24th Maryland Master Angler fishes from shore exclusively

Annapolis, Md. — Jesse Black is the 24th recipient of Maryland’s Master Angler milestone and the first to earn the award exclusively through shorefishing.

Black hooked all 10 of his award fish from shore in Garrett County using spinning reels. He enjoys the solitude and skills necessary to read the water in the native trout streams and rivers from the county where he was born.

He also regularly casts from the banks of Deep Creek Lake.

Black’s most memorable catch was a fish not included on his Master Angler list: a 47-inch muskellunge. He hauled in the fish while targeting catfish on the Potomac River.

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He first reeled in a sucker and decided to keep it on the hook and cast out. That is when the muskie hit. Black set the hook, expecting the fish to reel off some line, but it darted toward him, and the fight ended as quickly as it started.

Black initially learned how to fish during trips to the ocean with his dad, but is primarily self-taught in freshwater fishing.

In September 2024, he decided to attempt to reach the Master Angler milestone within one year, fishing only in Garrett County. As this September approached, Black was uncertain he would be able to achieve his goal and was considering traveling to the Chesapeake Bay for that final catch.

However, while targeting smallmouth bass in August, a surprise rock bass landed in his hands, and he met his goal.

Black’s qualifying catches, in order, were: largemouth bass, 21.5 inches; chain pickerel, 24 inches, yellow perch, 14 inches; rainbow trout, 20 inches; brook trout, 14 inches; walleye – 27 inches; bullhead catfish, 16 inches; carp, 38 inches; bluegill, 11 inches; and rock bass, 11 inches.