How to Qualify

Big Catch is designed to encourage anglers to enjoy the full variety of freshwater fishes found in Florida and to explore new locations, techniques and species. There are multiple ways to participate and earn recognition for your fishing achievements. You can earn recognition by submitting your catches of exceptional size, multiple catches of different species, or multiple catches of the same species.

PLEASE NOTE: These are NOT State Record sizes. Current State Records are available HERE.

To determine the length of the fish, measure from the tip of the snout to the back of the tail fin with the fin squeezed together and the mouth closed. To determine the girth, measure around the widest part of the fish. A Big Catch Poster with these minimum qualifying sizes can be requested with illustrations of each fish to help you identify them. All fish must be caught legally, including a proper freshwater license or exemption, in Florida waters using an active hook-and-line method (bush hooks, snatch hooks, set lines, trotlines are excluded).

	Adult		Youth
Eligible Species	Adult Weight	Adult Length	Youth Weight	Youth Length
Black Bass
Florida Bass/Largemouth Bass	8.00 lbs.	24 in.	6.00 lbs.	18 in.
Shoal Bass	2.00 lbs.	16 in.	1.50 lbs.	12 in.
Spotted Bass/Choctaw Bass	2.00 lbs.	16 in.	1.50 lbs.	12 in.
Suwannee Bass	1.50 lbs.	14 in.	1.00 lb.	11 in.
Panfish
Black Crappie	2.00 lbs.	14 in.	1.50 lbs.	10 in.
Bluegill	1.00 lb.	10 in.	0.75 lbs.	8 in.
Flier	0.50 lbs.	8 in.	0.40 lbs.	6 in.
Redbreast Sunfish	0.50 lbs.	9 in.	0.40 lbs.	7 in.
Redear Sunfish	1.25 lbs.	11 in.	1.00 lb.	8 in.
Spotted Sunfish	0.50 lbs.	7 in.	0.40 lbs.	5 in.
Warmouth Sunfish	0.50 lbs.	9 in.	0.40 lbs.	7 in.
Yellow Perch	0.75 lbs.	12 in.	0.50 lbs.	9 in.
Temperate Bass
Striped Bass	12.00 lbs.	30 in.	9.00 lbs.	22 in.
Sunshine Bass	5.00 lbs.	20 in.	3.50 lbs.	15 in.
White Bass	2.50 lbs.	15 in.	1.75 lbs.	11 in.
Catfish
Blue Catfish *	25.00 lbs.	36 in.	18.75 lbs.	27 in.
Brown Bullhead	2.00 lbs.	16 in.	1.50 lbs.	12 in.
Channel Catfish	12.00 lbs.	25 in.	9.00 lbs.	19 in.
Flathead Catfish *	25.00 lbs.	36 in.	18.75 lbs.	27 in.
White Catfish	5.00 lbs.	22 in.	3.75 lbs.	16 in.
Yellow Bullhead	1.50 lbs.	14 in.	1.00 lb.	10 in.
Other Native
American Shad	3.00 lbs.	18 in.	2.25 lbs.	13 in.
Bowfin or Mudfish	8.00 lbs.	28 in.	6.00 lbs.	21 in.
Chain Pickerel	3.00 lbs.	22 in.	2.25 lbs.	17 in.
Florida Gar/Spotted Gar	4.00 lbs.	28 in.	3.00 lbs.	21 in.
Longnose Gar	15.00 lbs.	40 in.	11.00 lbs.	30 in.
Cichlids (Nonnative)
Blue Tilapia/Nile Tilapia or Hybrid *	5.00 lbs.	18 in.	3.75 lbs.	13 in.
Butterfly Peacock Bass *	4.00 lbs.	18 in.	3.00 lbs.	13 in.
Jaguar Guapote *	1.50 lbs.	13 in.	1.00 lbs.	10 in.
Mayan Cichlid *	1.00 lb.	11 in.	0.75 lbs.	8 in.
Oscar *	1.25 lbs.	11 in.	0.75 lbs.	8 in.

*Nonnative fish are those that do not occur in Florida naturally; most should be harvested to help protect native fish and Florida's ecosystems. Exceptions are peacock bass, which is a game fish, and triploid grass carp, which are stocked for vegetation control.

Images are courtesy of Duane Raver, Jr. and Diane Rome Peebles.

Not sure where to find species? Try FWC's Fish Range Finder.

NOTE: To certify a state-record fish, it must be legally caught and inspected by a FWC biologist and weighed on a certified scale. If you believe you have caught a record fish, keep it alive or place it in ice water. Do not freeze the fish because it will lose weight when thawed. As soon as possible, call the nearest FWC office to arrange to have a fisheries biologist meet with you.