WEEKLY WALL OF FAME

Aug. 7, 2025

Welcome to this week's installment of the Weekly Wall of Fame! The Department has been getting so many submissions for the Weekly Fishing and Stocking Report that it's impossible to fit all of them in – but we wanted to give everyone who submits a photo a chance to show off their catch! From now on, the Weekly Fishing and Stocking Report will feature one photo from each region as that region's Catch of the Week. All other photos can be found here in the Weekly Wall of Fame, which will be updated each Thursday afternoon after the Fishing and Stocking Report is released. You'll be able to find the link on the Fishing and Stocking Report page on the Department's website. Please note that only submissions with photos included will be considered for inclusion in the Catch of the Week or Weekly Wall of Fame.

NORTHEAST

Cowles Ponds: David Lopez’s group, which included Brenda, Mila, Noah, Davey, Jessica and Bao, caught four fish using PowerBait on July 31.

Harris Pond: Joshua Luke Martinez caught this catfish using doughballs.

Pecos River: Jason Ethridge caught this trout using a black-and-yellow Panther Martin on Aug. 1. “Was on and off catching all day and decided to try a Panther Martin and BAM – caught this guy under Windy Bridge,” he said. “Biggest fish I’ve ever caught!” 

Also on the Pecos River, Tristan Benavidez caught a brown trout using worms on July 28.

NORTHWEST

Bluewater Lake: Jared Fishburn caught this catfish using a Rapala jointed minnow while targeting tiger muskie on Aug. 2.

Canjilon Lakes: Ray, of Albuquerque, caught this trout using a Rainbow Warrior fly on July 29.

Rio Chama: Chris Ortega caught this trout using a custom, hand-tied, size 10 Prince of Darkness black nymph fly on Aug. 3.

SOUTHWEST

Elephant Butte Lake: Zachary Nicklaus caught this 7½-pound largemouth bass using a baby bass rattle trap at 2:30 a.m. Aug. 4. The group also caught approximately 30 white bass using nightcrawlers and white grubs. 

Larry Flores caught a white bass using a red eye white spinner on July 31 at Elephant Butte Lake.

Josh Carlson (above right) had a successful day fishing for white bass using topwater lures on July 31 at Elephant Butte Lake. “We threw topwater lures whenever we saw groups of white bass boil on the surface,” he said. “It was very effective!”

SOUTHEAST

Bataan Lake: Art Arias caught two catfish using special-made bait on July 5.

Carlsbad Municipal Lake: Raelynn Rose caught her personal-best catfish using nightcrawlers while fishing with her Apa on Aug. 2.

Lake Van: Sylvester Hutcherson caught his personal-best catfish using chicken thighs and Kool-Aid on Aug. 2. “I had missed a couple big hits earlier in the evening and around 8 p.m., he started running,” he said. “I remembered to tighten my drag up and hook set, fish landed.”

Sumner Lake: An angler caught this 28½-inch carp.