Ohio Division of Wildlife continues to reward anglers who catch fish of a certain size

To an angler, paradise isn’t as much a place on the map as a point in time when a fish rises to bait and is snared on a hook.

The tussle that follows generates a splendid space for any angler to occupy, though the fish might see it differently. Any angler focused on a fish fight can’t lose as long as the time spent provides a break from a civilized world with its aggravations, demands, disappointments and discontents.

Almost secondary is whether a fish, once landed, is taken home for consumption or released to fight another day. Nearly always in play, though, is an enduring and mystifying fascination with size.

MORE: Signs point to ‘many years of remarkable walleye fishing’ in Ohio

Many anglers wouldn’t think of heading for the water without a measuring device and/or scale. On some bodies of water and with some species, checking a fish’s length is a legal necessity.

A tape measure is, at the very least, good to have on hand in case something extraordinary latches on. And that possibility helps explain why fishing can be a captivating and addictive plunge into the unknown.

If what winds up in the net is something big, the angler is compelled to know exactly how big.

Landing a fish of exceptional size has long provided the basis for friendly competition among pals, for money-driven tournament angling and for rewards from the Ohio Division of Wildlife’s Fish Ohio program.

Started in 1976, more than 410,000 Fish Ohio pins have been handed to anglers who submit a catch matching or surpassing length established standards for individual species.

In 2023, there were 10,166 Fish Ohio pins given out for catches among 26 species. Pins awarded in 2022 totaled 9,723.

Some anglers try to earn at least one every year. Some have pins displayed on jackets or caps representing catches they’re more than willing to talk about when asked. Some don’t even require asking.

Fish Ohio minimums, not unlike the recognized species, vary considerably in length. A muskellunge needs to be 40 inches to earn a pin, a blue catfish or a flathead 35 inches.

A rock bass or a sunfish minimum is 9 inches, a runt among some species but giants among their kind.

MORE: A nice day of fishing doesn’t have to involve dollars and cents

One indication of how different the growth rates are in Lake Erie is that a number of species have a different length standard depending on where they’re caught.

For instance, a 20-inch freshwater drum (sheepshead) qualifies for a pin if taken from an inland lake or reservoir, the Ohio River, a private pond, or an inland river or stream. A sheepshead taken from Lake Erie would have to be 24 inches to qualify.

The standard for smallmouth bass is 18 inches caught inland, 19 inches for Lake Erie. Walleye qualify at 25 inches inland, 28 inches on Lake Erie. Yellow perch must be 12 inches inland, 13 on Lake Erie. White bass qualify at 14 inches inland, 15 inches on Lake Erie.

For most species, however, qualifying standards are identical whether caught from Lake Erie or any inland waters. Those species include catfish, largemouth bass, crappie and carp, to name a few.

A detailed report about Fish Ohio pins, including qualifying lengths, species and how to apply can be found at the website wildohio.gov.

outdoors@dispatch.com