Master Angler 2011: It's good to brag about your catch

We are humble folks in Central Wisconsin. We don’t like to draw attention to ourselves in most of our pursuits.

Fishing is not a normal pursuit. Fishing brings out the braggart in all of us. Fishing turns us into trash talkers on the level of a professional wrestler.

Growing up in Wittenberg, it was a stop at the barber shop that might put you face-to-face with a snapshot of a monster musky. Maybe where you grew up it was the local grocery store or gas station. Or maybe wrinkled photos of big fish flew out of your favorite uncle’s jacket pocket at every family get-together. And maybe, this still happens to you today.

As manager of Wisconsinoutdoorfun.com, I’m happy to announce the start of something new online this week. Our Master Angler program will give fishermen and women in our area a chance to show off their catches.

Beginning today, I’d invite you to visit http://tinyurl.com/wofmasterangler to upload a photo of your walleye, trout, crappie, northern, bluegill, perch, musky, small mouth bass and large mouth bass taken this season and earn the title of Master Angler. We’ll keep track of who caught the largest fish and post that information in each Sunday’s edition and online at Wisconsinoutdoorfun.com. After you’ve sent in a photo, you are invited to stop by the offices of the Wausau Daily Herald, Marshfield News-Herald, Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune, Stevens Point Journal or M&J Marine and pick up your Master Angler window cling. You must be a resident of Adams, Clark, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Wood, Portage, Shawano, Taylor, Waupaca or Waushara county to participate. Fish caught on Lake Michigan by residents of these counties are welcomed, too.

If you’d rather e-mail your photos to me, that’s fine. Send them to botten@wisconsinoutdoorfun.com. Or if you are a Facebook user, post your photo and information on our Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/woffacebook.

Include your name, the size of the fish (length and/or weight), the date and time the fish was caught, the body of water and county it was caught with your submission. And let us know if the fish was kept or released.

So send in your photos. It’s ok to brag sometimes.