"Angler of the Year" Award Winners

2011 "Angler of the Year" Award Winner Trenton Anestis with Director Wayne MacCallum Beginning in 2002, the Division of Fisheries & Wildlife has recognized the angler who weighed in the most species which qualified for the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Program for the previous calendar year. This is being done in part to promote the awareness of some of the Commonwealth's underutilized species and to recognize an angler's ability to catch a wide variety of trophy species.

Some anglers become specialists, studying the habits of specific species and learning how to target them, while others become generalists seeking out all the species that the state's waters have to offer. This award is also a way to recognize that the motivations for angling are as diverse as the anglers themselves!

Pictured above is 2011 Winner Trenton Anestis with Director Wayne MacCallum during the Freshwater Sportfishing Awards Ceremony at Worcester in February 2012.

**Angler of the Year**
Year	Angler	Species and Waterbody
2012	Jake Souza, Berkley Youth Angler!	Bass, Largemouth, Big Sandy Pond, Plymouth Bullhead, Rico Lake, Taunton Bullhead,* Rico Lake, Taunton Crappie, Long Pond, Lakeville Perch, White, Long Pond, Lakeville Perch, White (3), Snake Pond, Sandwich Perch, Yellow, Peters Pond, Sandwich Perch, Yellow, Snake Pond, Sandwich Pickerel, Chain, Brickyard Pond, Taunton Sunfish(2), Snake Pond, Sandwich Trout, Brook, Peters Pond, Sandwich Trout, Brown (2 - 1 gold pin), Peters Pond, Sandwich Rainbow Trout,* Peters Pond, Sandwich Rainbow Trout, Hamblin Pond, Barnstable Trout, Tiger (2), Peters Pond, Sandwich *--2012 Gold pin winner Jake, age 14, is the third Youth Angler to receive the Angler of the Year award.
2011	Trenton Anestis, Youth Angler! Boxborough	Bass, Largemouth, Chauncey Lake, Westborough Bass, Smallmouth, Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston Bullhead, Chauncey Lake, Westborough Bullhead, Concord River, Carlisle Carp, Concord River, Concord Catfish, White, Concord River, Carlisle Catfish, Channel, Connecticut River, Hatfield Crappie, Chauncey Lake, Westborough Perch, White, Chauncey Lake, Westborough Perch, Yellow, Chauncey Lake, Westborough Pickerel, Chain, Long Pond, Littleton Pike, Northern, Concord River, Billerica Shad, American, Merrimack River, Lawrence Sunfish, Spectacle Pond, Lancaster Trout, Brook, Hathaway Pond, Barnstable Trout, Rainbow, Fort Pond, Lancaster Trout, Tiger, Hathaway Pond, Barnstable Trenton is the second Youth Angler to receive the Angler of the Year award and youngest to date. He was 12 when he submitted most of his fish.
2010	Danny Grafton Jr, Youth Angler! Weymouth	Bass, Largemouth, Whitman's Pond, Weymouth Bass, Smallmouth, Peter's Pond, Sandwich Bullhead, Snake Pond, Sandwich Carp, Charles River, Boston Catfish, White (2), Charles River, Boston* Crappie, Glen Charlie Pond, Wareham Perch, White, Snake Pond, Sandwich Perch, Yellow, Snake Pond, Sandwich Salmon, Broodstock, Cliff Pond, Brewster Shad, American, Indian Head River, Hanover Sunfish, Glen Charlie Pond, Wareham Trout, Brook, Hathaway Pond, Barnstable Trout, Brown, Peters Pond, Sandwich Trout, Rainbow, Peters Pond, Sandwich Danny Grafton is the first Youth Angler to receive the Angler of Year award since this award was created in 2003. Congratulations!
2009	Roy Leyva Plymouth	Bullhead Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Catfish, White Mashpee-Wakeby Pond Crappie Glen Charlie Pond, Wareham Perch, White Herring River Reservoir Perch, Yellow Glen Charlie Pond, Wareham Pickerel, Chain Herring River Reservoir, Harwich Salmon, Broodstock, (2) Peters Pond Sandwich, Sheep Pond, Brewster Salmon, Landlocked (2) Stillwater River, Sterling Sunfish Little Pond, Plymouth Trout, Brook Peters Pond, Sandwich Trout, Brown Peters Pond, Sandwich Trout, Tiger Peters Pond, Sandwich
2008	Roger Pyzocha Ludlow	Winner in 2002, the first year of this award! Bass, Largemouth Quabbin Reservoir Bass, Smallmouth Quabbin Reservoir Bullhead Quaboag Pond, Brookfield Carp, Connecticut River Catfish, Channel Connecticut River Crappie Quabbin Reservoir Perch, White Quabbin Reservoir Perch, Yellow Quabbin Reservoir Pickerel,Chain Quaboag Pond, Brookfield Pike, Northern Quacumquasit Pond, Brookfield Salmon, Landlocked Quabbin Reservoir Shad, American Connecticut River Sunfish Quabbin Reservoir Trout, Brook Swift River Trout, Tiger Swift River Walleye Connecticut River
2007	Roy Leyva Plymouth	Carp, Brookline Reservoir, Brookline Crappie (2) Oldham Pond, Pembroke and (2)Brookline Reservoir, Brookline Catfish,White Charles River, Cambridge Perch, White Wachusett Reservoir, West Boylston Perch, Yellow* Hoxie Pond, Sandwich; (2) Little College Pond, Plymouth Pickerel,Chain Long Pond, Yarmouth Pike, Northern Concord River, Carlisle Salmon, Broodstock* Cliff Pond, Brewster Shad, American North River, Pembroke Sunfish Pond Meadow Pond, Peabody Trout, Brook Jamaica Pond, Boston Trout, Brown Jamaica Pond, Boston Trout, Tiger Jamaica Pond, Boston White catfish (2), Charles River, Cambridge Yellow perch at Pond Street Pond, Dunstable
2006	Joe Baker Lowell	Bullhead, Plugs Pond, Haverhill Carp, Merrimack River, Methuen Chain pickerel,* Laurel Lake, Lee Channel catfish,Connecticut River, Springfield Crappie (2)Oldham Pond, Pembroke and Concord River, Billerica Landlocked salmon, Quinapoxet River,West Boylston Smallmouth bass, Long Pond,Harwich Sunfish (2), Concord River, Billerica Tiger trout, Peter's Pond, Sandwich White catfish (2), Charles River, Cambridge Yellow perch at Pond Street Pond, Dunstable
2005	Todd Matera Palmer	Chain pickerel in Long Pond, Yarmouth Channel catfish and Walleye in the Connecticut River Largemouth bass at Garrett's Pond, Barnstable and Quabbin Reservoir Smallmouth bass at Quabbin Reservoir Sunfish at Ludlow's Red Bridge Impoundment on Chicopee River White perch at Quabbin Reservoir Yellow perch at Spectacle Pond, Sandwich and Rocky Pond, Plymouth
2004	Roy Leyva Hyde Park	Broodstock salmon, Brook trout from Peters Pond, Sandwich Brown trout, Smallmouth bass, Sheep Pond, Brewster Bullhead, Snipatuit Pond, Rochester Carp, Neponset Reservoir, Milton Chain pickerel, White perch, Harwich Reservoir, Harwich Channel Catfish, White Catfish, Charles River, Cambridge Landlocked salmon, Wachusett Reservoir Largemouth bass, Little Cliff Pond, Brewster Rainbow trout, Walden Pond, Concord American Shad, Indian Head River, Pembroke Sunfish, Concord River Yellow perch, Bakers Pond, Orleans
2003	Scott Osmond Lowell	Carp, Channel catfish, American shad, Sunfish from Merrimack River, Lowell Brook trout, Rainbow trout from Deerfield River, Deerfield Walleye, Connecticut River Chain pickerel, Nashua River, Groton White catfish, Concord River, Concord Broodstock salmon, Jamaica Pond, Boston Bullhead, Attitash Lake, Amesbury Black crappie, Smallmouth Bass, White perch, Quabbin Reservoir Yellow perch, Spot Pond, Stoneham
2002	Roger Pyzocha Ludlow	Crappie, Smallmouth bass, Landlocked salmon, White perch from Quabbin Reservoir Carp from Connecticut River

*Gold Pin fish