Fish Of Ohio – Fish Ohio Program

Ohio supports a diverse fish fauna which is represented by more than 160 species of fish. This is because there are a number of lakes, rivers and streams in Ohio. These include 2.4 million acres of Lake Erie, 450 miles of Ohio River and about 40,000 miles of streams. Fish of Ohio comes in a huge range of colors, sizes and shapes. They live in a variety of habitats including the enormous rivers and lakes to small creeks and ponds. Fishing is a favorite pastime for a large number of people in Ohio.

Moreover, it is also an enduring family tradition. A day shared in the rivers and lakes of Ohio or the first fish caught during a family fishing trip create memories that last a lifetime. Fishing in the waters of Ohio is not always permissible and there are only certain days in a year when members of the public are allowed to catch fish in Ohio. Ohio also has a fish program which is known as Fish Ohio Program.

This program was established to recognize anglers' fishing accomplishments. (An angler is a fisherman who uses the technique of angling when fishing) Under this program, each angler who makes a qualifying catch receives a collectable lapel pin. This pin will not have the same fish that was caught by the angler because each year, there are different fish species which are featured on the pins. For example, in 2005, freshwater drum fish species was featured on the pin and in 2006, a yellow perch was featured. The program also features a Master angler category for all those fisherman who are able to catch four different qualifying species in the same year.

List of Ohio qualifying fish species can be found on the Fish Ohio Program website. The lapel pin that is received by the Master angler is the same as other lapel pins except that it will be gold in color. When you have made a notable catch, you can register online to receive a certificate and a collectable pin.

History of the Program Ohio rivers and water bodies contain large numbers of fish and there are some fish species which have been recognised as special and marked in separate categories. The program first started in 1976 in which more than 400,000 anglers were recognised for making notable catches. But, lapel pins were first issued in the year 1979 for the species Largemouth Bass.

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