Community Corner
New State Record: Tiger Trout Caught In Lake Quassapaug; Anglers Honored at Ceremony
Greg Meyerson, the angler who caught the new world record striped bass, and six new state record holders, will be honored at the fourth annual Trophy Fish Award Ceremony.
Fifty-seven anglers will be recognized for their fishing achievements at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection's fourth annual Trophy Fish Award Ceremony at the Northeast Fishing and Hunting Show in the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford.
The ceremony will begin at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18. Fifty-seven anglers will be presented with certificates recognizing their achievement for catching or landing the largest fish in one of several species categories during 2011.
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"Fishing in Connecticut in 2011 was truly exceptional, as new state records were set for a total of six species, in three cases breaking records that had stood for twenty-five years or more," said DEEP Commissioner Daniel C. Esty in a press release. "Most notably, these new records include a striped bass that has been confirmed by the International Game Fish Association as a new world record. We are hoping that anglers from around the country will take notice and make Connecticut their fishing vacation destination."
New State Records (species, angler and water body) Set in 2011
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- Tiger trout (7 lb., 14 oz.), caught by Gerald J. Barth Jr. in Lake Quassapaug
- Common carp (41 lb., 8 oz.), caught by Nigel Griffin in the Connecticut River
- Striped bass (81 lb., 14 oz.) caught by Greg Meyerson in Long Island Sound
- Tautog (23 lb., 9 oz.) caught by Kendall Owens in Long Island Sound
- Kokanee salmon (2 lb., 14 oz.) caught by Thomas Pasko in East Twin Lake
- Brown trout (18 lb., 5 oz.) caught by Anthony Urbanowicz in the Saugatuck Reservoir
Attending the ceremony to help recognize Greg Meyerson, the angler who caught the new world record striped bass, will be Jack Vitek from the International Game Fish Association.
The IGFA, a non-profit organization committed to game fish conservation, maintains definitive worldwide game fishing records and has certified Myerson’s catch as a new world angling record.
The annual Trophy Fish Award Ceremony is a recent addition to the Department’s Trophy Fish Award program. This program recognizes anglers for catching freshwater and saltwater fish of qualifying size.
Anglers complete and submit an affidavit with an attached photo of their catch. The program has evolved in the years since its inception. There are now youth -- anglers under the age of 16 -- and adult categories for both catch-and-release fishing and for those who harvest their catch.
In addition to the six new state record fish -- four inland and two marine -- there were 10 records set in the marine off-shore, youth, catch-and-release and exotic species categories.
"These many awards demonstrate the excellent fishing opportunities that we have right here in Connecticut," said Bill Hyatt, chief of DEEP’s Bureau of Natural Resources. "Fishing is a great outdoor activity that can be enjoyed by the entire family and it can be done close to home."
The DEEP will again be recognizing several anglers as Angler of the Year. Special recognition will be awarded to one freshwater and three saltwater anglers who received Trophy Fish Awards in the widest array of categories in 2011.
"This award is intended to promote the diversity of fishing opportunities found in Connecticut waters and to make anglers aware of some of Connecticut’s less familiar species," said Dave Simpson, director of DEEP’s Marine Fisheries Division.
More information about the Trophy Fish Award Program is available in the 2012 Connecticut Angler’s Guide on the DEEP website or by contacting the Inland Fisheries Division at 860-424-FISH or the Marine Fisheries Division at 860-434-6043.
Fishing opportunities now abound year round in Connecticut's inland and marine waters. Anglers are reminded that fishing licenses can be purchased 24/7 on the DEEP website.
Below are the names and hometowns of anglers being recognized for their achievements during 2011:
John C. Allgood
Redding
Jared Macha
Baltic
Ron Barbour
Bloomfield
Sean Marek
Killingworth
Jeffrey Barstis
Manchester
Brian Martel
Coventry
Gerald J. Barth Jr.
Torrington
Phil Medeiros
Glastonbury
Jerry Benoit Jr.
Lisbon
Greg Meyerson
North Branford
Bryan Bottone
North Haven
John K. Mikita
Oxford
Jamie Brignolo
Winsted
Alfred J. Miller III
Durham
John H. Brycki Sr.
Oakdale
William M. Miller
New Rochelle(NY)
Bonnie Carr
Winsted
David Murawski
Wallingford
Tina Credit
East Haddam
Judy Muszynski
Middlefield
Seth Davis
Thompson
Rollin Nye
Lisbon
Joseph Deledda
North Stonington
Kendall Owens
Enfield
Vincent Deledda
North Stonington
Thomas Pasko
Collinsville
Justin Dudley
Plymouth
Fred Plouffe
Bristol
Jacques Dulac
Coventry
Jeff Puglise
Granby
Paul Faucher
Brooklyn
Valinn Ranelli
Old Lyme
Marc Fontaine
Voluntown
Michael Reischerl
North Franklin
Jesse Frederick
New Haven
Heather Romagna-Hock
Old Lyme
Nigel Griffin
Milford
Stephen Ruggia
Terryville
Roland J. Groleau
North Grosvenordale
Joseph Santiago
East Haven
Justin Harrison
Greenwich
Jonathan Schmedlin
Stratford
Michael Holdridge Jr.
Madison
Bob Silva Jr.
Waterford
Kyle Joseph
Broad Brook
Andrew Smith
South Windsor
Stephen Kaufmann
North Salem (NY)
Carlina Spadaccini
Old Saybrook
Danny Keeler
Stratford
Chase Tessman
New Britain
Daniel E. S. Kornegay III
East Hampton
Anthony Urbanowicz
Easton
Shawn LaLond
Milford
Dean Vogel
Milford
Andrew Lautenberger
Griswold
Michael R. Wolod
West Haven
Ryan Lynch
New Milford
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