Awards and Recognition

Warmwater Fishing Achievement and Recognition

Warmwater fish can be found throughout California in urban and rural streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and reservoirs, and can provide excellent sport and good table fare. These fish have not only introduced millions to the sport of fishing, they continue to provide a lifetime of angling challenges for many!

Warmwater anglers may qualify for three different awards:

• California Fishing Passport Warmwater Angler
  Catch at least 6 different qualifying fish
• California Fishing Passport Accomplished Warmwater Angler
  Catch at least 12 different qualifying fish
• California Master Warmwater Angler
  Catch at least 25 different qualifying fish

Which warmwater fish qualify?

• Any species from the Inland Warmwater Fishes section (PDF)(opens in new tab) of the California Fishing Passport
• Any freshwater-caught species from the Anadromous Fishes section (PDF)(opens in new tab) of the California Fishing Passport EXCEPT salmon or steelhead

Specifically:

• American shad
• Black bullhead
• Black crappie
• Blue catfish
• Bluegill
• Brown bullhead
• Channel catfish
• Common carp
• Flathead catfish
• Green sunfish
• Largemouth bass
• Pumpkinseed
• Redear sunfish
• Redeye bass
• Sacramento perch
• Smallmouth bass
• Spotted bass
• Striped bass
  landlocked or
  freshwater-caught only
• Tilapia
• Tule perch
• White bass
• White catfish
• White crappie
• White sturgeon
  freshwater-caught only
• Warmouth
• Yellow bullhead
• Yellow perch

Only species listed in the California Fishing Passport as defined above and caught in California in 2006 or afterwards qualify for Warmwater Fishing awards.

What California Fishing Passport awards will I receive?

• California Fishing Passport Warmwater Angler
  • Warmwater Angler award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Fishing Passport Accomplished Warmwater Angler
  • Accomplished Warmwater Angler award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Master Warmwater Angler
  • California Warmwater Master Angler pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
  • CDFW Director's Letter of Congratulations

Download this information as a PDF file(opens in new tab).

Coldwater Fishing Achievement and Recognition

California's inland waters include more than 4,100 lakes and reservoirs and nearly 30,000 miles of streams and rivers that provide ample coldwater fishing opportunities for anglers of all ages. Both novice and experienced anglers can pursue the wily trout and other coldwater fishes from California's clear mountain lakes down to the streams and rivers emptying into the Pacific.

Coldwater Anglers may qualify for three different awards:

• California Fishing Passport Coldwater Angler
  Catch at least 3 different qualifying fish.
• California Fishing Passport Accomplished Coldwater Angler
  Catch at least 5 different qualifying fish.
• California Master Coldwater Angler
  Catch at least 10 different qualifying fish.

Which coldwater fish qualify?

• Qualifying coldwater fish are found in the Inland Coldwater Fishes (PDF)(opens in new tab) section and the Anadromous Fishes (PDF)(opens in new tab) section of the California Fishing Passport (shad, sturgeon, and striped bass do not qualify as coldwater fish)
• For recognition as a California Fishing Passport Coldwater Angler, any 3 of the following species qualify.
• For recognition as a California Fishing Passport Accomplished Coldwater Angler, any 5 of the following species qualify.
• For recognition as a California Master Coldwater Angler, all 10 of the following species must be caught, documented, and stamped to qualify.

Specifically:

• Brown trout
• Brook trout
• Chinook salmon
  landlocked or freshwater-caught only
• Cutthroat trout
  any sub-species in the Passport
• Golden trout
  any sub-species in the Passport
• Kokanee
• Lake trout
• Mountain whitefish
• Rainbow trout
  any sub-species in the Passport
• Redband trout
  any sub-species in the Passport

Only species listed in the California Fishing Passport as defined above and caught in California since 2006 qualify for Coldwater Fishing awards.

What California Fishing Passport awards will I receive?

• California Fishing Passport Coldwater Angler
  • Coldwater Angler award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Fishing Passport Accomplished Coldwater Angler
  • Accomplished Coldwater Angler award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Master Coldwater Angler
  • California Coldwater Master Angler pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
  • CDFW Director's Letter of Congratulations

Download this information as a PDF file(opens in new tab).

Ocean Fishing Achievement and Recognition

Sport anglers come from all over the world to fish off California's coast, because nowhere else will you find such a variety of ocean game fish or diversity of saltwater angling adventures! From salmon and Pacific halibut off northern and central California, to the warmer water species such as yellowtail and marlin found down south, California is an unbeatable playground for saltwater anglers.

Ocean Anglers may qualify for three different awards:

• California Fishing Passport Ocean Angler
  Catch at least 10 different qualifying fish.
• California Fishing Passport Accomplished Ocean Angler
  Catch at least 25 different qualifying fish.
• California Master Ocean Angler
  Catch at least 50 different qualifying fish.

Which ocean fish qualify?

• Any species from the Ocean Fishes section (PDF)(opens in new tab) of the California Fishing Passport
• Any saltwater-caught species from the Anadromous Fishes section (PDF)(opens in new tab) of the California Fishing Passport EXCEPT shad or steelhead (the latter may not be legally caught in the ocean)

Specifically:

• Blue shark
• Sevengill shark
• Brown smoothhound shark
• Leopard shark
• Striped bass
  saltwater-caught
• Chinook salmon
  saltwater-caught
• White sturgeon
  saltwater-caught
• Shortfin mako shark
• Shovelnose guitarfish
• Soupfin shark
• Spiny dogfish
• Swell shark
• Thresher shark
• Bat ray
• Round stingray
• Thornback
• California grunion
• Jacksmelt or Topsmelt
  counts as one stamp
• Surf smelt or Night smelt
  counts as one stamp
• Jack mackerel
• Pacific chub mackerel
• Barred surfperch
• Black perch
• Calico surfperch
• Pile perch
• Rainbow seaperch
• Redtail surfperch
• Rubberlip seaperch
• Shiner perch
• Silver surfperch
• Spotfin surfperch
• Striped surfperch
• Walleye surfperch
• Black croaker
• California corbina
• Spotfin croaker
• White croaker
• Yellowfin croaker
• California halibut
• Diamond turbot
• Fantail sole
• Pacific halibut
• Sand sole
• Sanddab
• Wolf-eel
• Monkeyface prickleback
• Starry flounder
• Bocaccio
• Black rockfish
• Black-and-yellow rockfish
• Blue rockfish
• Brown rockfish
• California scorpionfish
• Chilipepper
• Copper rockfish
• Gopher rockfish
• Grass rockfish
• Kelp rockfish
• Olive rockfish
• Quillback rockfish
• Starry rockfish
• Treefish
• Vermilion rockfish
• Yellowtail rockfish
• Cabezon
• Kelp greenling or Rock greenling
  counts as one stamp
• Lingcod
• Barred sand bass
• Kelp bass
• Spotted sand bass
• Sargo
• White seabass
• Ocean whitefish
• Blacksmith
• Halfmoon
• Opaleye
• California sheephead
• Albacore tuna
• Bigeye tuna
• Bluefin tuna
• Dolphinfish
  dorado
• Opah
• Pacific barracuda
• Pacific bonito
• Skipjack tuna
• Striped marlin
• Swordfish
• Yellowfin tuna
• Yellowtail

Only species listed in the California Fishing Passport as defined above and caught since 2006 qualify for Ocean Fishing awards.

What California Fishing Passport awards will I receive?

• California Fishing Passport Ocean Angler
  • Ocean Angler award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Fishing Passport Accomplished Ocean Angler
  • Accomplished Ocean Angler award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Master Ocean Angler
  • California Ocean Master Angler pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
  • CDFW Director's Letter of Congratulations

Download this information as a PDF file(opens in new tab).

Shellfish Fishing Achievement and Recognition

For most people, the word "fishing" conjures up the image of an angler with a rod and reel, but California is also home to many species of freshwater and saltwater shellfish. To fully experience all the state has to offer the sport fisherman, you'll need to put down your rod and reel and grab your clam fork or shovel, crayfish trap, abalone iron, hoop net, or dive bag.

Three different levels of achievement are available for Shellfish:

• California Fishing Passport Shellfish Specialist
  Catch at least 3 different qualifying shellfish.
• California Fishing Passport Shellfish Expert
  Catch at least 7 different qualifying shellfish.
• California Shellfish Master
  Catch at least 15 different qualifying shellfish.

Which shellfish qualify?

• Any species from the Ocean Shellfish section (PDF)(opens in new tab) of the California Fishing Passport
• Any species from the Inland Shellfish section (PDF)(opens in new tab) of the California Fishing Passport

Specifically:

• Red swamp crayfish
• Signal crayfish
• California spiny lobster
• Gaper clam
• Pacific littleneck clam
• Pismo clam
• Pacific razor clam
• Nuttall cockle
• California mussel
• Giant rock scallop
• Dungeness crab
• Red rock crab
• Red abalone
• Red sea urchin
• Humboldt squid
• Market squid

Only species listed in the California Fishing Passport as defined above and caught in California since 2006 qualify for Shellfish awards.

What California Fishing Passport awards will I receive?

• California Fishing Passport Shellfish Specialist
  • Shellfish Specialist award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Fishing Passport Shellfish Expert
  • Shellfish Expert award pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
• California Shellfish Master
  • California Shellfish Master pin
  • Certificate of Recognition suitable for framing
  • CDFW Director's Letter of Congratulations

Download this information as a PDF file(opens in new tab).

The California Supreme Master Angler award honors a truly extraordinary fishing achievement. California Supreme Master Anglers have earned the title of Master Angler in at least two other California Fishing Passport award categories (inland warmwater, inland coldwater, ocean or shellfish). Award recipients have met the California Fishing Passport challenge by demonstrating their exceptional fishing versatility, innate and learned fishing knowledge, and the adventurous spirit needed to explore the many great fishing opportunities that California has to offer.

How do anglers earn the title of "California Supreme Master Angler"?

To earn California Supreme Master Angler status, an angler must have earned two or more of the following:

• California Warmwater Master Angler
• California Coldwater Master Angler
• California Ocean Master Angler
• California Shellfish Master

What recognition and award do California Supreme Master Anglers receive?

Anglers receiving the California Supreme Master Angler award are recognized with an engraved plaque and a beautiful enameled California Fishing Passport Supreme Master Angler pin and a letter of congratulations from the Director.

There's nothing quite as exciting as that first bite! To celebrate catching your first fish, the California Fishing Passport program would like to present you with your First Fish Award!

Directions for Creating Your Award

1. Open or download the Award Template (PDF)(opens in new tab)
   On some devices, you may need to download the PDF file to enable editing.  
2. Enter the name, city, state, age, date, species and bait used.
3. Print the certificate.