01/16/2026
Protecting Today’s Trophy Fish for Tomorrow — Thank You, Release Over 20
The Winter Classic is proud to stand alongside organizations that are shaping the future of our fisheries through education, stewardship, and action. One of those organizations is Release Over 20.
If you talk to anglers who’ve been on the water for decades, they’ll tell you stories of incredible abundance — a time when fish seemed endless and limits were unnecessary. Today, with the benefit of science, data, and hindsight, we know that kind of harvest is simply not sustainable in a modern fishery. Release Over 20 was created to address that reality head-on.
The philosophy is simple but powerful: protect large, trophy fish so they can continue to spawn, pass along strong genetics, and help rebuild abundance. For most species, those big fish are females — survivors that have endured angling pressure, predation, environmental stress, and time. Releasing them isn’t just conservation-minded; it’s an investment in the future of the fishery.
Release Over 20 also recognizes the growing challenges facing today’s fisheries. More anglers, improving technology, widespread access to fishing information, habitat loss, and increasing pollution all add pressure to the resource. Regulations alone can’t keep pace, which is why the organization encourages anglers to take personal responsibility by creating and following their own upper slot and bag limits — and by sharing why those choices matter.
This year, Release Over 20 is further supporting that mission at the Winter Classic by sweetening both the Saturday and Sunday Heavy Bag prizes, adding RO20 logo items as a reward for anglers who put together big bags while still practicing conservation-first principles.
The Winter Classic is proud to support and promote this message. Efforts like Release Over 20 help ensure that today’s trophy fish are still swimming — and spawning — for future generations of anglers.
Thank you to Release Over 20 for your leadership, your advocacy, and your commitment to protecting our fisheries for years to come. 💙🎣