- Division of Marine Fisheries
The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries has held its Saltwater Fishing Derby for the last thirty years. The derby, also known as the Governor’s Cup, was previously hosted by the Division of Tourism until 1983. In 2017, the Division of Marine Fisheries made a few changes to the longstanding and popular Saltwater Fishing Derby. The minimum Junior qualifying weights for the weigh-in portion of the derby have been lowered for many species. This gives our Junior anglers a better chance at catching a Derby winning fish. We also expanded the Catch and Release part of the Derby for anglers who don’t desire to harvest a fish. This will allow these fishers a chance to showcase their angling skills while keeping with the wide spreading angling trend of catch and release fishing. Thirty-two species are now eligible for weigh in and catch and release awards. Anglers must catch a fish that meets or exceeds the minimum qualifying length or weight in order to be considered for a Derby pin.
DMF has also added an Angler of The Year Award. Special annual awards will now be given out to the two anglers (Adult and Junior) who have the most Derby winning fish: weigh in, catch and release or combined. Since its’ inception in 2017, the Adult Angler of The Year award has been won by 6 different anglers including three women. The Junior Angler of The Year has been dominated by one individual, John Clark. John has won the award five years in a row, with a combined eighteen winning fish. John has been an avid fisherman since he was two years old, and received his first derby pin when he was ten years old.
Further details and entry forms can be found at most bait and tackle shops, on our web page, or at one of our field offices. Both parts of the derby run from January 1st to November 30th annually.
