It's easy! Log in to your Go Outdoors Florida account and navigate to the TrophyCatch website. A pop-up should appear your first time logging into the program asking if you agree to register for the TrophyCatch program, check the I agree button and click Accept.

If you do not have a Go Outdoors Florida account, navigate to the Go Outdoors Florida website and click on the grey Create Account button to register for Go Outdoors Florida. You must provide your last name, date of birth, and either the last four digits of your SSN or your Drivers License number. Then click Sign Up. Be sure to visit the Go Outdoors Florida FAQ page FAQs for Recreational Hunting and Fishing Licenses for further information. Once you have completed your account sign up, login to your account and navigate to the TrophyCatch website. A pop-up should appear your first time logging into the program asking if you agree to register for the TrophyCatch program, check the I agree button and click Accept. You are now registered for the TrophyCatch and Big Catch programs.

The FWC also has a free Fish Hunt License App for Android or Apple smartphones that you can use to purchase or renew your license and keep all your information up to date. It even serves as a legal copy of your license if you need to show it to a conservation officer.

You have two options to access your TrophyCatch account, either:

Call the Go Outdoors Florida Help Desk at (855) 779-5907 and provide your information to update your old TrophyCatch account, or
Create a new Go Outdoors Florida Account following the instructions in the above FAQ "How do I register to participate?" and then call the service desk and provide your information or email [email protected] with your name and customer ID if you have it.

To participate in TrophyCatch, anglers must:

Submit high resolution photographs or videos (good overall clarity, 3-megapixel camera or above recommended)
Submit at least one photograph or video of the whole fish (head to tail) on a scale with the weight clearly visible
Anglers are encouraged to submit two to three additional photographs of the fish

Suggested supplemental photos are:

The whole fish on a measuring board with the length clearly visible
A close-up on scale with at least half of the bass visible
The fish being measured for girth
The fish being released
The angler with their catch (please remove sunglasses)

Supplemental photos/videos will be reviewed by a team of biologists if the required weight photo/video is not clearly visible or does not show the entire fish, and may, based on the best judgment of the verification team, be approved. See the Rules and TrophyCare pages for additional details.

Unlike Big Catch, this detailed documentation is required to justify the cash prizes and to ensure valid data for research and conservation management programs. Bass that are not adequately documented for TrophyCatch will be considered for a Big Catch certificate.

What photo/video documentation is required for a TrophyCatch entry?

You missed filling out a required field. Make sure that all responses (fields that have a red asterisk next to them) are filled out by carefully reviewing the entire submission form.

If you are experiencing problems registering or submitting a catch, some of the first and simplest things to do are:

Quit and restart your browser to try again.
Press the <CTRL><R> keys simultaneously to refresh the web page you are working in.
Try a different browser. Google Chrome works well for most users.
Try using the TrophyCatch App rather than your web browser.

The above steps are some of the first and quickest steps to try. If you are still having trouble, email [email protected] or call the TrophyCatch Hotline at 1-855-FL-Trophy (1-855-358-7674).

Login to the TrophyCatch program website and click Submit Catch. Fill out the correct information about your trophy bass catch in the submission form and click the green Submit button at the bottom of the page. An administrator will invalidate your trophy bass catch submitted to Big Catch if it instead qualifies for TrophyCatch.

You should fill out any previously entered information that cleared when editing the submission form and then click the green Submit button at the bottom of the page.

In many instances a tournament angler can provide a photo/video of the bass on the scale with the weight visible, and that is preferable. However, other options exist when properly documented:

Anglers who catch a fish in a tournament that are eligible for TrophyCatch can submit a photo of him/her holding the fish, but must also provide a link to a public website that provides information on the weight of the individual fish and angler (e.g., tournament website, social media, newspaper, or magazine article). A specific link (URL) should be provided to the website page where the angler's name, weight of the fish, date, and tournament location.
Anglers in major tournaments that provide scale receipts listing the name, location, and date of the tournament, along with the angler's name and weight of the individual fish, may submit an unaltered copy of the weight verification as one of their photographs.
If an FWC biologist or volunteer is present at the tournament and witnesses the weight, the angler will only have to submit a picture of him/her holding the fish and indicate it was verified by an FWC biologist or volunteer and include the FWC representative's name in the submission application. Pictures/videos of the fish on the scale, measuring board, or additional photos of the fish are recommended but not required if witnessed.
Please visit section 1.2 of the Rules for more information on tournament catches.

Requests from a TrophyCatch Administrator will be found in the white text box beneath the grey Additional Information Needed in your TrophyCatch Additional Information Required email:

The requests for information will also be found at the bottom of the anglers submission form on the website:

Login to the TrophyCatch website, click the My Catches tab and select the Manage button next to Catch ID. Click View Submission and select the green Edit button. Update the submission with the requested information.

Within the submission form under Additional Information in the Tell Us Your Story (Angler Comment) box, you can also add the requested information by typing in a comment. If you do not have any information to add, simply put that in the Tell Us Your Story (Angler Comment) box as well. When finished, click the green Submit button at the bottom of the page.

You can also respond directly to the TrophyCatch Additional Information Required email with the required information by clicking Click here to respond or sending an email to [email protected].

The approval process takes approximately 7 - 14 days, unless additional information is needed, in which case, the process may take longer. TrophyCatch administrators pull data for prizing at the end of every month and create spreadsheets to send out to partners for proper prizing. So, if your catch was approved on March 1st, it would be on the March prizing spreadsheet that would be sent to TrophyCatch partners the first two weeks of April. Once TrophyCatch partners have the list it takes about 2 - 8 weeks before you will receive your prizing.

Our goals are to:

Collect valid information through citizen-science about trophy bass to help the FWC better enhance, conserve, and promote trophy bass fishing.
Encourage catch-and-release of the biggest, oldest, most valuable bass.
Excite anglers about Florida freshwater fishing, encouraging them to purchase licenses and fish more, resulting in benefits to anglers, fishing-related businesses, local communities, and the fisheries by having more support and funding for conservation.
Share information about fishing opportunities and destinations to make fishing more enjoyable.

Total length is the maximum length of the fish when the mouth is closed and the tail (caudal) fin is pinched together. The best way to obtain this length:

Lay the fish on a cool, smooth, wet measuring board (bump board) to minimize stress/discomfort and decrease damage to or removal of the slime coat
Push the fish's snout up against a vertical surface with the mouth closed
Pinch the tail fin together to determine the total length
Center the camera above the bass at a distance of 3 feet or higher. Double check your length photos to ensure the length readings are clearly legible
Do NOT pull a flexible tape measure along the curve of the fish. See image below for taking a proper length measurement. Please visit the TrophyCare page for more detailed information.

"Girth" is best measured with a fabric ruler, such as tailors use. It can also be determined by wrapping a string around the fish at its widest point, marking where the string overlaps, and then measuring the string. Knowing the girth is important when trying to certify a fish and provides useful information to biologists about the relative condition of a fish. If you have a live well, the measurement can be taken underwater. See image below for taking a proper girth measurement. Please visit the TrophyCare page for more detailed information.

Plan ahead - before you remove the fish from the water, have your dehooker, measuring devices, and camera ready - remember, the fish should not be out of the water longer than you can hold your breath.
Use barbless hooks or mash the barb down. Circle hooks can be especially beneficial, and do not use stainless steel.
Strike quickly when a fish takes your bait or lure to reduce the chance of it swallowing the hook.
Play fish rapidly, the longer and harder it fights the greater stress on them.
Do not use gaffs or knotted nets, and wet both hands before handling the bass. If lifting the fish by the jaw, be careful not to bend the lower jaw down. If you need to hold the fish horizontally grasp it firmly by the lower jaw and gently under the stomach with a wet hand. Minimize disturbing the slime coat, which protects the fish from infection.
Keep the fish out of the water for as short a time as possible - no longer than 30 seconds. If the hook does not come out easily, use a dehooking tool. If the hook has been swallowed, cut the line. Stomach acid will dissolve the hook.
Do not use fish stringers. If in a kayak or canoe and you need to keep the fish alive, floating knotless net baskets may be used.
Ensure live wells have fresh lake/river water (not tap water) and if possible, run an aerator. Water should be at the same temperature as where the fish was removed from or slightly cooler.
When releasing the fish, place it gently in the water headfirst, and use your other hand to support its belly. If necessary, move the fish in a gentle figure eight to pass water over the gills (do not pull it backwards).

Please visit the TrophyCare page for more detailed information.

TrophyCatch rules allow photo/video documentation and immediate release of all bass which is in compliance with catch-and-release regulations. Please visit the Rules for more information.

Please call the TrophyCatch hotline at 1-855-358-7674 or email [email protected]

If you would like to hide your water body information from being displayed on the website, simply select yes on the Hide Body of Water catch location from public view? question in the Catch Attributes section to hide the selected Body of Water and/or pinpoint on map, and/or entered Latitude Longitude (coordinates) of your catch. Only the County of your catch will be displayed to the public. TrophyCatch administrators will only collect your catch information for trophy bass research and management purposes.

Customers can update their account information by logging into their Go Outdoors Florida account and clicking on Update Profile to navigate to the edit account profile page. Customer information such as physical address, mailing address, and driver license can be changed, but some of the important profile information cannot be edited by the account holder such as their name and birthdate. To change your profile name, to fix an incorrect birthdate, or to get help accessing your account please contact 888-FISH-FLORIDA (888-347-4356) and select the option for customer assistance.

Yes, visit CatchaFloridaMemory.com to learn more or participate in several different recognition categories including Saltwater Fish Life List, Saltwater Reel Big Fish, and Saltwater Grand Slams.

Does FWC have a saltwater angler recognition program?

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