Girl, 12, wins Maryland's top fishing prize — to the chagrin of some 'older male anglers'

When Lucy Moore, 12, was asked who is better at fishing — her or her dad — she did not hesitate to claim her crown. 

"Me," Lucy replied immediately during an interview with As It Happens guest host Catherine Cullen. 

Her father, Nick Perez, paused for a moment when asked the same question, but ultimately conceded that his daughter had long surpassed him in fishing prowess.

"He doesn't have a Master," Lucy quipped.

She's referring to Maryland's prestigious Master Angler Milestone award, the state's top fishing prize, which she snagged in May.

Only 11 others have claimed the title since its inception in 2019, and they're all grown men. That makes Lucy the state's youngest, and only female, Master Angler.

"I really felt like I did something that was like a really great accomplishment for me," she said. 

The award is part of the FishMaryland program, launched five years ago to encourage people to explore the state's waterways and diversity of fish species, says Erik Zlokovitz, recreational fisheries outreach co-ordinator for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

There are several prizes that anglers can claim, he says, but the Master Anger is, by far, the hardest. It requires catching 10 different species of "trophy-sized" fish. 

The eligible fish come from all over the state. Some are freshwater and some are ocean-dwellers. Some are native and some are invasive. Some are catch and release, and others are keepers.

"I call it the black belt of the Fish Maryland program," Zlokovitz said. 

Zlokovitz, who has a daughter himself, says it was a pleasure to see Lucy claim the title, which earned her a certificate, an aquarium tour and some new fishing gear from Bass Pro Shops. 

The fishing community, he says, has largely