Anglers from Somerset, Frederick, and Anne Arundel counties recognized
From left to right: Joshua Bernstein, Alex Gaillardo Perez, and George Cropper all achieved the Master Angler Milestone Award in May. DNR collage from submitted photos.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recognized George Cropper of Princess Anne, Joshua Bernstein of Frederick, and Alex Gaillardo Perez of Millersville with Master Angler Milestone Awards under the FishMaryland program in May 2026.
These men respectively are the 31st, 32nd, and 33rd anglers to achieve the highest milestone
in the FishMaryland program since its inception in 2019. The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch 10 trophy-sized fish of different species in Maryland.FishMaryland is the state’s recreational fishing award program and a fun way to explore year-round recreational fishing and enjoy affordable, accessible, diverse, and high-quality fishing opportunities. Information on the Master Angler Milestone Award and the FishMaryland program, including the more than 60 award-eligible species, is available on the program’s website.
Fishing licenses can be purchased online or in person at license agent locations. License, fishing tackle, ammunition, boats, and marine fuel purchases fund DNR’s fish and wildlife conservation work.
George Cropper
George Cropper
George Cropper started fishing at age 6 with his father and credits his passion for fishing to the freshwater fishing trips they took together. Today, his favorite places to fish are Tangier Sound and the Wicomico, Manokin, and Annemessex rivers, as they are close to his home in Somerset County.
Cropper’s first trophy catch on the way to becoming a Master Angler was a Chesapeake Channa (northern snakehead) he caught in a Wicomico Creek backwater using a buzzbait, his favorite lure for the species.
Offshore fishing is Cropper’s favorite type of fishing, accounting for three of his 10 species awards. One of his most exciting moments was the 4.5-hour battle to land a 600-pound bluefin tuna, which measured 112 inches. He caught the giant tuna in late February on a charter boat in the Norfolk Canyon while drifting a whole Atlantic mackerel.
Cropper’s qualifying catches, in order, were:
- Chesapeake channa (northern snakehead) – 31.5 inches
- Spotted seatrout – 25 inches
- Swordfish – 60 inches
- Bluefin tuna – 112 inches
- White perch – 13 inches
- Blue crab – 8 inches
- Gar – 36.5 inches
- Red drum – 47 inches
- Blueline tilefish – 29 inches
- Striped bass – 42 inches
Cropper enjoys constantly learning something new through fishing. He added, “there are so many different types of fish to fish for in Maryland.”
He encourages other anglers interested in pursuing a Master Angler award to “keep going and fish as much as you can.
“You can’t catch them from the living room couch.”
Joshua Bernstein
Joshua Bernstein
Joshua Bernstein considers himself a seasonal angler; he fishes for different species and uses varied methods depending on the season. He enjoys freshwater fishing, ice fishing at Deep Creek Lake in the winter, fishing the Chesapeake Bay, and offshore fishing during the summer months.
Bernstein grew up trout fishing with his father and now regularly fishes with friends. One of his favorite adventures is fishing offshore on charter boats out of Ocean City, trolling for a variety of pelagic fish, this is how he scored FishMaryland species awards for white marlin and wahoo. He also enjoys jigging in the extreme offshore depths for blueline and golden tilefish, two of his other award catches.
Bernstein’s qualifying catches, in order, were:
- White marlin – 76 inches
- Wahoo – 78 inches
- Red drum – 50 inches
- Northern snakehead – 32.5 inches
- Striped bass – 42 inches
- Crappie – 16 inches
- Yellow perch – 14.14 inches
- Blueline tilefish – 28 inches
- Smallmouth bass – 20.14 inches
- Golden tilefish – 39 inches
Bernstein said the most memorable catch on his way to becoming a Master Angler was a 56-pound striped bass, and one of the most impressive places he has fished in is the upper Savage River for brook trout. His advice to others pursuing this award is to “keep fishing no matter what, the big fish will come.”
Alex Gaillardo Perez
Alex Gaillardo Perez
Alex Gaillardo Perez’s love of fishing has directed him to his career as a fishing manager at an Annapolis fishing tackle store, and he jokes that sometimes he thinks he might be working for free, since he is always purchasing new fishing tackle.
Perez grew up fishing with his dad and remembers catching his first fish at 5 years old. It was a bluegill sunfish at Lake Waterford.
At the age of 12, Perez’s father gave him a simple fly rod that sparked his interest in that style of fishing, which he continues to pursue to this day. Fly fishing with a small popper at a southern Dorchester backwater and catching small largemouth bass led to one of his most surprising, award-winning catches when a 30-inch Chesapeake channa (northern snakehead) crashed the small popper, and the fight was on.
Perez’s qualifying catches, in order, were:
- Northern snakehead – 32 inches
- Red drum – 43.5 inches
- Chain pickerel – 24 inches
- Striped bass – 44.5 inches
- Largemouth bass – 21.25 inches
- Smallmouth bass – 20.5 inches
- Hickory shad – 18.25 inches
- White catfish – 20.5 inches
- Yellow perch – 14 inches
- Sand tiger shark – 78 inches
Perez enjoys practising various types of fishing and learning new skills.
“I’m always pushing myself to do something different, a challenge,” said Perez. “I love trying to figure things out and putting the pieces of the puzzle together as a self-taught angler. I have enjoyed learning how to fish successfully for several fish species that have caught my interest.”
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