BALTIMORE, MD—A Middle River man has become the latest angler to win a prestigious award from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

Zeljko Koretic has earned a Master Angler Milestone Award under the Maryland DNR’s FishMaryland program.

The award recognizes recreational anglers who catch ten different species of fish in Maryland at trophy-size length. Koretic is the seventh Master Angler since the program began in 2019.

The FishMaryland program covers dozens of species from both salt and freshwater. All ten catches that earned Koretc the Master Angler award are listed below and on individual certificates sent to the angler. DNR will present the Master Angler award certificate and a gift card prize at Bass Pro Shops in Arundel Mills. Koretic caught his tenth FishMaryland eligible fish, a 15.5-inch crappie, while on a carp fishing trip on the Gunpowder River on March 8, 2024.

“I was playing with an ultralight rod and a jig under a float off the side of the boat,” said Koretic. “I got a few bites including one channel catfish and five crappie ranging from 12 to 15.5 inches, and I also got about a dozen carp between 24-28 inches— a fun solo adventure!”

Koretic’s qualifying catches were:

• Red drum, 43 inches
• Northern snakehead, 34.5 inches
• Striped bass, 49 inches
• Cobia, 48 inches
• Channel catfish, 30.5 inches
• Summer flounder, 24 inches
• Largemouth bass, 21.5 inches
• Yellow perch, 14.25 inches
• Blue catfish. 41.5 inches
• Black crappie, 15.5 inches

Koretic, also known as “Zee,” has been passionate about fishing since he was a child. He started fishing in the Washington, D.C. area in 1998 and around Baltimore, including Loch Raven, in more recent years. He fishes for many different species and enjoys everything from fly fishing in freshwater to deep sea fishing.

FishMaryland is Maryland’s recreational fishing award program and is a fun way to explore year-round recreational fishing and enjoy affordable, accessible, diverse, and high-quality fishing opportunities. More information on the Master Angler Milestone Award and the FishMaryland program is available on the DNR website.

PHOTO: Zeljko “Zee” Koretic holds up a summer flounder he caught in August 2023, one of the ten species that count toward his Master Angler status. Photo courtesy of Zeljko Koretic & Maryland DNR.