ST. PETERSBURG – Outdoor Writers Association of America is pleased to announce Andy Whitcomb of St. Petersburg was recognized as an award recipient during the 2020 OWAA Excellence in Craft Contests. This annual awards program recognizes and honors the best work of outdoor communicators who are members of OWAA.
For his writing abilities, Whitcomb took first- place in the world’s leading kayak fishing magazine, Kayak Angler. His humorous column has appeared in the back of Kayak Angler since 2016.
He also was awarded third-place, in the humor category of the magazine, for a piece which appeared in the 2019 Early Summer Edition of Kayak Angler. In “Head Games,” he tackles the perceived personalities of several fish species.
Originally from Oklahoma, Whitcomb is an avid angler and stressed out father of two, who currently enjoys chasing pike and smallmouth bass in Western Pennsylvania.
He has a bachelor’s degree in zoology from Oklahoma State University; experience as a fisheries research technician with OSU, Iowa State University, and Michigan State University; and has worked at fish hatcheries in Colorado and Iowa.
Additionally, his freelance writing has appeared in outdoor outlets including Bassmaster, Outdoor Oklahoma, Boating World, and espnoutdoors.com.
Since 2011, he has contributed over 400 blog posts for the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s website at http://www.takemefishing.org, sharing a unique perspective on all things related to fishing. Some of his work is archived on his website at www.justkeepreeling.com.