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Celebrate Your Big Catch

To help commemorate your outstanding catches, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), will send you a full-color certificate illustrating the species of fish you caught, personalized with your name and details about your catch. You will also receive a colorful angler recognition decal for your car or boat.

Although it is not required, they encourage catch-and-release, so they're making it easier than ever to participate. All you need now is a total length, witnessed by one other person, and if you release the fish, a special catch-and-release seal will be added to your certification. Remember state record fish require special handling to be officially recognized.

HOW TO ENTER
There are 33 species of freshwater game fish eligible for “Big Catch” recognition, ranging from 8 inches and a half-pound for a spotted sunfish, to 68 inches and 70 lbs. for an alligator gar. Among the minimum qualifying sizes for the most popular species are the following: black bass--24 inches or 8 pounds; black crappie--14-inches or 2-pounds, and bluegill--11 inches or 1.25 pounds. Minimum qualifying sizes for other species, are listed on the applications. You can download the application (Acrobat PDF) for printing. Copies are also available in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's "Fishing Regulation Summary" booklets, and at many bait and tackle dealers

KIDS FISHING--IT’S CATCHING ON, MAKE THEM A WINNER TOO
Family fishing is an outstanding way to enjoy nature and spend quality time together. To add to the excitement, they lowered the big catch qualifying size limits by 25 percent for youths under age 16, and in addition to sending them a youth’s "Big Catch" Certificate and sticker, they will send them a pin declaring they are a "Big Catch" Program WINNER!

THREE CHALLENGING AWARD LEVELS!

• SPECIALIST - shows you caught five or more fish of the same species that qualified as "Big Catches."
• MASTER ANGLER - shows you caught five or more fish of different species that qualified as "Big Catches."
• ELITE ANGLER - shows you caught ten or more fish of different species that qualified as "Big Catches."

New Program Upgrade!--Individuals catching a 10-pound bass (one greater than 28 inches if no scale is available), or youths catching an 8-pound bass (one greater than 24 inches if no scale is available), after June 1, 2003, will also automatically receive this "Trophy Bass" cloisonné pin.  Please note, they will provide only one (1) pin per angler.