In a sport dominated by men, 12-year-old girl nets top Md. fishing award

Nick Perez and his 8-year-old daughter, Lucy, bundled up in their best rain gear and met their fishing guide before the sun had risen. The pair had driven eight hours from Cecil County, Maryland, to Kentucky’s Cave Run Lake in hopes of catching the elusive musky fish.

The father-daughter duo’s first two days had proved fruitless, so not even a storm stopped them from heading out on their third and final day for a last chance to snag the tough-to-catch species nicknamed “the fish of 10,000 casts.” After nearly 10 hours in the rain, Lucy felt a tug on her rod. At the end of her line, a 40-inch musky wider than any Perez had seen.

“It was all that hard work: We’re talking almost 30 hours of fishing for that one fish and she was the one to catch it, which made it extra special,” Perez said. “There’s guys I know that are 60 years old who have never caught one. And at the time she was almost 9.”

Now, three years later, 12-year-old Lucy Moore has continued to be a trailblazer in a sport dominated by men triple her age.

This summer, Lucy became the first female and first child to receive Maryland’s Master Angler Milestone Award. She was just the 10th person in the state to win the award since its inception in 2019.

To earn the award, she had to catch 10 species of fish – all of which had to be “trophy size.”

But Lucy is not in it for the awards. She said her favorite part about fishing is getting to explore nature with her dad.

“Fish never really live in ugly places,” Lucy said.

The FishMaryland program from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources lists more than 60 species of fish and the sizes they must be to be eligible to count toward earning the award. The FishMaryland program recognizes accomplished fishers with three awards: the Angler, the Expert Angler and the Master Angler.

Lucy earned all three titles on her journey to Master Angler.

The Master Angler Award is the “black belt” of fishing, said Erik Zlokovitz, recreational fisheries outreach coordinator for the Department of Natural Resources.

“Typically, people focus on two or three species and she’s got 10 that are all trophy size so it’s doubly impressive,” Zlokovitz said. “She’s probably outfishing many adults that are older and more experienced. It’s definitely more species of fish than I’ve caught over the past few years.”

The FishMaryland award program aims to expose residents to the state’s vast biodiversity, as well as eradicate invasive fish by encouraging people to capture and consume them, Zlokovitz said.

“It celebrates the diversity of opportunity in Maryland, and even the more accomplished anglers broaden their horizons when they fish toward a Master Angler Award,” Zlokovitz said.

While lots of diversity exists in the types of fish that FishMaryland participants catch, there has been considerably less diversity among the award-winning fishers. Zlokovitz said he was thrilled to see a young girl like Lucy embrace fishing because he believes she can be an ambassador spreading the joy of fishing to younger generations.

“She may inspire other young anglers and girls to participate in the program and work toward the milestone awards themselves.”

Lucy began fishing at 2 years old. Her dad grew up spending every summer weekend fishing Chesapeake Bay with his grandfather, a tradition that continued until the year his grandfather died. After having his own daughter, he wanted to keep the tradition alive, so he took Lucy fishing as soon as she was old enough to hold a rod.

By the time she was a toddler, Lucy had been nicknamed the “Blue Gill Queen” for her knack for catching the freshwater fish. Perez recognized Lucy possessed remarkable levels of talent and passion for fishing and began to invest more in teaching her the sport. Soon, Lucy had a custom fishing pole bearing her nickname and the pair began traveling across state lines in search of rare catches.

In 2023, the dad-daughter duo set a goal to catch at least 50 species of fish. They caught 54 and, in the process, Lucy snagged three trophy-sized fish that counted toward the FishMaryland award program. When looking to set a goal for 2024,

Lucy figured she might as well finish what she started and try to earn the Master Angler Award. It did not take her long, and she reeled in her 10th and final qualifying catch in May – a 24-inch American shad.

In a July ceremony at Bass Pro Shops, she accepted the award and received a $250 Bass Pro Shops gift certificate from FishMaryland, as well as complimentary fishing gear from the store. She even got to feed the fish there, which particularly excited her.

Now, Lucy has become an advocate for spreading her love of the sport.

She is involved with Kids Can Fish, a nonprofit organization founded by a 10-year-old girl who, like Lucy, loves fishing and believes more children should try the sport.

Lucy has set her next goal – to become a marine biologist. An honor role student driven in everything she does, the 12-year-old has researched top marine biology programs and said she has her sights set on attending the University of Miami.

“At this point, I’ve reeled in a 7-foot shark,” Lucy said, “so I’m not underestimating myself.”