April 30, 2015
The winning entrants in the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife's Fishing Fun Photo Contest as well as the 2014 Junior Skillful Angler Recognition Program winners were honored at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center in Oxford, Warren County, on the opening day of trout season, April 4.
Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno was on hand to meet contest winners and their families, as they enjoyed a morning of fishing at the Pequest Fishing Education Pond. The weather was beautiful and sunny and everyone had a great time catching trout. Fish and Wildlife staff and volunteers assisted anglers to ensure they had a safe and enjoyable fishing experience.
After fishing, the winners of the contest received certificates and fishing equipment at an awards ceremony held at the pond sponsored by the New Jersey Council of Trout Unlimited. The Lieutenant Governor spoke at the awards ceremony praising the winners for their excellent photos.
After the ceremony, winners had the opportunity to take a personal tour of the Pequest Hatchery and learn how rainbow trout are raised for stocking in New Jersey's publicly accessible waterways.
This annual contest is to encourage children ages 6-15 to have fun fishing for the many species of catchable fish in the Garden State. The Skillful Angler Recognition Program is designed to acknowledge large fish that are caught in the state that don't quite meet record size but are worthy of recognition.
The 2014 NJ Fishing Fun Photo Contest winners are as follows:
Name |
Age |
Category |
Hunter J. Hinkel |
6 |
Fishing |
Mark T. Absalon |
6 |
Channel Catfish |
Samuel Heally |
6 |
Striped Bass |
Hailey Tkacs |
7 |
Largemouth Bass |
Rosa Spann |
7 |
Sunfish |
Taaliyah Arrington |
8 |
Sunfish |
Jared Hyland |
9 |
Largemouth Bass |
Dustin J. Powell |
9 |
Largemouth Bass |
Jordan Zambell |
10 |
Trout |
Bryan Hickman, Jr. |
10 |
Fishing |
Tanner Stillwell |
13 |
Striped Bass |
Nicholas Grissman |
13 |
Largemouth Bass |
Heather Gross |
15 |
Pickerel |
Dylan Planer |
15 |
Largemouth Bass |
The 2014 NJ Junior Skillful Angler Recognition Program winners are as follows:
Name |
Age |
Species |
Weight |
Jeffrey J. Crawford |
12 |
Hybrid Striped Bass |
6 lbs. 8 oz. |
Ella Yanuzzelli |
7 |
Bullhead |
1 lb. 15 oz. |
Dylan Cole |
7 |
Chain Pickerel |
4 lbs. 8 oz. |
Michael D’Orio |
15 |
Brown Trout |
5 lbs. 14 oz. |