2 Earn FishMaryland Master Angler Awards
Canden Michalski, left, and Jesse Black (Photos courtesy of the anglers via Maryland Department of Natural Resources)
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has recognized Jesse Black of Kingwood, WV, and Canden Michalski of North East for catching 10 different species of fish at trophy size to reach the FishMaryland Master Angler milestone.
These awardees bring the total number of Master Anglers in the now 6-year-old Maryland program to 25.
FishMaryland is Maryland’s recreational fishing recognition program promoting year-round recreational fishing and affordable, accessible, diverse, and high-quality fishing opportunities. More information on the Master Angler Milestone Award and the FishMaryland program is available on the DNR website.
Jesse Black is the 24th recipient of the Master Angler milestone and the first to earn the award exclusively through shorefishing.
Black hooked all 10 of his award fish from shore in Garrett County using spinning reels. He enjoys the solitude and skills necessary to read the water in the native trout streams and rivers from the county where he was born. He also regularly casts from the banks of Deep Creek Lake.
Black’s most memorable catch was a fish not included on his Master Angler list: a 47-inch muskellunge. He hauled in the fish while targeting catfish on the Potomac River.
Fifteen-year-old Canden Michalski is Maryland’s 25th Master Angler, joining the ranks of his father, Jason Michalski, who earned the milestone in March 2024. A resident of Cecil County, Michalski counts his home waters of the Susquehanna River as his favorite fishing spot.
The 47-inch blue catfish he caught in the Susquehanna was his favorite catch on his way to the Master Angler milestone. The fish hit a hook baited with cut bluegill attached to 40-pound test braided line while Michalski was fishing from his kayak. The fish pulled him around for about 15 minutes before he was able to land the huge specimen.
Michalski is the second Master Angler to earn invasive species awards for all three fish in that FishMaryland category: Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead), blue catfish, and flathead catfish.
Learn more about the qualifying catches here.
