THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT

                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, June 13, 1994                    TAG: 9406130206 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C6    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR 
DATELINE: 940613                                 LENGTH: Long 

BLACK DRUM ACTION HAS BEEN TREMENDOUSLY HOT

{LEAD} Black drum action has been tremendously hot along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, and the second blue marlin of the season has been caught and released off Virginia Beach.

Catches also have included the season's first citation-winning bluefin tuna for a Virginia angler, the season's first Virginia amberjack, and, for freshwater anglers, another hot weekend of shellcracker action at Western Branch Reservoir in Suffolk. Here's a rundown of some recent catches:

{REST} Virginia Beach inshore: Spanish mackerel: Brian Patrick O'Keefe, Virginia Beach, 6 pounds, 8 ounces, caught at the Little Island Fishing Pier.

Virginia Beach offshore: Blue marlin release: E.T. Burdick, Grafton, Va., caught from the boat No Problem and estimated at between 700 and 800 pounds. luefin tuna: Shawn Pinto, Vienna, Va., 90-0, High Hopes. Wahoo: Austin Loree, Richmond, 38-8, Branch Office. Dolphin: Scott John, Norfolk, 29-15, no name on boat; Andrew Simms, Williamsburg, 23-0, Hindsight; Peyton Gregory, Virginia Beach, 23-0, High Hopes; and Troy Milligan, Virginia Beach, 21-0, Hi-Mel. Bluefish: William Harris, Virginia Beach, 16-10, no name. False albacore: Brian Docier, Reston, Va., 18-0, Nancy Sue. Amberjack release: Bart Pierce, Virginia Beach, and Matthew Pierce, Virginia Beach, both High Hopes.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel: Black drum releases: Craig Paige, Virginia Beach, and Paul Paige, Madison Heights, Mich., both from the Prowler; Joe Pitts, Norfolk, and Richard Rouse, Norfolk, both from the Theresa Kay; Robert Brunckhorst, Norfolk, and Greg Weber, Norfolk, both from the Boid; Joe Gwynn, Norfolk, Challenger; Norman Clark, Chesapeake, and Bryan Peele, Virginia Beach, both from the Chesapeake Lady; Don Aaron Myers, Virginia Beach, Lady Jane; Mark Campbell, Virginia Beach, Lil' Suzy; Vernon Wilson, Virginia Beach, and Justin Wilson, Virginia Beach, both from the Fish Tales; Larry Amerson, Virginia Beach, no name; Greg Scoles, Virginia Beach, Vickie III; Mark Evans, Virginia Beach, no name; Gene Hambrick, Chesapeake, Three Hairs; Jeffrey W. Thompson, Virginia Beach, Four Reel; Bill Kiley, Virginia Beach, Manatee; Jeff Smiley, Virginia Beach, and Frank Willson, Virginia Beach, both Tug-A-War; Than Green, Norfolk, Slow Boat to China; Dana Gibboney, Virginia Beach, Thalia Pointer; and David J. May, Virginia Beach, no name.

Black drum: Ellyson Robinson IV, Richmond, 82-8, Hokie; Todd Stitik, Virginia Beach, 77-8, no name; Larry Peele, Norfolk, 73-0, Chesapeake Lady; and Troy Reynolds, Suffolk, 70-8, no name. Tautog: Kellie Aldridge, Richmond, 9-8, Reel Love; and Rick Smith, Chesapeake, 9-8, Melody Lynn.

Eastern Shore bayside: Red drum release: Bill Hall, Bloxom, Va., and James C. Wright, Virginia Beach, both no name. Red drum: John Romann, Ashland, Va., 40-1, Free Spool. Black drum: Bob Trimbach, Williamstown, N.J., 72-8, Money Pit.

Eastern Shore seaside: Red drum releases: Bill Purnell, Ocean City, Md., and James Farlow, Ocean City, both caught from the surf. Tautog: Ed Babulski, Linden, N.J., 15-1, Daniel Clayton, Toms River, N.J., 12-0, and Robert Blums, Chalottesville, 9-8, all from the Canyon Lady; and Dave Harvey, Severna Park, Md., 10-13, Retriever.

Outer Banks inshore: Cobia: Bill Cockman, Greensboro, 52-12, caught at Avon Pier. Pompano: Richard Lombardi, Seaside Heights, N.J., 2-12, surf. Sea mullet: Ronald Walker, Chatham, Va., 1-13, surf; and Charlie Gray, Virginia Beach, 1-10, surf.

Outer Banks offshore: Blue marlin releases: Gary Beck, Virginia Beach, and Tom Witherspoon, Virginia Beach, both from the Outer Limits; Bryan Dehart, Manteo, Treasure Key; Tim Winter, Sandston, Va., and Gary Dean, Mebane, N.C., both from the Gulf Stream; Gerald Hitchings, Chesapeake, Hooker; Linn Dew, Hampton, and John Taylor, Fairfax, both from the Fin Fantasy; David Fluharty, Newport News, Barbara Ann; David Teague, Elizabeth City, Top Billing; and David Carter, Toano, Va., Sea Creature.

White marlin release: Adam Maurice, Virginia Beach, and Buck Maurice, Virginia Beach, both from the Reel Challenge; Vernon Walker, Mechanicsville, Va., Fin Fantasy; Michael Sharpe, Clayton, N.C., Gamble; Roger Baber, Crozet, Va., Sea Creature; Jerry Sweeney, Ashland, Va., Hatteraser; Brian Horsley, Kitty Hawk, and John Graham, Kitty Hawk; both from the Treasure Key; Tim Higginbotham, Richmond, No More Excuses; John Merrick, Richmond, no name; and Robert Stone, Springfield, Va., Temptress.

Sailfish releases: Charles Olah, Chesapeake, Hatteraser; Robbie Collie, Elizabeth City, and Albert Dibb, Elizabeth City, both from the Top Billing; and Mack Moyer, Charlottesville, Gulf Stream.

Bluefin tuna: William Scheffler, Springfield, Va., 115-0, Hooker; James Pinner, Manns Harbor, N.C., 105-0, Michael Hartman, Arlington, 91-0, Ronald Powers, Vinton, Va., 87-0, Oran Wise, Kitty Hawk, 86-0, and David Creef, Manteo, 84-0, all from the First Crack; Charles Kincaid, Cary, N.C., 105-0, Dream Girl; and Carl Davis, Mechanicsville, Va., 87-0, Candlewick Lady. Yellowfin tuna: Joe Grist, Newport News, 87-0, and Yuan-Shen Huang, Chapel Hill, N.C., 87-0, both from the Release; and Sam Dixon, Beaverdam, Va., 70-0, Hatteraser. Wahoo: Dennis Coffee, Culpeper, Va., 56-0, Foolish Pleasure; David Stokes, Matthews, N.C., 51-8, Phideaux; and Gene Freeman, Richmond, 41-0, Hatteraser.

Dolphin: Corey Vann, Virginia Beach, 45-0, David Fisher, Culpeper, Va., 36-0, and Richard Driscoll, Culpeper, 35-0, all Marlin Mania; Richard Beyette, Virginia Beach, 40-0, Good Times; Ramon Aviles, Chesapeake, 37-5, Chapin; Wanda Anderson, Colonial Heights, Va., 35-0, Bounty Hunter; and James Bartley, Kitty Hawk, 35-0, Connector.

Fresh water: Largemouth bass: Carl Yarner, Virginia Beach, 7-4, Lake Meade; and Phillip Rhoades, Virginia Beach, 6-8, Western Branch Reservoir. Pickerel: Rick Huryn, Norfolk, 4-15, Lake Cohoon; and Ken Papp, Norfolk, 4-8, Western Branch. Bream: Mel Atkins, Chesapeake, 1-4, Western Branch; and Don White, Virginia Beach, 1-0, Lake Prince.

Shellcracker: James D. Powers, Suffolk, 1-13, Lake Burnt Mills; Elizabeth Casey, Suffolk, 1-8, Western Branch; Anthony Norris, Chesapeake, 1-5, Lake Prince; Mike Jones, Portsmouth, 1-5, Western Branch; Frank Worrell, Suffolk, 1-4, Lake Prince; Tina Jones, Portsmouth, 1-4, Western Branch; Danny Sullivan, Virginia Beach, 1-3, Western Branch; Jerry Williams, Portsmouth, 1-3, Western Branch; Kevin Powell, Suffolk, 1-3, Western Branch; James Worrell, Suffolk, 1-2, Lake Prince; Al Perry, Chesapeake, 1-2, Lake Prince; Chris Goodwin, Virginia Beach, 1-2, Western Branch; Shane Kirkwood, Virginia Beach, 1-1, Lake Prince; and Linwood Pierce, Suffolk, 1-0, Lake Prince.

Channel catfish: Chris Napier, Virginia Beach, 12-15, Lake Whitehurst.

Tournaments: The team of Bill Fowler of Norfolk and Billy Phelps of Chesapeake won a largemouth bass team tournament Sunday out of Bob's Fishing Hole on the Northwest River with a catch weighing 8-1. Second went to Pete Kelley and Tommy Withrow of Chesapeake at 7-7. Charles Ruffin of Virginia Beach had the lunker at 2-9.

by CNB