ANNAPOLIS (September 22, 2007) Governor Martin O'Malley awarded $60,000 in prizes to lucky anglers this morning at the 2007 Maryland Fishing Challenge Finale at Sandy Point State Park. Prior to the grand prize drawing, all qualifying anglers who attended the event received a contest t-shirt and DNR gift bag, and participated in drawings for more than 50 additional prizes, valued at $2,500 from Bill's Outdoor World. A program of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the 2007 Maryland Fishing Challenge ran from Thursday, June 14, through September 3. This year the Search for Diamond Jim continued, with a potential cash prize of up to $25,000 from Boater's World and a $5,000 diamond from Smyth Jewelers for the capture the Bay's most famous fish. Over 60 species of fish were citation-eligible, including large and smallmouth bass, trout, walleye, musky and panfish in the freshwaters of Maryland; rockfish (striped bass), bluefish, drum, sea trout and perch in the Chesapeake Bay; and tuna, marlin, flounder, kingfish and sea bass on the oceanside. More than 650,000 anglers fish in Maryland each year - not including children under 16 - with an annual estimated economic impact of $1 billion. read more

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