THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509100212
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C15 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB HUTCHINSON
LENGTH: Long : 120 lines
An in-the-water boat show will return to Norfolk's Waterside Marina this month after a two-year absence.
Director Tim Jones of Suffolk expects the Virginia In-Water Power and Sail Expo to attract at least 175 boats to the downtown waterfront from Sept. 29 through Oct. 1.
Jones, the retired harborfront manager for the city of Norfolk, has staged the Bass Expo fishing show at Hampton Coliseum for the past three years. This year, that show will be expanded to include saltwater fishing.
Jones said he expects the Waterside show to become one of the major in-the-water shows on the East Coast.
``We're taking an entirely different approach,'' he said. ``We're shooting for a yacht-club atmosphere, with music, entertainment and some special features.
``We did a lot of research before launching this thing and one thing we found was that, with the improvement in boating economics in the past couple of years, there's a lot of interest resurfacing among marine dealers. Plus, the city's Festevents department is handling the production, and that's a key factor. They do a great job with everything they get involved in.''
In addition to power and sail vessels up to 55 feet displayed in and out of the water, several exhibitors will be displaying their wares and services in a huge tent next to Waterside.
Hours will be 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 29 and 30, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 1. Admission will be $5 for adults and $2 for those age 10 and under.
TOP EXCUSES: People can get creative when they have to, such as when they're late making it home from an outing on the fishing grounds. Here are my ``Top 10 Excuses for Getting Home Late from a Fishing Trip'':
10. We had to wait for the tide to rise so we could get across the sand bar that was blocking the ramp.
9. The battery on the boat engine went dead and we had to wait for someone with jumper cables.
8. We didn't start catching fish until it was time to come home. We were just going to stay a few minutes more. . . .
7. The wind was blowing too hard to get back across the bay, so we had to wait till it calmed down.
6. We were waiting for the tide to start running so the fish would bite, and it was three hours behind schedule.
5. We were two hours late getting started because we couldn't find any fresh bait. So we stayed to make up for it.
4. My lure got hung up in a tree branch and I had a heckuva time getting it out.
3. There were some other fellows having trouble with their engine and we didn't want to leave them until we knew they were safe.
2. We had to run farther than usual to find fish and by the time we got there, it was almost time to start home.
And . . . No. 1: We stopped for one beer and had trouble getting the car started again.
If you have some others, send them in. We may do this again soon.
ONE PAYOFF: Virginia anglers didn't fare very well in the recent $273,200 Bassmaster Tournament at Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota.
Only one Virginian finished in the money in the contest, won by Jim Bitter of Fruitland Park, Fla., who caught 73 pounds, 9 ounces of bass and won $46,000. That was Wesley E. Hood of Woodbridge, who won $600 for finishing 12th in the amateur division with a catch totaling 30-0. Michael Gish Sr. of Norfolk was 85th in the division with 10 pounds, 15 ounces.
In the professional division, Woo Daves of Spring Grove was the top Virginian, tying for 41st at 41-4. Dave Dudley of Lynchburg was 45th at 40-14; Rick Morris of Virginia Beach was 78th at 33-13.
CASTING CONTEST: Members of the Hampton Roads Bassmasters, a BASS affiliate in Newport News, will host a free casting contest and clinic for kids.
The event is part of BASS' CastingKids program. It'll run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Kmart on Oriental Avenue in Newport News. It'll be open to all kids.
Club members will furnish tackle and will offer casting tips, with contestants allowed practice time before the competition begins.
MORE CONTESTS: More fishing tournaments have been announced:
The annual Hatteras Village Team Surf Fishing Tournament is set for Wednesday through Friday at Hatteras, on the North Carolina Outer Banks.
The fifth annual Chesapeake Bay Challenge will be held Saturday out of the Onancock town dock by the Eastern Shore chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association and the Eastern Shore Anglers Club. The contest will offer cash awards for first and second places in adult and junior divisions, with eight eligible species. For details, call Jack Adams at (804) 787-7206 or Jimmy Young at (804) 787-4089.
The Marina Shores Open, benefiting the Big Brother/Big Sister program, will be held Sept. 23-24 out the Marina at Marina Shores in Virginia Beach. Adult and junior cash awards will go to the anglers with the heaviest tuna, dolphin, wahoo, king mackerel, flounder and speckled trout. This is part of the ``Super September'' program hosted by the Hampton Roads Sportfishing Council. The recapture of a special tagged flounder could earn its captor an additional $10,000. For details, call 496-7000.
Hotel Wachapreague and the Island House Restaurant will host the fourth annual Fall Flounder Tournament Oct. 13-22, with cash awards for the three heaviest entries, plus prizes for the fourth- and fifth-heaviest. For details, call the Wachapreague Marina, (804) 787-4110.
MAJOR LOSS: Hatteras Island may have lost its greatest female angler a few days ago when Meline Whittle of Buxton succumbed to the cancer she had battled for several years.
She was an original member of the Hatteras Gulls, the first North Carolina surf-fishing club to dominate female competition in the annual Hatteras and Nags Head surf-fishing tournaments.
An accomplished caster and boater, she frequently launched her small boat into the island's surf to chase blues, mackerel and drum, until she became ill.
Above all, she was a gentle lady who will be missed by many in both Virginia and North Carolina.
SHORT CASTS: Carlton Bennett has been named ``Kingfisher'' by the 71st Street Anglers of Virginia Beach for the second consecutive year. He won the group's eighth annual spot roundup by catching and releasing more fish than any other contestant. . . . C.A. Ballentine Jr. of Chesapeake has earned his first citation award by boating a 1-pound, 2-ounce shellcracker at Western Branch Reservoir. . . . The Virginia Museum of Natural History and the Wintergreen Nature Foundation will present an inside view of the state's natural history Friday through Sunday at the Wintergreen Resort near Charlottesville. For details, call Mark Glickman at (804) 325-7448. . . . The number of licensed hunters and fishermen remained just about stable for 1994, according to figures from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some 15.34 million hunters bought licenses, as did 30.24 million anglers. by CNB