THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, June 24, 1996 TAG: 9606240151
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
LENGTH: 172 lines
A record number of catches in the Hatteras Marlin Tournament, a billfishing ``grand slam'' and a giant shellcracker are among the highlights of recent fishing action.
The 51-boat fleet in the Hatteras Marlin Tournament, which ended Saturday, released 90 billfish, about a third of them blue marlin, according to Homer Styron, manager of the sponsoring Hatteras Marlin Club.
The ``grand slam,'' the release of a blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish in a single day, was accomplished Sunday by anglers with skipper Dave Eubanks on the charter boat Temptation, sailing from Pirate's Cove Marina at Nags Head.
And the big shellcracker, 2 pounds, 5 ounces, was boated at Western Branch Reservoir in Suffolk by Marty Porter of Newsoms in Southampton County.
A rundown of other recent catches:
VIRGINIA BEACH INSHORE: Cobia: David Trax, Virginia Beach, 45-4, caught from the boat Aquatrax. Sand tiger shark release: Frank Riganto III, Virginia Beach, Polar Fever.
VIRGINIA BEACH OFFSHORE: White marlin release: Cindy Wethington, Glen Allen, Va., Bandit. Bluefin tuna: Jeffrey Thomas, Virginia Beach, 91-12, 04; and Rexwood A. Cox, Suffolk, 90-0, Capt. Sam. Bluefish: Emily Drudgeon, Midland, Mich., 17-8, Miss Behavin'. False albacore: Darryl Franklin, Berryville, Va., 20-0, Top Notch.
CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL: Red drum release: Siamak Beheshtzadeh, Virginia Beach, Zeeba. Red drum: Tracey Evans, Norfolk, 43-12, Sea Weed; Chris Davis, Virginia Beach, 43-0, no name on boat; Bill Perron, Virginia Beach, 41-8, Patricia Leigh; Belinda Nolasco, Virginia Beach, 41-0, Happy Hooker; Bernie Branon, Suffolk, 40-0, no name; and Glenn Foster, Virginia Beach, 40-0, 21st Century. Black drum releases: Bill Rogers, Virginia Beach, Challenger; Stanley Ward, Chesapeake, no name; Mark Wray, Virginia Beach, Big Crab; Wayne Smith, Virginia Beach, and L.C. Smith, Chesapeake, both from the School Business; Robert Ferris, Norfolk, The Bobers; Steve Wray, Virginia Beach, Long Bay; Dan Weintraut, Atlanta, Intermission; Mait McKinney, Virginia Beach, no name; Mike Perron, Virginia Beach, Eveready; and Greg Jones, Newport News, Patricia Leigh. Flounder: Kirby Lynn Johnson Sr., Chesapeake, 6-0, no name. Black drum: Jerry Covert Jr., Virginia Beach, 83-0, no name. Cobia: Butch Parkerson, Virginia Beach, 69-3, Shooting Star; Ken Mitchell, Chesapeake, 65-0, Sherray; James Jones, Norfolk, 47-0, High Tide; and W. Lee Counselman Jr., Norfolk, 46-4, Comp Time.
EASTERN SHORE SEASIDE: Bluefin tuna: Robert L. Dickey, Locust Grove, Va., 95-5, The Spoon. Tautog: Cynthia Taylor, Orange, N.J., 9-12, Canyon Lady. Red drum: Buddy Vaughan, Virginia Beach, Oyster Toad, caught from the surf.
EASTERN SHORE BAYSIDE: Cobia release: Glenn Matthews, Cherrystone, Miss Nina II. Cobia: Danny Yoder, Sanford, Va., 75-0, no name; William Henn, Sutherland, Va., 74-0, no name; David S. Johnson, Barnesville, Md., 73-0, no name; James C. Creager, Stewartstown, Pa., 71-1, Beverly Elizabeth; Jay Hartsock, Richmond, 59-9, Moonshine; Harold Gribble, Baltimore, 55-9, Lead Fled; Alex Williams, Grosse Point Farms, Mich., 52-0, Markim; Tim Nugent, Prince George, Va., 51-11, Miss Crystal; Harry C. Ribell, Woodbury, N.J., 48-12, no name; Kenneth Hutcherson, Gretna, Va., 47-1, no name; and Wesley Hewitt, Carneys Point, N.J., 47-1, no name. Spadefish: William Elliott Jr., Machipongo, Va., 9-12, Duck Tape; Stanley Kisielewicz, Dayton, Va., 9-8, no name; and Dan Hilgeman, Arlington, 8-6, Morgan K.
OUTER BANKS INSHORE: Cobia: Troy Warren, Chesapeake, 88-0, no name; Richard Croson, Kill Devil Hills, 52-0, no name; James Boyd, Kitty Hawk, 52-0, no name; Charles Sawyer, Jefferson, N.C., 49-0, no name; Lawrence Haack, Kill Devil Hills, 48-0, no name; Logan Newbill, Richmond, 47-0, Kimberley Hannah, Hampton, 45-0; and Tom Newbill, Richmond, 41-0, all from the Free Agent; and Pat Jacobs, Elizabeth City, 42-0, no name. Jack crevalle: Richard Croson, Kill Devil Hills, 30-8, no name.
OUTER BANKS OFFSHORE: Blue marlin releases: Richard Rapp, Orange, Va., Connector; Elizabeth Styron, Hatteras, Big Time; Joel Webb, Suffolk, Assurance; William Pickering, Chesapeake, and Ivan Higgerson, Chesapeake, both from the Chaser; Christopher Debusk, Glade Spring, Va., Harper's Folly; Lucas Meredith, Petersburg, Va., no name; Tim Cox, Radford, Va., Marlin Mania; Maureen Leipertz, Richmond, Oneiros; William Lumpkin, Mechanicsville, Va., Country Girl; Pat Wilcox, Fairfax, Bill Buster; Thomas Wilcox, Newport News, Sea Rounds; Terry Davis, Shackleford, Va., Wildfire; Phillip Sadler, Gloucester Point, Marlin Fever; William King, Lanexa, Va., Gayl-Wyn; Steve Bleving, Pinehurst, N.C., Sea Note; Grant Meeks, Virginia Beach, Outer Limits; and Donald Jarvis, Gloucester, Va., Temptation.
White marlin releases: William Richardson, Gloucester, Temptation; Paige Solomon, Virginia Beach, Sea Jay IV; Neel Haynie, Virginia Beach, Outer Limits; John Mayfield, Virginia Beach, Scott Small, Kill Devil Hills, and Thomas Jones, High Point, N.C., all from the Marlin Fever; William Beagle, Chesapeake, Surfside; Scott Wertz, Manassas, Va., and Donald Dunlow, Chesapeake, both from the Gannet; Robert Dickens, Doswell, Va., Osprey; Peter Marquardt, West Point, Va., Gayl-Wyn; George Gorman, Ridgeway, Va., Carolinian; Don O'Brien, Chesapeake, Sea Talk; William Lumpkin, Mechanicsville, Va., Country Girl; Ben Malvagna, Clifton, Va., Sea Toy; Arron Bowles, Chesterfield, Va., Hog Wild; Douglas Wood, Virginia Beach, Hard Decision; Bill Hall, Bloxom, Va., Reel Time; Bill Webb, Suffolk, Assurance; Isaac Bradley, Pisgah Forest, N.C., Fin Fantasy; Steven Hayes, Newport News, Broke Again; Buck Baker, Hope Mills, N.C., and Joe Rutledge, Thomasville, N.C., both from the Marlin Mania; and Andrew Carwile, Virginia Beach, Fish Slime.
Sailfish releases: Evie Carchman, Richmond, Connector; William Hall, Herndon, Va., Fin Fantasy; Chad Buchanan, Chester, Va., and Edward Buchanan, Chester, both from the Marlin Mania; Kelly Williams, Virginia Beach, Broke Again; Diane Gawrys, Chesapeake, Sea Toy; Maureen Leipertz, Richmond, Onieros; Wayne Redmon, Portsmouth, Sea Jay IV; and Ashley Rowe, Gloucester, Temptation. Bigeye tuna: Edward Sullivan, Norfolk, 180-0, Hard Decision. Bluefin tuna: H.D. Herman Jr., Greensboro, 348-0, Country Girl. Bluefin tuna releases: Burce Murphy, Norlina, N.C., and Barry Heller, Greensboro, both from the Country Girl.
Yellowfin tuna: Michael Reid, Norfolk, 115-0, Marlin Fever; Ernest Baker, Buchanan, Va., 100-0, Capt. B.C.; Todd Kraftson, Vienna, Va., 99-0, Sea Witch; Sharon Hall, Chesapeake, 98-0, Gravy; Jeffrey Stuart, Portsmouth, 83-0, Sailfin; Alan Gregory, Gatesville, N.C., 77-0, and John Foreman, Chesapeake, 71-0, both from the Outer Limits; and Michael Modr, West Point, Va., 76-0, Wildfire. Wahoo: Billy Wilburn, Hatteras, 47-0, Maine Squeeze; and Daniel Ward, Newport News, 42-0, On Top. Dolphin: Brian Sill, Ruther Glen, Va., 46-0, Marlin Mania; Ted Colna, Norfolk, 40-0, Change Order; Lynn Auken, Virginia Beach, 40-0, and Elizabeth Styron, Hatteras, N.C., 38-0, both from the Big Time; Ray Veldran, Orange, Va., 38-0, Connector; Kerry Fralic, Rutherford College, N.C., 38-0, Desperado; Elizabeth Hudnall, Richmond, 37-0, Pelican II; Steven Bigg, Virginia Beach, 36-0, Gravy; and James Pauley, Elizabeth City, 35-0, Chaser.
Cobia: Stephen Mitchell, Chesterfield, Va., 70-0, David Peck, Nags Head, 61-0, Nick Skliris, Virginia Beach, 56-0, Ronald Cloud, Moseley, Va., 55-0, James Martin, Chesterfield, 53-0, Vince Lanasa, Mechanicsville, Va., 52-0, Mark Tavares, Virginia Beach, 51-0, John Brown, Broad Run, Va., 50-0, James Timberlake, Powhatan, Va., 49-0, Winston Read, Midlothian, Va., 48-0, Jason Maggard, Fairfax, 48-0, Lloyd White, Chesterfield, 47-0, Tom Aubin, Montclair, Va., 46-0, William Adamson, Richmond, 45-0, Joel Slavin, Virginia Beach, 42-0, and David Young, Hopewell, Va., 45-0, all from the Outer Limits; Bryan Hitt, Virginia Beach, 52-0, Pelican; Benjamin Saunders, Kitty Hawk, 50-0, and John Merritt, Camden, N.C., 45-0, both from the Candlewick Lady; Skip Payne, Charlottesville, 47-0, and Doug Smythers, Charlottesville, 46-0, both from the Poacher; and Abigail Alochanzok, Danville, Va., 40-0, Finatic. Jack crevalle: William Gillespie, Richmond, 23-0, Outer Limits.
FRESHWATER: Largemouth bass: Kenneth Marinier, Virginia Beach, 8-4, caught at Lake Prince; John T. Crowe, Portsmouth, 7-10, Prince; Frank Ward, Suffolk, 7-4, Prince; Donald Grant, Suffolk, 6-4, Lake Meade; Patricia S. Hodge, Windsor, 24 3/4 inches, Western Branch Reservoir; Butch Wilson, Chesapeake, 24 inches, Back Bay; Len Cox, Suffolk, 24 inches, Western Branch; Sandy Mason, Portsmouth, 23 1/2 inches, Western Branch; Jimmy Burritt, Chesapeake, 23 1/2 inches, Western Branch; Rob Eskridge, Chesapeake, 23 1/4 inches, Western Branch; John Stephenson, Suffolk, 23 1/4 inches, Western Branch; Tracy Vespoli, Chesapeake, 23 inches, private pond; Kenneth Barber, Chesapeake, 23 inches, Back Bay; Roy M. Saunders, Suffolk, 23 inches, Western Branch; Jacob Hodge, Windsor, 22 1/4 inches, Western Branch; Cecil Hurt, Chesapeake, 22 inches, Western Branch; and Bill Archut, Chesapeake, 22 inches, West Neck Creek. Blue catfish: Marsha Horn, Virginia Beach, 28-0, Lake Smith. Striped bass: Jae Palmer, Portsmouth, 18-14, Western Branch. Walleye: Randy Comstock, Norfolk, 5-9, Lake Whitehurst. Yellow perch: Mike Moore, Virginia Beach, 12 1/2 inches, Lake Prince. Shellcracker: George Rowe, Windsor, 1-5, Prince; Kenneth Hobbs, Chesapeake, 1-5, Prince; Dave Harrell, Portsmouth, 1-5, Prince; Doug Bailey, Courtland, 1-4, Prince; Carl Coppersmith, Chesapeake, 1-4, Prince; Doris Hingle, Hampton, 1-4, Prince; Christea Owens, Virginia Beach, 1-3, Western Branch; Jerome Lewis, Newport News, 1-3, Prince; Dustin Pitonyak, Suffolk, 1-2, Prince; Eddie Pitonyak, Suffolk, 1-0, Prince; Wayne Kitchen, Zuni, 1-0, Prince; Jason Blow, Suffolk, 1-0, Prince; Mike Moore, Virginia Beach, 1-0, Prince; and Gary Johnson, Virginia Beach, 11 1/2 inches, Prince.
TOURNAMENTS: The Whopper Stopper won the annual Hatteras Marlin Tournament by releasing two blue marlin and five white marlin, scoring 1,425 points. Released blues were worth 400 points; whites and sailfish were worth 125; bonuses were given for tagging fish. Second place went to the Tooth Doctor with 950 points, followed by the Sea Hawk with 900 and the Flying Fisherman and Outlaw, each with 850. The 51-boat field caught and released a tournament record 90 billfish.
Sean Morris of Virginia Beach won a Virginia Bassmasters tournament Saturday on the Perquimans River in North Carolina. His catch weighed 13 pounds, 5 ounces. Second went to Walter Knapp of Virginia Beach at 12-8 and third to Don Sprinkle of Chesapeake at 11-11. Roger Everton of Virginia Beach had the lunker at 7-14.
Tony Shawler and Pete Kelley of Virginia Beach won a largemouth bass tournament Sunday out of Bob's Fishing Hole on the Northwest River. Their combined catch weighed 19.84 pounds. Second went to Joe Spruill and Lloyd Sanderlin of Chesapeake at 17.18. George Shawley of Moyock had the lunker at 4.57.
Pat O'Donnell of Virginia Beach won the Tidewater Anglers Club flounder tournament with a 5-pound catch. Other winners included: 2. Sharon Reich, Virginia Beach, 4.30; 3. Carl Herring, Suffolk, 3.87; junior, Thomas Myers, Virginia Beach, 2.18. by CNB