Young angler is receiving the Fleming Species Award after reeling in catches that set multiple state and world records
An adventure-loving tween from Miami landed two state records and three world records (with one pending) while fishing off the Florida Keys earlier this year — reeling in sizable cobia, a snapper and a grouper that any fisherman would be proud to catch.
This weekend, Julia Bernstein, age 12, will accept the Fleming Species Award, the highest junior honor, from the International Women’s Fishing Association for catching and releasing 37 different species of fish in 2023.
"Once she is hooked up to a fish, she is very determined and has incredible willpower," Dale Bittner, fishing guide and boat captain of the 27-foot conch boat, "Bait Stealer," told Fox News Digital.
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"She is very coachable and doesn’t show a lot of emotion high or low. Julia is very quiet and respectful," Bittner said.
That’s just how the tween snagged the Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) state records for cobia and mangrove snapper as well as the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) junior length records for red grouper, red snapper and cobia on Jan. 5.
Guided by Captain Dale Bittner, 12-year-old Julia Bernstein hooks a 24-inch red grouper, which is an IGFA junior length record. (Heidi Mason)
The cobia is still pending certification, but is expected to be approved.
"We went out with a plan," the young woman told Fox News Digital.
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"When fishing for records, it's important to have a strategy for the day. We were lucky we were able to get the red snapper on the first drop."
Twelve-year-old angler Julia Bernstein of Miami, Florida, fights for the IGFA red snapper record on Jan. 5 off the coast of the Florida Keys. "We went out with a plan," she told Fox News Digital. (Heidi Mason)
It was a sunny day with light winds, said Bittner, who has been fishing with the girl and her family since she was just 10. She targeted the red snapper in 240 feet of water.
"We were on a roll," young Julia Bernstein said.
After photographing and measuring it, she released the snapper and moved onto her next conquest: cobia.
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"We arrived at a perfect time as they were on the surface and visible above a shipwreck," she said.
Measuring 25 inches, the red snapper Bernstein caught on Jan. 5 earned her an IGFA junior world record. (Heidi Mason)
"The action was fast, and between the barracudas and cobia, we hooked and released several fish before she landed the qualifying record for IGFA junior release," said Bittner.
The young angler said she was not in a rush — and on a mission.
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"We stayed longer with the cobia because we knew we could catch both a world record and a state record, and they are one of my favorite species to catch," young Bernstein said.
By the end of the day, she nabbed her share of record-setting fish — and was appreciative of doing so.
"It's an incredible sport. You can do it all over the world, and it's something I can have fun with my whole life."
— Julia Bernstein
"I would have called it a great day if we had caught even one or two records," she said, "but to pick up four in one day was a very special experience."
Catching a record fish, Julia Bernstein said, takes a lot of determination and the ability to power through obstacles.
"We try to take advantage of every opportunity we have, but sometimes a shark will eat a fish that you are fighting or it will break off in a wreck," she said.
"Things don't always go to plan with fishing — lines break, fish don't cooperate, weather plays a part from the first drop. But we never give up."
She comes by that attitude naturally — as her mom, Dr. Heidi Mason, is a lifelong fisherwoman and has four IGFA records herself.
Seasoned fishing guide Dale Bittner celebrates with Julia Bernstein after the girl reeled in a state-record cobia off the coast of Key West. (Heidi Mason)
"It was something that I loved and treasured as a kid and found it very formative," Mason, a Miami-based physician, told Fox News Digital.
"It was a lot of fun as a young lady going out and beating the boys. I had a blast with it."
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Mason said she’s enjoyed watching her daughter learn and grow out on the water.
"She is very focused and very determined," Mason said.
After it was measured and recorded, Julia Bernstein released her IGFA junior-record cobia back into the ocean and it swam away. (Heidi Mason)
"She's very teachable. When she sets her mind to something, she says, ‘Hey, I want to do this.' Maybe the first time she hooks up with a fish, it might not necessarily be the biggest, or she might make a mistake and lose it," Mason said.
"But she will take feedback and [say], ‘OK, this is what I need to do differently.' She'll keep working at it."
Character-building opportunities through fishing, Mason said, are plentiful.
"With fishing, we honestly don't get all that many days to go out," Mason said.
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"When we do, the days are our 12-hour days. We're out on the water, and it's very physically demanding," she added.
"She [her daughter] has to work hard and fight for it the entire time. She's not whining or complaining. She’s always putting in her full effort."
Julia Bernstein’s mom, Dr. Heidi Mason, is a seasoned fisherman herself, hooking this African pompano on a recent trip. (Heidi Mason)
With all the work, there’s still time to take in nature’s beauty.
"There are the most magical, incredible sights to be seen," Mason said.
"These magical moments where you stop and look at the amazing, beautiful world and the ocean around you — it really makes you appreciate everything that we have," she said. She also said she hopes people "realize the importance of conservation."
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All of Julia Bernstein's world-record catches have been released, per IGFA rules.
"It's amazing to catch and release a fish and watch it swim away, knowing it's going to keep growing, and hopefully someone else will get to have the same fun I had when I caught it."
— Julia Bernstein
"It’s teaching the kids, from a very young age, the importance of this amazing resource," Mason said. "We have these incredible sites and animals, but we have to take care of them."
Julia Bernstein is on board with the conservation concept.
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"It's amazing to catch and release a fish and watch it swim away, knowing it's going to keep growing," she said, adding that she hopes "someone else will get to have the same fun I had when I caught it."
A straight-A student, Bernstein is also an accomplished sailor.
Also an accomplished sailor, Bernstein was chosen last week to be on the U.S. team for a regatta in the Netherlands. Team USA won the regatta, and she was fifth in her fleet. (Heidi Mason)
Recently, she was chosen to be on the U.S. team for a regatta in the Netherlands.
Team USA won the regatta last week, and Bernstein was fifth in her fleet.
The girl and her mom said they hope their fish stories inspire other girls and women to try the sport.
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"I would love for more girls and women to be out there doing it," Mason said.
"It's amazing to catch and release a fish and watch it swim away, knowing it's going to keep growing."
— Julia Bernstein
"It's an amazing family activity. Some people think of fishing as a solitary sport, where you sit at the end of the dock. But if you're doing it at this level, it's very much a team sport."
Fishing also levels the playing field, young Bernstein said.
"I think it's cool that boys and girls compete against one another for junior records," she said.
"A lot of times it comes down to finesse and strategy, particularly if you fish with lighter line. It's not just brute strength, so it's something that we can compete in as equals."
Bernstein will be accepting the Fleming Species Award from the International Women’s Fishing Association for catching and releasing 37 different species of fish in 2023. (Heidi Mason)
Bernstein said that whether she’s fishing offshore out of Key West, in the Everglades or in the Florida flats, she’s in it for the long haul.
"It's an incredible sport," she said.
"You can do it all over the world, and it's something I can have fun with my whole life."
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Gretchen Eichenberg is a contributing reporter for Fox News Digital.
