Bryan Gunter, fishing for the South Carolina B.A.S.S. Nation team registered the first Trophy Catch of the event with his 8-pound, 7-ounce bass caught on Day 1. Administered by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Trophy Catch recognizes three tiers of notable catches: 8-10 pounds (Lunker Club), 10-13 pounds (Trophy Club) and over 13 pounds (Hall of Fame Club).
With the dual objective of encouraging catch-and-release and collecting data important to the management of trophy size bass, the program requires participants to submit a photo or video of their catch on a scale with the weight clearly legible.
Once their Trophy Catch submissions are approved, anglers receive prizes relevant to their catch level. They also receive entry into a year-long Phoenix boat raffle.
After Gunter, Mark Pierce, who leads the Boater division with 23-12 weighed his division’s biggest bass — 8-8. Virginia non-boater Mike Caul caught the day’s biggest fish — a 9-8.
For program details and submissions, visit www.trophycatch.com.