THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507090068
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB HUTCHINSON
LENGTH: Long : 120 lines
A new feature, the Angler of the Week, is being launched today by The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star. We think it's going to be a great catch.
Each Sunday during the fishing season we'll select someone for the honor.
It may not be the person with the biggest fish, and it certainly will not be the angler with the most. Instead, we'll look for something a little out of the ordinary. Like this week's inaugural recognition of Gayle Edwards of Suffolk.
Fishing at Western Branch Reservoir in Suffolk recently, she boated fish from three separate species that earned citation awards from the Virginia Fresh Water Fishing Program. The awards are available from the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.
Edwards had a 22 1/2-inch largemouth bass, a 12 1/2-inch yellow perch and a 1-pound, 4-ounce shellcracker. She caught them all on the same day, while bouncing worms along the bottom for shellcracker.
Next week's winner may be someone who caught a 200-pound bluefin tuna off Chincoteague on his first trip into the ocean. Or it may be a 12-year-old who secretly used her grandfather's prized antique reel to best a 3-pound flounder off Ocean View.
If you have someone you would like to nominate (even yourself), please call 446-2342 and leave a message. We'll listen to them all before making a decision.
Our requirements are simple:
The person must reside in the newspapers' circulation area, which stretches from Chincoteague to Ocracoke, and west to Williamsburg.
You must furnish us with a clear, recent, head-and-shoulders picture of the nominee, or the nominee must be willing to have a photo taken at one of our regional offices.
You must furnish us with enough information - including your name and telephone number and that of the nominee - to produce the feature.
You must tell us why you think the nominee deserves the award. Be brief, but don't omit details.
The information must be accurate. We don't deal in fish stories.
And, by the way, if you run across Gayle Edwards, congratulate her. Hopefully, she will always be remembered as the first to receive the honor.
COBIA CAPERS: Maybe there have been better years for catching cobia in Virginia, but if so, it was before 1958. That was the year the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament started keeping records of big cobia registered for citation awards.
Since then, the best years have been 1962 and 1963. Some 300 cobia of 45 pounds or more were registered with the state-sponsored contest both years.
But those records are almost certain to fall this summer. Anglers already have weighed and registered 260 cobia for tournament awards. Another 70 have been measured and released, also earning awards. The minimum for release citations is 48 inches.
That's a total of 330. However, release awards were not available for cobia in the contest's early years, so it's only fair to limit comparisons to weighed-in fish.
Claude Bain, director of the contest, is certain the 300-fish mark will be toppled.
``The cobia season is probably only a little more than half over,'' he said, ``so I certainly don't think there's going to be a problem with getting 31 more `weight' citations. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see the total top 400. I think that's entirely possible.''
Bain said that when future anglers talk about the ``good old days of cobia fishing, 1995 is going to be a year they mention. Maybe the year.''
FULL HOUSE: For the first time, sponsors of the largest sailboat race in Hampton Roads have had to put some would-be racers on a waiting list.
When the Cock Island Race attracted a record 300 boats to last year's starting line, Coast Guard officials recommended limiting future fields to the same number.
The agency was concerned about safety, since the competing boats have to jockey for position on the river with tugs, barges, commercial ships, Navy ships and other commercial and recreational traffic, according to Sandy Craig, spokesperson for Ports Events, which presents the race.
``This is the first time we've had to limit the field,'' Craig said. ``We reached our limit Thursday morning and the race isn't until July 15. So now we have a waiting list.''
The race will feature 10 classes, with trophies to the top five in each class as well as to the overall winner. The starting line is off the Portsmouth Seawall, with the first class off at 9:30 a.m.
SUPER SEPTEMBER: September could be a busy month for Hampton Roads anglers.
The Hampton Roads Sportfishing Council has announced a series of nine tournaments during the month, including an inaugural surf-fishing contest expected to bring 50 four-person teams to the shore.
The schedule, participating clubs and marinas and the contacts:
Sept. 1-4, Virginia Beach Marlin Tournament, Cape Henry Billfish Club and Virginia Bluewater Gamefish Association, Virginia Beach, Ray Mangos, 481-2217.
Sept. 1-Oct. 1, youth tournament, Norfolk, contact to be announced.
Sept. 1-4, speckled trout tournament, Cobbs Marina, Norfolk, Tidewater Anglers Club, contact to be announced.
Sept. 9-10, Salt Ponds Open, Salt Ponds Marina, Hampton, Bob Starr, 850-4300.
Sept. 16-24, flounder tournament, Cobbs Marina, Norfolk, Nancy Cobb, 588-5401.
Sept. 16-17, tuna tournament, Fisherman's Wharf Marina, Virginia Beach, Charlie Hays, 428-2111.
Sept. 22-24, Marina Shores Open, Virginia Beach, Rusty Malbon, 496-7000.
Sept. 20-23 , surf-fishing tournament, Virginia Beach, Dr. Jim Wright, 481-1226.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1, amberjack-cobia tournament, Fisherman's Wharf Marina, Virginia Beach, Dr. Jim Wight, 481-1226.
SHORT CASTS: Freda Bland of Smithfield has earned the year's first citation for a big croaker registered with the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament. Pulled from the James River, the fish weighed 3 pounds, 10 ounces. . . . Jack Zimmerman of Chesapeake has earned a citation from the North Carolina Fishing Tournament with a 51 1/4-pound dolphin, caught off Oregon Inlet on the Smoker. 73-0 cobia. . . . The Grady-White Owners Tournament is set for July 22-23, with headquarters at the Marina at Marina Shores at Lynnhaven. It's sponsored by Norfolk Marine and Beach Marine. Details: Kevin Duffan, 461-3391. . . . Robert Markland of Norfolk, chief of law enforcement for the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, has delayed his announced retirement until later this year at the request of VMRC commissioner William A. Pruitt. ``I asked him to stay,'' Pruitt said, ``because we have some complex changes under way and we need him for a few more months.'' by CNB