INDIANA – Hayden Baker is the winner in the longest fish award after catching a 56-inch longnose gar caught in Aikman Creek in Daviess County.
Indiana’s Fish of the Year program is back and bigger than ever.
In 2022, 71 anglers submitted entries for 55 different species. Submissions included numerous entries for popular species such as largemouth bass, rainbow trout, and bluegill. Several lesser-known species also received submissions, including emerald shiner, golden shiner, and mottled sculpin.
Smallmouth bass was the species that received the most entries from anglers in 2022. Several species made their first appearance in the program, including blue tilapia, emerald shiner, and mottled sculpin. Notable species that did not receive entries in 2022 were muskellunge, Northern pike, and white crappie.
The top winners in our area include:
| Northern Hogsucker | 15.5 | White River (Lawrence) | Ron Anderson |
| Hybrid Sunfish | 12.0 | Private Pond (Dubois) | Sam Sermersheim |
| Black Crappie | 16.0 | Elk Creek Lake (Washington) | Ray Bateman |
| Saugeye | 23.0 | Sullivan Lake (Sullivan) | Wayne Witkowski |
| Rainbow Trout (tie) | 19.0 | Strip Pit (Greene) | Steven Kellett |
| Golden Shiner | 10.3 | Airline Lake (Greene) | Travis Rowe |
| Longnose Gar | 56.0 | Aikman Creek (Daviess) | Hayden Baker |
| Shortnose Gar | 28.0 | White River (Greene) | Jeffrey Kellett |
The Tippecanoe River had more winning entries than any other body of water in 2022. Winning entries for the Tippecanoe River included bigmouth buffalo, blue sucker, gizzard shad, hybrid striped bass, quillback, rock bass, smallmouth bass, smallmouth buffalo, and white bass. Other popular bodies of water with multiple winning entries included the Wabash, White, and Ohio rivers, and Lake Michigan.
Anglers who plan to submit entries in 2023 must remember that to be eligible, they are required to submit a photo showing the full length of their catch while on a measuring board or tape.
If you think you’ve caught a winner, there are three easy ways to enter: online, U.S. mail, or email.
- For online entries, enter the required information using the online entry form (found at fishing.IN.gov; click Record Fish) and submit a photo of the fish showing the measurement and a copy of your fishing license (if you are required to have one) to recordfish@dnr.IN.gov.
- For mail entries, print and complete an entry form (found at fishing.IN.gov; click Record Fish) and include a photo of the fish showing the measurement and a copy of your fishing license (if you are required to have one) to Record Fish Program, Division of Fish & Wildlife, 402 W. Washington St., Room 273, Indianapolis, IN 46204
- For email entries, submit an electronic version of the entry form and attach a photo of the fish and a copy of your fishing license (if you are required to have one) to recordfish@dnr.IN.gov.
Winners are notified by mail and receive an award certificate and a commemorative patch.
To view the full list of winners, visit on.IN.gov/RecordFish.
