Florida – Wednesday December 7, 2022: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will hold its annual TrophyCatch Hall of Fame ceremony this coming Saturday, December 10 at the Bass Pro Shops located at 750 Bass Pro Drive NE in Palm Bay.
The event celebrates the biggest catches of TrophyCatch’s 10th season. 14 anglers who caught, documented, and released largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or greater will be recognized. Their catches were submitted and approved by TrophyCatch.
“We are excited to recognize these giant catches from TrophyCatch’s 10th season, caught throughout the Sunshine State,” said FWC Commissioner Gary Lester. “It is incredible to see participation from our Florida anglers and visitors fishing for our legendary largemouth bass. There have been more than 13,500 approved TrophyCatch bass since the program started with new lunkers being reported almost every day.”
There will be activities for the whole family beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. The awards ceremony begins at 5 p.m. You can watch live demonstrations, learn fishing tips and tricks, and check out the latest and greatest products from Lowrance and learn how to use them from the pros.
TrophyCatch is a citizen science promotional conservation program for anglers who catch, document and release largemouth bass 8 pounds and heavier throughout Florida. The primary goals of the program are to promote freshwater fishing, engage anglers, collect catch data to help with FWC management, and to work with industry partners on conservation messages.
A key feature of TrophyCatch is collaborating with industry partners to reward anglers for participating. This event’s host, Bass Pro Shops, has been an avid TrophyCatch conservation partner since the program’s inception in 2012. Bass Pro Shops supports Florida’s conservation efforts through TrophyCatch with gift cards, a staple of TrophyCatch prizing. Many club winners use their gift cards to replenish their fishing gear all to pursue more trophy bass.
TrophyCatch prizing is based on size, with bigger catches netting bigger rewards. Anglers who caught Hall of Fame bass weighing 13 pounds or greater will be rewarded at the ceremony with a replica mount representing their bass from Gray Taxidermy, a customized plaque from American Registry among other awesome prizes. The Hall of Fame Champion for Season 10 is Grant Smelcer who caught and released a 14-pound, 4-ounce bass from Porter Lake in Washington County. TrophyCatch will also identify the Big Bag Prize winner sponsored by Lake County Tourism.
Visit TrophyCatch.com for more information on how to participate and stay tuned for updates about Season 11.
