Diamond Jim the striped bass aka rockfish is on the loose in the Chesapeake Bay and he is worth $15,000.00, which is $10,000 from Boaters World and a $5000 diamond from Smyth Jewelers.  There are also 20 other fish that are tagged that are imposter Diamond Jim’s and they are worth a $500 gift certificate from Boaters World.  The real Diamond Jim is worth the prize money from Boaters World and the diamond from Smyth’s until the 30th of June then he turns into a imposter fish.  Then in the month of July another Diamond Jim will be released that will be worth $20,000.00.

And this is only the beginning of the challenge, also any angler who catches a citation sized fish and enters the fishing challenge will be entered into a grand prize drawing where you could win a 2008 Toyota Tundra 4X4, a boat and trailer package from Bass  Pro Shops and $5,000 in fishing gear from Bill’s Outdoor Center.  There are more than 60 some species of fish that are eligible to be entered for the grand prizes which include largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout, walleye, panfish in the freshwater areas of Maryland and rockfish (striped bass), bluefish, drum, sea trout, and perch in the Chesapeake Bay, and tuna, marlin, flounder, kingfish, and sea bass caught in the Maryland waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

So what are you waiting for whether your visiting Maryland or a local resident of the state of Maryland get out and do some fishing. You never know you could be the lucky angler to hook into a fish worth $15,000.00

For official rules and to see some of the 800 anglers who already have registered a citation sized fish for the chance to win a grand prize visit www.dnr.maryland.gov/fishingchallenge

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