American fisheries and wildlife professionals are well trained in science-based problem solving, but their roles reach far beyond biology. They often serve at the public interface, responsible for explaining management decisions, presenting regulation changes, participating in events, and securing compliance from anglers and other stakeholders. For many citizens, agency biologists may be the only point of contact with state agencies, but many fisheries professionals have little to no formal training in communicating with anglers, especially black bass (e.g., largemouth, smallmouth, and Florida bass) anglers who are both highly knowledgeable and deeply passionate about this group of sportfish. This lack of communication training limits the ability of fisheries biologists to build trust, retain participation, and strengthen public support. The Beyond the Catch project addresses this need by providing long-term, research-based communication training tailored for fisheries professionals that work with the black bass angling community. The program is designed to strengthen how state fisheries biologists exchange information and build relationships with anglers, with the broader goal of supporting recruitment, retention, and reactivation of participants in recreational fishing. Two objectives guide the program. Objective 1 delivers a multi-stage communication training program for two cohorts of 30 agency personnel each. Monthly online sessions and regional in-person workshops will help participants build skills specific to working with black bass fisheries, including audience assessment, clear messaging, intentional listening, presentation delivery, interviews, and outreach products. The program’s emphasis on practice, feedback, and peer exchange will help participants develop lasting networks and communities of practice that extend their skills beyond the project. Objective 2 will bring together black bass anglers and agency participants for angler dialogue workshops to address concerns, clarify misunderstandings, and highlight shared values and goals. These workshops will create opportunities for participants to apply their communication training as they facilitate interactive sessions and will provide anglers a forum for sharing their perspectives. Participants will gain confidence through applied practice, while agencies gather insights into the agency–angler relationship. Black bass angler dialogue reports will capture the results and provide agencies with actionable next steps. Key deliverables include participant self-assessments, training workbooks, angler dialogue reports, regional communication reports, and a final summary report. These will document how skills were applied, highlight lessons learned, and provide recommendations for continued outreach. The project’s beneficiaries include state biologists, bass anglers, and the wider angling community. Biologists will gain lasting skills and peer support, bass anglers will benefit from clearer and more responsive engagement, and agencies will be better equipped to strengthen participation, advance conservation goals, and sustain recreational bass fishing for future generations. Beyond the Catch directly supports the statutory purpose of “Relevancy and Capacity Building” by addressing a critical skills gap. By investing in communication training, agencies will enhance their ability to connect with the public, build trust, and manage black bass fisheries in ways that are both effective and sustainable.