran from Oct. 1, 2022 to Sept. 30, 2023.
The ceremony will recognize Hall of Fame catches and will also crown the TrophyCatch Hall of Fame Champion who submitted the heaviest approved fish of the year. The public is invited to join the fun. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. at Bass Pro Shops Daytona, 1880 W. Checkered Flag Blvd., Suite N-100, Daytona Beach, FL 32114.
“Following 10 years of data collection, we named this 11th year the ‘Season of Research’ in recognition of the incredibly valuable information anglers in Florida contributed over the past decade,” said Tom Graef, Director of the Division of Freshwater Fisheries. “This ceremony celebrates not only that knowledge but also the pure fun of fishing and some of Florida’s very biggest bass catches from this season.”
“We are honored to celebrate our TrophyCatch Hall of Fame winners at the Bass Pro Shops in Daytona this season,” said KP Clements, Director of TrophyCatch. “Not many anglers have even seen a bass over 13 pounds but these notable anglers caught, documented and released these massive trophy bass. These are stories that are worth hearing in person. Come join the celebration!”
“Thanks to TrophyCatch and widespread angler participation, we know more about Florida bass ecology and conservation today than we did before the program began in 2012,” said Jason Dotson, Section Leader of FWC’s Freshwater Fisheries Research. “We are better positioned now to effectively manage and improve these trophy fisheries than we have ever been before.”
TrophyCatch is a largemouth bass conservation program designed to promote the responsible catch, document and release of trophy-size bass while rewarding anglers for their contributions to fisheries research and management.
Your participation in TrophyCatch helps the FWC better understand and conserve Florida's freshwater fisheries and informs our priority work in managing trophy bass. For more information about the TrophyCatch program, email KP Clements at KP.Clements@MyFWC.com.