For Release: June 16, 2022
Contact: Andy Malinoski
CHARLESTON, W.VA. — The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources announced today that 34 lucky anglers have been selected as prize winners as part of this year’s West Virginia Gold Rush giveaway.
This year marked Gold Rush’s 5th anniversary. In commemoration of this milestone, the WVDNR and Gov. Jim Justice announced that Gold Rush would be bigger and better than ever.
The WVDNR stocked 50,000 golden rainbow trout in a record number of lakes and streams around the state to give anglers from across the country a chance to reel in this prized catch. The Governor announced that any anglers who caught one of these trout would be eligible to receive a special coin commemorating Gold Rush’s 5th anniversary. Out of the stocked fish, 100 had a numbered tag that could be entered to win a major prize.
“Governor Justice always pushes us to go further and make this program better every year. We’ve never had a Governor who has been so personally committed to maximizing what we’re doing to make West Virginia’s great outdoors even greater, and that’s exactly what we’re doing with our Gold Rush program,” said WVDNR Director Brett McMillion. “Gold Rush was a huge success this year and it’s just one of the ways we’re making fishing in West Virginia something that people from all over the world want to be part of.
“I want to congratulate our lucky winners and thank the thousands of anglers who participated this year.”
Out of the 34 giveaway winners, five anglers won a West Virginia lifetime fishing license, 10 won a state park cabin stay, 10 won a West Virginia State Parks gift card and nine won a WVDNR gift bag. A complete list of winners is provided below:
Lifetime Fishing License Winners
- Camel Garvin Jr. – Vienna, WV
- Austin Holtzaphel – Stanaford, WV
- David Manley – Chapmanville, WV
- Timothy Moore – Meadow Bridge, WV
- Dekota Yeager – Jane Lew, WV
Cabin Stay Winners
- Dennis Arthur – Poca, WV
- Brett Boyce – Philippi, WV
- Steve Burnett – Crawley, WV
- Mark Graley – Ashford, WV
- Amy Hunt – Weston, WV
- Ethan Kile – Upper Tract, WV
- Michael Kramer – Valley Head, WV
- Brian Malson – Tunnelton, WV
- Brad Rockwell – Martinsburg, WV
- James Stevens – Berkeley Springs, WV
West Virginia State Parks Gift Card Winners
- Larry Burgess – Ravencliff, WV
- Jordan Davis – Inwood, WV
- Clyde Green – Renick, WV
- Ronnie Gullett – Welch, WV
- Howard Gwynn – Fairmont, WV
- Colton Hottinger – Singers Glen, VA
- Zachary Martin – Cumberland, MD
- David Simmons – Morgantown, WV
- Kevin Stevens – Colliers, WV
- Sam Williams – Glen Dale, WV
WVDNR Gift Bag Winners
- James Anderson – Mount Clare, WV
- Melissa Ayers – Morgantown, WV
- Cindy Corwell – Ridgeley, WV
- Maddox Dennison – Walkersville, WV
- Alyssa Lowery – War, WV
- Jacob Madison – Mineral Point, PA
- Woodrow Snyder – Clendenin, WV
- Ben Thompson – Moorefield, WV
- Brock Zirkle – Keyser, WV