FLORIDA — Florida’s freshwater trophy bass are special – and right now there are some extra special bass swimming in the Sunshine State! To celebrate Season 10 of its TrophyCatch program, biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) tagged and released 10 largemouth bass with bright pink tags in 10 different locations across the state.
If caught, one tag could be worth thousands of dollars in prizes!
Bass Pro Shops, a proud partner of TrophyCatch since the program’s inception in 2012, is providing up to $50,000 in gift cards in honor of the company’s 50th-anniversary celebration this year.
Winners of the pink-tagged bass can also receive gift cards for AFTCO merchandise and cash award money.
The freshwater locations of these high-value fish will be revealed with hints. Commissioner Lester provided hints for two of the locations in this video.
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The answers to the mystery waterbodies will be revealed the following Tuesdays after each hint, until all 10 locations are announced. The first answers will be announced on March 8.
All waterbody hints and announcements will be made on the TrophyCatch website and Facebook page.
“Thanks to successfully working with Florida’s fishing community, TrophyCatch is kicking off its 10th season with this unique 10-TAG Celebration,” said Tom Graef, Director of Freshwater Fisheries Management.
“We are honored to host this program and connect anglers with our industry partners, such as Bass Pro Shops. It will be fun to see anglers figure out the 10 mystery waterbodies where these tagged fish are swimming, waiting to be caught!”
To claim their prize, lucky anglers landing a bass with a pink tag must follow the submission instructions on the TrophyCatch 10-TAG webpage. Bookmark the 10-TAG webpage to stay updated on this special promotion and to plan your fishing adventure!
The TrophyCatch program rewards anglers who provide documentation of their catch and release of largemouth bass weighing 8 pounds or heavier in Florida.
To be eligible for prizes, anglers are required to submit photos or videos of their catch to TrophyCatch.com, showing the entire fish and its weight on a scale, before releasing it back into the water. FWC biologists use TrophyCatch data for bass research to make informed decisions about the management of Florida bass fisheries and to promote the catch and release of trophy bass.
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The associated TrophyCare program promotes best handling practices for trophy bass to ensure that each TrophyCatch bass is released alive.
For the latest news about the TrophyCatch 10-TAG Celebration subscribe to the program’s Topic Email (select “TrophyCatch” under “Freshwater Fishing”). For more information about the TrophyCatch program or the 10-TAG Celebration, email KP Clements at Kp.Clements@MyFWC.com.
