THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 7, 1994 TAG: 9411070136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
Normally, most big-game fishing is over along the coast of Virginia by the first weekend of November. But the past weekend proved once again that 1994 is not a normal year.
For one thing, the weekend produced one of the latest billfish catches recorded by a Virginia boat and probably the latest sailfish catch ever off Virginia.
The sail was released by George M. Dulka of Virginia Beach, fishing on the boat Cigar Runner. It was released about 5 miles southeast of the Cigar seamount.
The weekend also produced two other unusual November catches, a 136-pound bigeye tuna and a 63-pound wahoo, as well as excellent catches of yellowfin tuna, many between 35 and 50 pounds. The bigeye was boated by Mark Ballard of Norfolk, fishing on the Bandit, while Rick Banta of Virginia Beach had the wahoo on the boat Wahoo!.
Meanwhile, local anglers still have yet to report a citation-winning striped bass. Stripers were caught in numerous places, but none met the requirements of the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament. The contest requires boated stripers to weigh at least 40 pounds or released fish to measure at least 44 inches.
Several big speckled trout were boated at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a few big bluefish were caught over offshore wrecks, and several red drum were caught and released along Hatteras Island on the North Carolina Outer Banks.
A rundown of recent catches:
VIRGINIA BEACH INSHORE: Speckled trout: Bennett Strickland, Virginia Beach, 6 pounds, 4 ounces, no name on boat, caught at Rudee Inlet.
VIRGINIA BEACH OFFSHORE: Bluefish: Greg Peters, Chesapeake, 17-12, caught from the Straight Sixes; Charlotte Wright, Virginia Beach, 17-12, Jim Wright, Virginia Beach, 16-4, and E.K. Morrison, Virginia Beach, 16-0, all from the Therapy; and Michael Bankston, Newport News, 17-8, Four T's. Sea bass: Scott Besier, Virginia Beach, 5-4, Pop-N-I; Frank Negangard, Moseley, Va., 5-4, Edie; and Charles N. Jackson, Woodford, Va., 5-0, Beverly B.
CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL: Speckled trout: David M. Limroth, Norfolk, 5-8, Zone'N; William Dworske, Virginia Beach, 5-4, no name; Charles E. Singleton Jr., Gladys, Va., 5-0, Big Easy; and Ellyson S. Robinson IV, Richmond, 5-0, Hokie. Tautog: Edward Dulinsky, Portsmouth, 12-6, Illusion; Richard Ayres, Chesapeake, 11-8, no name; Gene Parker, Norfolk, 10-12, The Claw; John Myers, Norfolk, 10-12, no name; and Rick Coffren, Virginia Beach, 9-0, S.S. Neglect.
EASTERN SHORE: No major catches reported.
OUTER BANKS INSHORE: Speckled trout: Ronald Mattson, Wilmington, N.C., 5-4, caught from the surf; Cliff Neal, Kitty Hawk, 4-10, surf; Frank Kertesz, Brick Haven, N.J., 4-10, surf; Sonja Peace, Barco, N.C., 4-6, surf; and Greg Honeycutt, Kitty Hawk, 4-0, surf. Cobia: Mike Spicer, Virginia Beach, 40-0, surf. Sea mullet: Joanne Harris, Glen Allen, Va., 1-10, surf; and Gary Morris, Delmar, Del., 1-10, surf. Flounder: Milburn Pack, Avon, N.C., 7-5, surf.
Red drum releases: Randy Williams, Portsmouth, surf; Matthew Huband, Mechanicsville, Va., surf; Donald Baldwin, Marietta, Ga., surf; Bennett Wolf, Westminster, Md., surf; Terry Williams, Linden, N.C., surf; Robert Irby, Richmond, surf; Gary Morris, Delmar, Del., surf; Larry Lane, Ruther Glen, Va., surf; Christine Stoddart, Wanchese, N.C., surf; James Seibert, Wichita, Kan., surf; Greg Allen, Winterville, N.C., surf, Missie Bracher, Buxton, N.C., surf; Pat Bracher, Buxton, surf; and Arch Bracher, Nags Head, surf.
OUTER BANKS OFFHORE: Bigeye tuna: Ed Norvell, Elm City, N.C., 191-0, and Stewart Johnson, Williamston, N.C., 135-0, both from the Tar Heel; Kevin Shorter, Gladys, Va., 119-0, Smoker; Richard Bartlett, Grafton, Va., 119-0, no name; Theresa Hutchins, Manteo, 115-0, Temptation; and Michael Mehaffey, Williamsburg, 114-0, no name.
Barracuda: Roger Pinland, Portsmouth, 37-0, Getaway; and Bruce Ballance, Hatteras, 21-0, Roamer. Wahoo: Danny Modlin, Chesapeake, 52-0, Assurance; Terry Grove, Hampton, 48-0, Sea Witch; and Lee Weinstein, Virginia Beach, 42-0, Top Billin'. Sea bass: Jerry Ricks, Washington, N.C., 5-0, and Grover Hester, Greenville, N.C., 4-6, both from the Free Agent. King mackerel: Rick Ludwig, Chesterfield, Va., 42-0, and Donald Adams, Seaford, Va., 35-0, both from the Miss Hatteras; Robert Scoville, Asheville, N.C., 40-0, Wahoo; Jimmy Harman, Roanoke, 38-0, Good Times; Surasak Mel Hammock, Grandy, N.C., 35-5, Judy Ann; Ronnie Davis, Newton, N.C., 34-0, Sea Bear; and Gary Dunstan, Kitty Hawk, 31-0, no name. Spanish mackerel: Pam Franks, Danville, Va., 9-0, Hatteras Blue; Eddie Bass, Hatteras, 7-8, Eagle; and Thomas Crews, Blackstone, Va., 7-8, and Darrell Lott, Blackstone, Va., 7-8, both from the Hatteras Fever.
FRESH WATER: Blue catfish: Steve Green, Virginia Beach, 22-11, caught on the Chickahominy River. Walleye: Charles Phain, Virginia Beach, 6-13, Lake Whitehurst. Pickerel: Tommy Butler, Chesapeake, 5-8, Lake Cohoon. Striped bass: Richard Reese, Chesapeake, 16-8, Western Branch. Bream: Larry Wells, Virginia Beach, 1-12, Lake Prince. Shellcracker: Carl Coppersmith, Chesapeake, 1-1, Lake Prince. Rock bass: Robert Cox, Portsmouth, 1-0, Nottoway River. Largemouth bass: Joe Long III, Virginia Beach, 7-2, Lake Whitehurst; and David Fox, Virginia Beach, 6-14, Northwest River. by CNB