With the spawning season in full swing across much of the Sunshine State, Florida’s TrophyCatch program is serving as a powerful incentive for anglers to release giant female largemouth bass.
The program, now in its third season, offers prizes for anglers who catch, document and release bass that weigh 8 pounds or more. There are three levels of qualification – Lunker (8-9.99 pounds), Trophy (10-12.99) and Hall of Fame (13 or greater) – and each offers a substantial list of prizes.
So far this year, more than 65 qualifying bass have listed on the program’s Web site at trophycatchflorida.com, including the 14-pound, 1-ounce pot-bellied monster caught and released by Dewight Whitmore of Ringgold, Ga., from Rodman Reservoir Jan. 19. Whitmore caught the bass on a live shiner while fishing with guide Sean Rush.
As a Hall of Fame qualifier, Whitmore will receive gift Cards worth $200 from Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods and/or Rapala, a Bass King duffle bag with a customized hoody, shirt and hat, a SpiderWire sweatshirt and sunglasses, a Free Fitzgerald Rod, a Glen Lau DVD, an extra 10 chances into a drawing for a Phoenix Bass Boat, a TrophyCatch certificate and a Hall of Fame Club decal.
Perhaps best of all, he’ll also receive a fiberglass replica mount of his fish worth more than $500.
Whitmore’s catch is one 13 bass over 10 pounds documented by the site since Jan. 1.