iStockphoto / stammphoto
A man from Baltimore by the name of Rashan Hunt has just won a coveted Master Angler Milestone Award in Maryland. After completing a series of fishing challenges, he becomes only the sixth angler to win the ‘Master Angler’ award.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources announced the Hunt’s achievement in a press release. In order to win this award, a fisherman must catch 10 different specific species of fish and all of the catches must qualify as ‘trophy length’ by the standards they set forth.
Since FishMaryland launched its Master Anglers Award program in January 2019, there have been only six fishermen to complete the challenge and earn the title of Master Angler.
Maryand DNR / Rashan Hunt
There are sixty eligible fish species in the FishMaryland Master Angler program. A fisherman only needs to catch 10 of them at ‘trophy size’ in order to qualify for the award.
Thus, of the six fishermen to win this rare award their list of 10 fish looks pretty different from one another. The qualifying 10 fish caught by Rashan Hunt are:
- Northern snakehead, 34.5 inches
- Blue catfish, 50.5 inches
- Largemouth bass, 21.5 inches
- Common carp, 32.5 inches
- Channel catfish, 30.5 inches
- Striped bass, 45 inches
- Yellow perch, 14 inches
- Hickory shad, 18 inches
- Crappie, 15 inches
- Chain pickerel, 24 inches
Notably, all his catches were freshwater fish. It was the 24-inch chain pickerel that proved to be the most elusive for him.
He told the Maryland DNR about the trouble the chain pickerel, a fish often confused with the northern pike, gave him. Saying “the chain pickerel for some reason has been one of the hardest fish for me. I spent countless miles and hours on kayak and fished from the shore at multiple locations throughout Maryland waterways. I caught lots of fish that didn’t make the cut, but on five casts (at Loch Raven on Feb. 26) I caught my tenth official fish for the award.”
According to the press release, this new Master Angler is originally from New Jersey and he was in the military for 23 years but is now retired and works for the Department of the Army. When he’s not working, fishing is his life.
Hunt told the Maryland DNR he has fished all over the world catching an array of species, adding “Fishing is my therapy and is good for mental health and well-being.” He is also a member of a group called the Legion of Anglers who organize fishing tournaments and trash cleanups.
In addition to the coveted Master Angler Award, he will also receive a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift card for completing this feat. FishMaryland has a web page dedicated to guidance on eligible species and qualifying lengths.