8-year-old Georgia boy honored for catfish angling prowess

An 8-year-old Georgia angler has been honored by the state for catching two huge catfish in 2021.

Mason Ray Cheek, who landed a flathead catfish that measured 32-1/2 inches and a blue catfish that measured 27-1/2 inches, received Angler Award certificates for both catches.

On Friday the Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced that he was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 Georgia Angler Award Program.

"Is there anything better than seeing a kid smile because of fishing?" The DNR's Wildlife Resources Division asked on its Facebook account, in a post that shows Mason beaming while receiving his prizes.

Of course, as with fishing, a bit of luck is required to be named a Grand Prize Winner. 

Cheek was among 254 anglers who received Angler Awards in 2021, and his name was drawn from a “hat” to decide the champ.

–Images courtesy of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources