First Sponsored Fish Caught In Maryland $1,000,000 Fishing Challenge
Tilghman man wins $100 in merchandise from Clyde’s Sport Shop in Baltimore

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ANNAPOLIS — David Daisey of Tilghman has caught the first sponsored fish of the Maryland $1,000,000 Fishing Challenge. On June 17, Daisey caught a 25-inch striped bass (tag #8) near the Sharps Island Lighthouse. The fish is worth $100 in merchandise from Clyde’s Sport Shop located at 2307 Hammonds Ferry Road in Baltimore.

Since the tournament kicked off on June 3, 52 tagged fish including 40 largemouth bass, nine striped bass, two croaker and one white perch, have been caught and certified by Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Fisheries Service biologists.

”The croakers are coming! As expected, we are seeing more tagged croakers being caught in the contest,” said Martin L. Gary, DNR Fisheries Ecologist. “The bite is best for croaker in the lower Bay and Tangier Sound, but we are beginning to get nice reports out of the mid-Bay area as well.”

The lucky anglers who landed tagged fish this week will receive a $25 gift certificate to Boater’s World and a Maryland $1,000,000 Fishing Challenge t-shirt. They will also be entered into the drawing to play for the $1 million prize. The below list also includes fish that were caught in previous weeks but had yet to be certified or recorded:

June 21
• Derek Moyer of Alexandria, VA, caught a 17.9-inch largemouth bass the Potomac River near the Wilson Bridge.
• James W. Bishop of Perry Hall caught a 15-inch largemouth bass on Dundee Creek.
• Michael A. Ferrara of Baltimore caught an 18-inch largemouth bass on the Sassafras River in Forman Creek.

June 20
• George Dobash of Joppa caught a 15-inch largemouth bass on Middle River.
• Benjamin Turner of Baltimore caught a 9-inch croaker on the Eastern Bay.
• Alton Lackie of Germantown, TN, caught a 15.2-inch largemouth bass on Pomonkey Creek.

June 19
• Donald Muir of Perry Hall caught a 15-inch largemouth bass on the Susquehanna River.

June 18
• William T. Veaux of White Marsh caught a 20-inch largemouth bass on the Susquehanna Flats in the Tydings area.
• Larry L Rich, Sr., of Rising Sun caught a 19-inch striped bass on the Choptank River.
• Bryan Nuckols of New Market caught a 15.5-inch largemouth bass on the Choptank River.
• Stephen “Steve” D. Kennedy of Auburn, AL, caught a 16.7-inch largemouth bass on the Potomac River in the Blue Plains area.

June 17
• John "Larry" Turney of Pasadena caught a 16.5-inch largemouth bass on Swan Creek in the Susquehanna Flats.
• John F. Carroll from Lexington Park caught a 21-inch striped bass 2.5 miles south of Buoy 72.
• Mark Mahoney of Easton caught a 17.5-inch largemouth bass on Marshyhope Creek.
• David W. Daisey of Tilghman caught a 25-inch striped bass near the Sharps Island Lighthouse.
• William D. Crutchfield of Bel Alton caught a 15-inch largemouth bass on Mattawoman Creek.
• Ronald Barnes of Charlotte Court House, VA, caught a 15-inch largemouth bass on the Potomac River in Leesylvania.

June 16
• Jess Reed of Gaithersburg caught a 17.25-inch largemouth bass on the Potomac River.

June 15
• Dewitt Keefer, Jr., of Crofton caught an 18-inch striped bass near Deale.
• Scott Hertzberg of Upper Marlboro caught a 23-inch striped bass while fishing on a charter boat near Buoy #72A.

All catches, including a photo of the angler with his or her fish, are listed on the Maryland $1,000,000 Fishing Challenge website, which is located at http://www.dnr.maryland.gov/fish4cash/. The site also contains official rules and frequently asked questions about the tournament.

The Maryland $1,000,000 Fishing Challenge is sponsored by Boater’s World and the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED). Approximately 2,000 fish have been fitted with a bright green tag and released into the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Anglers who catch one of the specially tagged striped bass, largemouth bass, Atlantic croaker and white perch are reminded NOT TO REMOVE THE TAG from the fish and to immediately call the phone number listed on it. A DNR Fisheries biologist will come out to verify the catch within 24 hours and only after that should the angler release the fish back into the water.

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June 20, 2005

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 446,000 acres of public lands and 18,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic and cultural resources attract 11 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov