I can’t remember wanting to see a new year start like I have in 2021 for many reasons and my New Years’ Resolution is to make the most out of every opportunity that I can experience with friends, family and all the events that I really have missed in the past year!

Getting a chance to do some fishing and traveling will be a priority in the upcoming months. With the PA trout season opening up in three months, I was actually taking stock of my equipment and supplies for the first day!

Working on your supplies now is a good approach to getting restocked and doing it in a timely manner. Don’t have a repeat of last year’s garden seed shortage or the ammunition shortage at hunting season, I ended up hand-loading quite a few boxes of rifle ammunition for my buddies at the last moment.

While trying to get a fishing license for my wife as a present, I was reminded of the drawbacks of the point-of-sale system and how the country has been stymied when I have had all kinds of promised mail delays for my collecting hobby of wildlife patches and buttons. I personally went up to Franklin to get the 2021 Working for Wildlife patch and they not only do not have any in stock …they do not even know what the 2021 patch is going to be yet!

Wow, that is what I call falling behind in a long running program. The PGC and the PFBC generally are on the ball when it comes to collecting any source of revenues, but not in the past year. So, I will patiently wait for my boat registration, my licenses and my patches.

However, I did try to order a picture frame but was put off by the call-in system in Harrisburg and later found a sold-out sign on the ordering site.

I can not control a lot of things that frustrate me, but I did find something that I could give a try; the PA Angler Award Program. The Award Program offers many recognitions for anglers in many different categories for dozens of species of native fish in Pennsylvania waters.

There is a Senior Angler Award for those anglers 16 and older, a Junior Angler Award for those under 16 years of age, a Husky Musky Club Award for anglers who land a musky that is 50 inches or longer, and a First Fish certificate recognizing a new angler’s first fish.

The requirements and rules to receive an award can be found on the PFBC website at www.fishandboat.com Angler Award. The minimum requirements as well as the State Records are listed on the Angler Award Program application.

For example, the Sr. Angler Award requirements for a Largemouth Bass is 5 pounds, while the state record is 11 pounds 3 ounces. I’m saying that not every angler has a realistic chance at an 11-pound bass, but an Angler Award is reasonable for a 5 pounder!

If you are into catch and release fishing, there is even a Catch and Release award for those anglers who practice catch and release. The qualifications are based on the fish species length. In the case of the Largemouth Bass, it would be 20 inches in length.

Another recognition the PFBC offers is the biggest fish of the year award from all verified entries sent in each fishing season year. To make the list, your entry must be received by Feb. 28 of the following year. That means for this year you have until Feb. 28 of 2022.

I like the Catch and Release category and it may be my goal for 2021 to catch as many of the fish species with a goal of meeting their minimum size lengths and see how I do. I know that I have caught fish that would meet the requirements for some of these awards but never bothered to check them out!

I now have an interesting fishing bucket list goal for the 2021 season and it covers all species and all skill sets and many different waterways. I can travel discovering new places, spend time in the outdoors and rekindle the simple pleasures of fishing for the fun and pure sport of catch and release.

I will try to keep you folks updated on my progress in this effort. There are 32 species listed in the Angler Award Program and I should be able to target a different species each week and if I am lucky, maybe several!

Until we meet again, get your 2021 fishing license and check out your gear and equipment. I will likely see some of you on the lakes, ponds, creeks and rivers as we try our best to relax and have fun as 2021 welcomes us to a better year in the sun and on the water!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle