THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509220232
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY HOLLY WESTER, CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: HATTERAS VILLAGE LENGTH: Long : 133 lines
DOZENS OF CORNY cliches and catchy sayings could describe last week's 14th annual Hatteras Village Surf Fishing Tournament. But Sheryl Nosay's sassy, oversized T-shirt said it all.
``Shut up and fish!'' the Virginia Beach resident shouted to her husband, Manny, spelling out the message on the back of her white shirt.
A six-year veteran of the tournament, Nosay played captain of the Beach Outcasters, one of 75 teams anchored in the two-day competition.
This year's tournament was a first for Nosay's husband and a wake-up call to the realities of competitive angling.
``He thought it was going to be all fun and games,'' she said, casting into the surf. ``There's a lot of preparation and getting up early. We take it seriously.''
But the team manages to have fun, too, as most teams do. Finding and maintaining the balance between serious fishing and serious partying is the hook that keeps more than 400 competitors coming to Hatteras Village each year - from as close as next door and as far away as New Jersey.
``I'm here for a good time,'' said E.J. Russell, a member of the Elizabeth City-based Fin Busters. ``Any fish we catch is just a bonus.''
The traditional mix of business and pleasure kicked off Sept. 14 at tournament headquarters, the Hatteras Village Civic Center. After captains were assigned their fishing spots - one for each of the four sessions - the year's first social event, a ``free beer'' party, began.
Whether participants indulged in the organized shindig; hosted informal versions at their homes, hotels or cottages; or retired early, all had the same ocean to face in the morning.
Just after 7 a.m. Friday, Sept. 15, four-wheel-drives loaded with rods, tackle boxes and coolers made their way down the beach toward their assigned stations, marked by yellow octagon-shaped signs stenciled with black numbers.
Anglers popped open their tailgates, unloaded gear and prepared for the first three-hour session. Sea oats danced on the dunes and seagulls dangled in the air, both to the tune of a refreshing breeze.
The six-member teams marked their territory with everything from sand spikes to lawn chairs. Most kicked off their shoes to go anywhere from ankle- to chest-deep in the cool ocean. Even though clouds dusted the sun, men and women anglers alike stripped down to the barest essentials, proudly showing off well-maintained beer guts.
While the buzz of reels mixed with the soft hum of car stereos and boom boxes, many voiced their optimism about the contest and made their plea to Lady Luck right through the last minutes of Saturday's competition.
``We just come out here, throw our bait in the water and hope God's good to us,'' said Fishin' Pelicans member Donis Parker of Kill Devil Hills. ``You're either lucky or you're not. Some places along the beach are better than others. That's the way it is.
``I'm really not a real good loser,'' added Parker, who shortened a vacation in the mountains for the tournament. ``I like to win.''
Fishin' Pelicans is one of the tournament's veteran teams. Founding member and captain Elizabeth Midgett, a Hatteras native, said that although faces have changed, her team has competed for at least 10 years.
``I've gone through a lot of members,'' she said. ``A lot of them have passed away.''
Joe Monroe, member of the Kitty Hawk-based Ridge Anglers, is another competitor who has been fishing the tournament since its beginnings. Winning usually boils down to luck, he said, but the team brings some strategy to the shore.
``We try to get our rest,'' he said. ``Competition can be grueling.''
The right bait, from cut mullet to bluefish to blood worms, as well as the proper equipment ``all figure in,'' Monroe said. These factors are universal for Monroe and company, who fish four tournaments each year.
Team spirit was another obvious element in the quest for victory. Brightly colored flags, embroidered hats and screen-printed T-shirts were only some of the avenues anglers used to display their pride.
``Yeah, they have some spirit,'' said Shankie Peele, one of 15 judges trolling the sand to record scoring fish. In the length-based system, catches like 11-inch spot and 12-inch bluefish were eligible.
Peele, a Hatteras Village resident who has judged the tournament for four years, cruised his assigned station in a white Chevrolet Suburban, stopping for waving contestants with catches to measure. ``The fishing's better than it's been in the past,'' said Peele, measuring a bluefish against a yardstick on his tailgate. ``Everybody is catching some fish.''
Besides keeping track of the teams' progress, Peele and other judges were responsible for making sure fishermen played a fair game. Restrictions included everything from out-of-the-ordinary rigs to hooking fish outside of designated boundaries.
But Peele said even when times were slow, cheating wasn't much of an issue. Most teams would tattle if they saw a neighboring competitor violating the rules, he said.
``This is a fun tournament,'' Peele said, noting that winners receive prizes like coolers instead of cash.
Teams visited the Civic Center throughout the competition, checking the boards to see where they stood and who was ahead. The moment of truth came Saturday evening, when winners were announced at the awards banquet.
But no one left a loser.
``Nothing gets us down, because we're fishing,'' said Dan Beall, a member of the Colington Harbour Casters, based out of Kill Devil Hills. ``We're gonna win this thing one of these days.
``We fish hard and we party hard. That's what keeps us coming back.'' MEMO: WINNERS
The overall winners of the 14th Annual Hatteras Village Surf Fishing
Tournament were:
First place: Outer Banks Sportfishers, Nags Head, 166 points, 58
fish.
Second place: The Rising Tides, Nags Head, 117 points, 31 fish.
Third place: Ocean Atlantic Fishtales, Kitty Hawk, 112 points, 27
fish. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo on cover by David G. Hollingsworth\
Staff photo by DAVID B. HOLLINGSWORTH
Sheryl Nosay's sassy, oversized T-shirt says it all about
competition fishing.
Fishin' Pelicans member Donis Parker totes water to cover the
bluefish she just caught.
Joe Monroe of the Ridge Anglers says winning usually boils down to
luck.
Fishin' Pelicans captain Elizabeth Midgett measures a blue fish she
caught to make sure it is a minimum 12 inches. Teams earn points
based on the catch.
Ernest W. Copeland and Dan Beall, both members of the Colington
Casters, take it easy while waiting for the fish to bite. ``We've
been fishing these tournaments for as long as there have been
tournaments,'' said Beall. 75 teams were entered in the Hatteras
Village tournament.
by CNB