Chain Pickerel (Credit: North American Native Fishes Association / File Photo)
A fortunate day of fishing for one Brick resident earned him a state Skillful Angler award, the Division of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday.
Larry Newman won the recognition for successfully hooking a 27-inch chain pickerel Dec. 14. Newman was fishing from a kayak on Lake Riviera when he landed the fish at 3 p.m. He used 15-pound test with a TFO rod and a Quantum reel. A 4-inch Rapala X-rap was used as the lure. The girth of the fish was unknown.
The annual awards, which recognize anglers who catch fish of “not quite record” size but large enough to have tested the angler’s skill and be worthy of recognition in each of the freshwater and marine species categories, state officials said.
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Among the biggest fish caught his year in New Jersey were a 9-pound trout caught on Lake Aeroflex, a 48-pound striped bass caught in the surf in Monmouth Beach and a 23-pound blackfish caught on a boat off Cape May. The state also recognized a whopping 28 inch-long fluke caught in Raritan Bay. A full list of winners can be found at the state Fish and Wildlife website.
