DATE: Monday, May 12, 1997                  TAG: 9705120160

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR 

                                            LENGTH:   74 lines

WEEKEND FISHING

The charter boat Hunter, skippered by Walt Spruill, won the Hatteras Village Offshore Open, the season's first billfish tournament on the Mid-Atlantic, by releasing two blue marlin.

Second went to another Hatteras charter craft, the Tuna Duck, skippered by Jerry Shepherd, for releasing a blue and a sailfish.

The Sea Creature, also a Hatteras-based charter boat, was third with one blue marlin release. The boat is skippered by Steve Coulter.

Mark Owens of Virginia Beach, fishing on the Miss Edie III, won the wahoo division with a 50.1-pound catch.

The tuna award went to Bill Hudgins of Matthews, Va., with a 54.6-pound catch on the Reel Affair.

Headquartered at Teach's Lair Marina, the contest was the opening event in the Governor's Cup series. It drew 41 boats.

Elsewhere, Joe Palmer of Virginia Beach earned two citation awards from the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament. Fishing at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, he released a 44-inch striped bass and boated a 10-pound tautog. The trip also produced a 44-inch striper release for Andrew Spiess of Virginia Beach. They were on an unnamed boat.

Kevin Cooper of Virginia Beach weighed in the first big rockfish of Virginia's ``trophy striper''season. It weighed 41 pounds, 1 ounce, and was caught at the bridge-tunnel on the White Dog.

Anthony Ingram of Sandston, Va., registered the year's first citation-winning gray trout in the Virginia Tournament. Boated at the bridge-tunnel, it weighed 9-0.

On the freshwater scene, Harold Gore of Como, N.C., earned four citation awards from the Virginia Fresh Water Fishing Program for big shellcracker caught at Western Branch Reservoir. They measured between 11 and 12 1/2 inches.

The Suffolk lake produced three 'cracker awards for Chris Timchak of Portsmouth. His fish weighed between 1-4 and 1-7.

Other recent catches:

VIRGINIA BEACH INSHORE: No outstanding catches reported.

VIRGINIA BEACH OFFSHORE: No outstanding catches reported.

LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY: Red drum releases: William R. Burgey, Virginia Beach, caught from the boat Starship; and James Kelley, Chesapeake, no name on boat.

EASTERN SHORE: Black drum release: Ralph Henderberg, Richmond, Buccaneer, caught off Cape Charles. Red drum release: James Jernigan, Cape Charles, Channel Digger, Cape Charles. Tautog: E.K. Morrison, Virginia Beach, 9-0, Therapy, Cape Charles.

OUTER BANKS INSHORE: Red drum releases John Smith (2), Chesapeake, caught from the surf; Mike Williams, Denver, N.C., surf; Ken Cooper, Matthews, N.C., surf; Steve Hissey, Hatteras, N.C., surf; Darren Callahan, Hatteras, surf; Wayne White, Fredericksburg, Va., surf; Jay Vincent, Kannapolis, N.C., surf; John Barnhardt, Concord, N.C., surf; Elizabeth Barnhardt, Kannapolis, surf; and Terry Gray, Doswell, Va., surf. Red drum: Johnny Willis, Frisco, N.C., 45-0, no name on boat.

OUTER BANKS OFFSHORE: Wahoo: John Harrison, Roanoke, 62-0, Fin Fantasy; Michael Ray Vaughan, Va. Beach, 45-0, Release; and Scott Milligan, Sterling, Va., 45-0, Chapin. Yellowfin tuna: Winston Turner, Harrisonburg, Va., 88-0, Fast Lane; Donald Main, Christiansburg, Va., 79-0, and Rodney Hurst, Charlottesville, 75-0, from the Jo-Boy; Anthony Paice, Boyce, Va., 78-0, and Dale Dillon, The Plains, Va., 71-0, both from the Fight-N-Lady; and Michael Haley, Scottsville, Va., 75-0, Bounty Hunter.

FRESHWATER: Striped bass: Tony Evans, Suffolk, 20-4, caught at Lake Meade. Largemouth bass: Steve Beagle, Virginia Beach, 23 1/8 inches, caught at Lake Smith. Chain pickerel: George Rowe, Windsor, 4-2, Lake Prince. Crappie: Chris Resurrection, Portsmouth, 16 inches, Prince. Channel catfish: Paul Ribniscky, Norfolk, 16-12, Lake Smith; and Bill Urquart, Virginia Beach, 14-8, West Neck Creek. Yellow perch: George Rowe, Windsor, Va., 13 1/4 inches, Prince. Bream: Charlie Clendenon, Suffolk, 1-8, Meade. Shellcracker: Mike Jones, Portsmouth, 1-7, Western Branch; Husky Drake, Chesapeake, 1-6, Western Branch; David Rodgers, Virginia Beach, 1-4, Western Branch; Joe Miltier, Portsmouth, 1-4, Western Branch; Phil Konrad, Suffolk, 1-3, Prince; Brandi Curry, Portsmouth, 1-2, Western Branch; Daniel Larson, Chesapeake, 1-2, Western Branch; and Tom Ballweg, Norfolk, 1-0, Western Branch.

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