Ben Halfpap Becomes First to Catch All Three Invasive Species
Ben Halfpap from Monkton, Baltimore County, has been honored with the Master Angler Milestone Award by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources’ FishMaryland program. This award celebrates recreational anglers who catch ten trophy-sized fish of different species in Maryland. Halfpap is the 12th angler to achieve this status since the program’s inception in 2019.
Halfpap fishes in both tidal and non-tidal waters across Maryland, targeting species such as invasive blue and flathead catfish, Chesapeake Channa (Northern snakehead) in the lower Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers, striped bass in the lower Patapsco River and Baltimore harbor, and land-based shark fishing on ocean beaches. Notably, he is the first Master Angler to catch all three of Maryland’s invasive fish species at trophy size.
“I’ve been fishing since I was five, but I got serious about it in 2020,” Halfpap shared.
The FishMaryland program features dozens of species from both salt and freshwater. Halfpap submitted entries for all ten catches and received individual certificates for each. His tenth qualifying catch, a sand tiger shark, was caught and released on a Maryland ocean beach. He received his Master Angler certificate on July 12, 2024, just before his 21st birthday on July 31.
Halfpap’s Qualifying Catches:
- Chesapeake Channa (Northern snakehead) – 32 inches
- Blue catfish – 42 inches
- Flathead catfish – 41 inches
- Channel catfish – 30 inches
- White perch – 13 inches
- White catfish – 21 inches
- Striped bass – 45 inches
- Hickory shad – 18.25 inches
- Carp – 30 inches
- Sand tiger shark – 84 inches
“I always speak highly of the FishMaryland program. It taught me a lot about fishing for various species in Maryland’s waters, including carp in tidal rivers, which was new to me,” Halfpap said. “I’ve always been a multispecies angler, but working towards the Master Angler milestone expanded my target species even further.”
FishMaryland is a recreational fishing award program that encourages year-round fishing and offers affordable, accessible, diverse, and high-quality fishing opportunities. More information about the Master Angler Milestone Award and the FishMaryland program can be found on their website.