L.O.W.A. Announces 2012 Louisiana Fish of the Year Winners

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 08.12.13

The Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA) has announced the winners of their annual Fish of the Year awards.

One of the winners for 2012 is Elliot Sale of New Iberia, La. His 251-pound Yellowfin Tuna earned him Fish of the Year award in the Rod & Reel Division/Saltwater Species. Sale’s tuna eclipsed the previous record by 9.81 pounds and was caught at West Delta Block 122 in October of 2012. Sale will accept his award at the LOWA annual conference awards banquet, Aug. 10, in Lafayette at the Holiday Inn.

The winner in the Fly Rod Division/ Saltwater Species for 2012 is Chip Metz of Morgan City, La. Metz landed a 4.09-pound flounder that is currently ranked in third place. His fish was caught in Four League Bay in August of 2012. Metz will also receive his award at the LOWA annual conference awards banquet.

Each year the LOWA Fish Records Committee selects anglers and fish from the submissions from the previous year to be nominated for the Fish of the Year. Nominees are then closely reviewed and a vote is taken. Awards are presented in both Rod & Reel and Fly Fishing divisions depending on entries.

For more information, email the fish records chairman at fishrecords@yahoo.com .

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.