The World Fishing Network is searching for the nation’s Ultimate Fishing Town and Suffolk is in the running with hundreds of locales around the United States.

Voting will open on wfnfishingtown.com on April 12 and should Suffolk go all the way through two rounds of voting for the Ultimate Fishing Town USA, prizes of a $25,000 donation for fishing-related projects and an episode of a WFN-TV show about Suffolk await.

Citing Suffolk’s many rivers and lakes, along with proximity to everything the Chesapeake Bay has to offer, Suffolk resident Troy Jean nominated his city. Suffolk is one of five Virginia entries, along with Moneta, Fauquier, Glen Allen and Richmond.

The first round of voting will narrow the field down to 20 towns for the championship round of voting.

WFN hosted the Canada’s Ultimate Fishing Town last year and Port Alberni, British Columbia, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, won the grand prize.

Local anglers who want to add information, photos or videos to Suffolk’s nomination can go onto the WFN site and do so until April 8.

In Port Alberni, the $25,000 prize went to repairing the MacLean Mill Fish Ladder and improving tourist attractions in the huge salmon, trout and bass fishing area.