Nick Perez of Perryville has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program.

Perez is the 15th Master Angler since the program began in 2019. The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch ten trophy-sized fish of different species in Maryland. Perez’s daughter, Lucy Moore, was the 10th Master Angler and was both the first youth and first female award recipient.

Perez started fishing Maryland waters at age two and has “fished nearly every fishery in the state for almost every species we have.” Perez became well acquainted with the FishMaryland program after his daughter started submitting fish for her Master Angler Award. “After watching her become the state’s youngest angler to receive the award, I figured it was time for dad to join her in the record books,” said Perez.

Perez’s qualifying catches, in order, were:

• Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead) – 34 inches
• Redbreast sunfish – 8.5 inches
• White perch – 13.5 inches
• Largemouth bass – 21 inches
• Bluegill – 12 inches
• Chain pickerel – 24 inches
• Redear sunfish – 11 inches
• Rock bass – 10.5 inches
• Crappie – 16.5 inches
• Yellow perch – 14 inches

Perez’s final qualifying fish was an impressive 14-inch yellow perch. Chesapeake Channa, also known as northern snakehead, has become his favorite species to target and a 34-incher was the largest of his ten qualifying catches. The most challenging catch he reeled in while pursuing the award was the redear sunfish.

“I had to drive an hour and a half to Frederick and fish Cunningham Falls because I knew that was my best shot at a big one,” Perez said.

”(FishMaryland) is a great way to challenge yourself to become a better angler, and it might force you to get out of your comfort zone and target species you’ve never tried to catch before,” Perez said. “I think my long-term goal is to have every single citation for every freshwater fish in the state.”

FishMaryland is Maryland’s recreational fishing award program and is a fun way to explore year-round recreational fishing and enjoy affordable, accessible, diverse, and high-quality fishing opportunities. More information on the Master Angler Milestone Award and the FishMaryland program is available on the program’s website.