Since 1963, MassWildlife’s Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program has recognized anglers who catch exceptional freshwater fish across Massachusetts.
Today, I am listing all of the 2023 Angler of the Year winners, new state records and gold pin fish caught out of local waters or local anglers who caught gold pin fish in other waters. To view the entire listing of gold pin winners, some 102 of them, go to the MassWildlife web site at Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program | Mass.gov.
The Catch & Keep Angler of the Year Award is given to the person who weighs in the largest number of species that meet the minimum weight requirements for the previous calendar year.
2023 Adult Catch & Keep Angler of the Year was Cam Tucker of Gill, MA. Cam caught bronze or gold pin fish in 10 species. He caught the gold pin fish in the following species: A carp weighing 30 lbs. 8 oz and a Channel Catfish weighing 12 lbs. 2 oz out of the Connecticut River in Northfield, Fallfish weighing 1 lbs. 15 oz out of the Connecticut River in Montague, Sunfish weighing 15 oz out of the Connecticut River in Deerfield; and a Yellow Perch weighing 1 bs 9 oz out of Plainfield Pond in Plainfield. He also got a couple of gold pins in the Adult Catch & Release Category (see below).
2023 Youth Catch & Keep Angler of the Year was Logan Middlebrook of Pittsfield. Logan caught bronze or gold pin fish in 17 species. He caught the gold pin fish in the following species: Bowfin weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz out of the Connecticut River in Northampton, Carp weighing 16 lbs. 8 oz out of Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield, Fallfish weighing 11 oz out of the Westfield River in Huntington, and White Catfish weighing 3 lbs. 15 oz out of the Connecticut River in Agawam, MA. He also got a couple of gold pins in the Youth Catch & Release Category (see below).
Logan Middlebrook photo provided by his family
If Logan looks familiar, its because his picture was in this column last year holding a big carp. He tied for the 2022 Youth Angler of the year with Carter Flagg of Gill and Gabriel Christman of Pittsfield. Logan’s dad, Bill, said DFW officials told him that no one from Western Massachusetts has ever accomplished this repeat feat before. He has only been fishing for 3 years now.
The Catch & Release Angler of the Year Award is awarded to the person who submits the largest number of species that meet the minimum length requirements for the previous calendar year.
2023 Adult Catch & Release (C&R) Angler of the Year winner was Andrew Langley of Peabody. He was also Adult Catch & Release Angler of the year in 2022. He caught bronze or gold pin fish in 20 species. He caught the gold pin fish as follows: An 18.50-inch Fallfish out of the Connecticut River in Northampton, a 23.75-inch shad out of the Merrimack River in Lawrence, a 21.50-inch White Catfish out of the Charles River in Cambridge, a 24.75-inch shad out of the Merrimack River in Andover and a 15-inch Yellow Perch out of the Merrimack River in Haverhill.
2023 Youth C&R Angler of the Year was Jack Ostriker of Grafton, MA. He didn’t catch any gold pin fish, but he caught 14 bronze pin fish.
Other gold pin fish that were caught out of Berkshire waters in 2023 were as follows:
Adult Catch & Keep Category – A 16 lbs. 14 oz gold pin Tiger Muskellunge was caught out of Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield by Daniel Aitken of Pittsfield.
Youth C&R Category -The following gold pin fish were taken: A 16-inch Tiger Trout was taken out of Onota Lake by Logan Middlebrook, as well as a 28-inch Bowfin out of the Connecticut River in Northampton, a 22.50-inch Largemouth Bass out of Plunkett Lake in Hinsdale by Kadance Soules of Dalton, a 21-inch Rainbow Trout out of Onota Lake by Tyler Boutin of Northbridge, MA.
Adult C&R Category, in addition to Andrew Langley’s previously mentioned fish, the following gold pin fish were caught. A 19.50-inch Brook Trout was caught out of Windsor Pond in Windsor by Tyler Mazzotta of Adams; a 23.75-inch Largemouth Bass was caught out of Cheshire Reservoir by Manuel Silveira of Berkshire Village, a 21-inch Rainbow Trout was caught out of Onota Lake by Tyler Boutin of Northbridge, MA,
Youth Catch & Keep Category, in addition to Logan’s previously mentioned fish, the following gold pin fish were caught: A 5 lbs. 8 oz Largemouth Bass was caught out of Buckley-Dunton Lake in Becket by Trystan Couture of Chester, MA; a 13 lbs. 2 oz Northern Pike was caught out of Cheshire Reservoir by Alice Christman of Pittsfield, a 4 lbs. 5 oz Smallmouth Bass was taken out of Onota Lake in Pittsfield by Corbin Carlow of Windsor, and a 1 lbs. 15 oz Tiger Trout was taken out of Onota Lake by Alice Christman.
As noted earlier, only gold pin fish were listed. There is another pin awarded and that is the bronze pin. If you submit a fish that meets the minimum weight or minimum length requirements for an eligible species, you’ll get a bronze pin from MassWildlife for that species Nearly 1,000 pins are awarded annually.
In 2023, two new species were added to the Freshwater Sportfishing Award Program – Fallfish and White Sucker. Also, a Youth C&R category was added resulting in more state records in those species.
There were 2 new state records in the Adult Catch & Keep Category: A 1 lbs. 15 oz Bowfin caught out of the Connecticut River in Northampton by Cam Tucker and a 3 lbs. 8 oz White Sucker caught out of the Merrimack River in Haverhill by Andrew Langley of Peabody.
There were 8 new state records in the Adult C&R Category: A 34.50-inch Bowfin was caught out of the Connecticut River in Northampton and a 24.25 Smallmouth Bass was caught out of the Chicopee River in Chicopee by Will Pellerin of Springfield, a 32.50-inch Chain Pickerel caught out of Bog Pond in Carver by Nicholas Gurney of Wareham, a 34.75-inch Channel Catfish caught out of the Connecticut River in Gill, an 18.50-inch Fallfish caught out of the Connecticut River in Northampton by Cam Tucker. Another 18.50-inch Fallfish was caught out of the same river by Andrew Langley of Peabody, MA; a 37-inch Lake Trout was caught out of the Wachusett Reservoir by Jeff Evans of Clinton and a 23-inch White Sucker was taken out of the Swift River in Belchertown by Colin Duarte of Sterling.
Angler of the Year recipients and gold pin winners are honored each year at a MassWildlife awards event where they will receive gold pins and plaques. The date and location TBA.
Ice fishing and skating near an end
It looks like our ice fishing season, such as it was, is about over. I suspect some ice fishermen never had a chance to get out this year due to the thin ice. Several ice fishing derbies had to be cancelled and at least one local person had fallen through the ice and had to be rescued. That makes two years in a row where there hasn’t been much ice. I was fortunate to get out 5 times, but never fished on more than 5 or 6 inches of ice.
This year, the only place I fished was Stockbridge Bowl. I enjoy fishing that lake because you never know what you will see. Every day, you could expect to see a Bald Eagle fly over. Sometimes you’ll see someone pedaling around on a studded unicycle, or maybe someone wind sailing in an ice boat. This year I saw some Skate Sailers who move over ice on ice skates utilizing the force of the wind. A small sail is held in their hands or leaned against with the whole body. Boy, can they move when the wind is right. No wonder they wear helmets. According to Frank Wall (pictured) from Harlemville, NY, Skate Sailing is a rather old sport dating back to the 1800’s.
Frank Wall picture provided by Gene Chague
Ham Shoots
The Cheshire Rod & Gun Club Cheshire Rod & Gun Club is holding Ham Shoots on the following Sundays: March 10, 17 and 24 starting at 1:00 pm. Prizes will include ham and some other surprises. $5 a shot.