trophy fish application

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CONTACT: Don Miller: (603) 744-5470 John Viar: (603) 744-5470 Liza Poinier: (603) 271-3211 January 24, 2005 DEADLINE LOOMS FOR 2004 TROPHY AND RECORD FISH APPLICATIONS CONCORD, N.H. -- Did you reel in a big one last spring? ...Got proof? Anglers looking for ultimate bragging rights have until Monday, January 31 to complete and submit their Trophy Fish applications to N.H. Fish and Game. Application forms and instructions are available on the N.H. Fish and Game Department website at http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us or at any Fish and Game office. Judging takes place in the next couple weeks and 2004 winners will be announced in mid-February. "New Hampshire's Trophy Fish program provides recognition for both kept and released fish in freshwater and saltwater categories," said Don Miller, inland fisheries biologist in Fish and Game's Region 2 office in New Hampton. While some state record fish date back nearly a century -- one A. Val Woodruff landed a nine-pound brook trout from Pleasant Lake in New London in 1911 -- other records have been broken more recently. In 2002, Jacques Renaud of Vermont pulled a 24-lb., 14.4 oz. northern pike out of Moore Reservoir in Littleton. Even if an angler doesn't catch a record fish, the largest "trophy" fish caught are recognized each year. Twenty-two freshwater species and seven saltwater species categories provide ample opportunity for enthusiasts of all ages to receive recognition. All successful applicants receive a "Trophy Fish" shoulder patch for submitting their catch information. Then, each February, the person who caught the largest fish in each species category is presented with a framed certificate. "Recording trophy fish data gives us important information on the fisheries over time, while providing anglers with some well-deserved recognition," Miller said. And it's easy to enter, he added: "All ages and all legal methods of angling are represented. I think our youngest angler application was for a three-year old. Some years we receive only one application in a particular species category, and other times we have an impressive array of fine catches. I encourage everyone to send us their best catch." Pictures of some trophy contenders appear on Fish and Game's "big fish" web page. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is the guardian of the state's fish, wildlife and marine resources and habitats. Visit http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us. -###- -- Copyright 2004 New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, 11 Hazen Drive, Concord, NH 03301. Comments or questions concerning this list should be directed to lpoinier@wildlife.state.nh.us.