Josh Dolin is no stranger to Kayak Angler readers. For years his adventure stories of fishing across America have entertained us. But his most recent fish story takes the cake.
In addition to hosting the Have Rods Will Travel YouTube channel and maintaining an active social media presence, Dolin spends his time chasing trophy fish in the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources angler recognition program. On an October 2024 fishing trip, Dolin was searching for his twenty-fifth trophy species citation, a mark only reached by two anglers in the program’s 60-year history.
Car Keys Lost, Trophy Fish Caught
Dolin was targeting bluegill, looking to catch an 11-inch fish to qualify for a release trophy award. “I’d been catching a ton of bluegill, but none of them were quite big enough,” Dolin remembers.
When Dolin reached the boat ramp, he realized he had lost his keys overboard. While he waited for his girlfriend to bring his spare keys, Dolin continued to fish. “When my girlfriend called me and said she was at the boat ramp, I said ‘Okay, let me make one more cast.’ And I caught that fish!”
At first, Dolin thought he had landed another short bluegill, but on closer inspection, he realized his catch was a 10 ¼-inch redbreast sunfish that qualified for trophy citation.
Dolin is only one of three anglers to catch 25 certified trophies and reach the program’s Master Angler V level. “It was super special,” he says.
The accomplishment is the culmination of almost two decades of effort. “I work all week and leave every Friday to target another trophy species,” Dolin says. He often travels great distances and camps in his car between fishing trips. “I achieved Level V on a budget with time constraints,” Dolin points out.
Of his 25 citation species, he caught 16 species from a kayak, seven on foot, and only two from a boat. He recorded a Virginia state record fallfish in 2022, though the record was broken in 2024. As for his next goal, Dolin hopes to be the first angler to reach Level VI.
El Maestro and his 25th trophy catch. | Feature photo: Josh Dolin
