THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 22, 1996 TAG: 9607220149
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
LENGTH: 85 lines
They held the annual Virginia Beach Small Boat Marlin Tournament this weekend and at least the results were an improvement over another billfish tournament last weekend.
This time, one billfish was caught and released. In last week's Eastern Shore Marlin Tournament out of Wachapreague, no billfish was reported.
The Virginia Beach fish was released by Chester Gauss of St. Clair, Mich., fishing on the Reel Challenge.
The heaviest dolphin weighed 21.9 pounds and was caught by Jimmy Lewis of Virginia Beach on the Halloween.
Jesse Bacon of Norfolk had the biggest tuna in the small-boat division with a 33.9-pound fish on the Moon Catcher. In the big-boat division, the winner was Mike Williams of Virginia Beach at 41.3 pounds on the Sea Mac.
Like the Eastern Shore event, the Virginia Beach contest was to have run Saturday and Sunday. In each case, rough seas caused the first day to be scrubbed. Only 23 boats fished in the Beach contest, an all-time low.
Elsewhere, bluefin tuna provided good action off the Eastern Shore, where several boats sailing from Wachapreague, Chincoteague and Willis Wharf had limits of one per person.
Unfortunately, the National Marine Fisheries Service has announced that the season for keeping bluefin tuna under 47 inches will close at 1:30 p.m. Thursday in areas south of Delaware. This means boats will be limited to one tuna a day of at least 47 inches but less than 59 inches.
The week's biggest reported bluefin was a 128-pounder boated off Wachapreague on the charter boat Virnanjo. The angler's name was not recorded since he did not apply for a citation from the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament. Here's a rundown of other recent catches by residents of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.
VIRGINIA BEACH INSHORE: King mackerel: Bill Moffett, Virginia Beach, 23 pounds, 8 ounces, caught from the boat Bushwacker II. Spadefish: Kevin Laxton, Virginia Beach, 7-1, no name on boat.
VIRGINIA BEACH OFFSHORE: White marlin release: Jeff Harvey, Newport News, Southpaw. Dolphin: Charles W. Best III, Virginia Beach, 32-0, Escapade. Bluefin tuna: Edgar Johnson, Norfolk, 95-0, Water Witch. Tautog: William J. Ernst, Southern Shores, N.C., 5-6, and Dennis Connell, Virginia Beach, 9-12, both Big Time.
LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY: Red drum release: Wayne Smith, Virginia Beach, School Business; and Robert Eiserhard, Virginia Beach, Day Late. Flounder: Swede Owens, Portsmouth, 6-2, Stargazer. Cobia: James Foreman, Virginia Beach, 53-0, Battlewagon; Mark Eastman, Virginia Beach, 51-0, Carol E.; and Tom Hickmott, Newport News, 50-0, Circuit Rider.
EASTERN SHORE: Red drum: Robert Carpenter, Townsend, Va., 45-12, Big Blue. Cobia release: P.G. Ross, Belle Haven, Isarus. Cobia: Scott Rittenhouse, Cape Charles, 53-12, no name.
OUTER BANKS INSHORE: Cobia: Michael Batten, Virginia Beach, 62-0, caught at Jeanette's Pier.
OUTER BANKS OFFSHORE: White marlin release: Bill Webb, Suffolk, Assurance; and Julie H. Ball, Chesapeake, Top Billin'. Sailfish release: Robert James Vickhouse, Virginia Beach, Good Times; James E. White, Suffolk, Release; and Shannon L. Sealey, Hampton, no name. Dolphin: Willis Smith, Virginia Beach, 35-0, Marlin Mania. Bluefin tuna: Wayne Old, Chesapeake, 99-0, and Larry Old, Chesapeake, 87-0, both First Crack. Yellowfin tuna: Jim Sadler, Virginia Beach, 79-0, Carolinian.
FRESHWATER: Largemouth bass: Lawrence Ison, Virginia Beach, 8-0, caught at Lake Prince; Tom Singleton, Suffolk, 7-0, Prince; John Sumulong, Norfolk, 24 inches, Western Branch Redervoir; and Stephen Brooks, Wakefield, 22 inches, Western Branch. Chain pickerel: Donald Beasley, Chesapeake, 4-0, Prince. Bream: Larry Stephenson, Suffolk, 1-9, Prince; and James Worrell, Suffolk, 1-1, Western Branch. White perch: Jay Palmer, Portsmouth, 1-5, Western Branch. Striped bass: Appollo Queban, Norfolk, 13-4, Western Branch. Channel catfish: Keith Brewer, Virginia Beach, 12-0, Lake Whitehurst. Shellcracker: Danny Davis, Portsmouth, 1-7, Western Branch; Bryan Black, Chesapeake, 1-4, Western Branch; Wayne Kitchen, Zuni, 1-3, Western Branch; Steve Lowell, Chesapeake, 1-3, Prince; Debbie Burchfield, Suffolk, 1-2, Prince; Jerry Cole, Virginia Beach, 1-2, Prince; Barney Burchfield, Suffolk, 1-1, Prince; Joey Kressel, Chesapeake, 1-0, Prince; and Jack Everett, Boykins, Va., 1-0, Prince.
TOURNAMENTS: Results of the Bass-N-Babes largemouth bass tournament Sunday on the Little River in North Carolina: 1. Laura Hansen, Suffolk, 10-12; 2. Cheryl Noel, Norfolk, 4-13; 3. Nan Evans, Windsor, Va., 4-6. Lunker: Hansen, 3-8.
Results of the Virginia Beach Bassmasters tournament Sunday on the Chickahominy River: 1. Bill Wilson, Chesapeake, 10-11; 2. Ray Richardson, Chesapeake, 9-4; 3. Dave Chappell, Chesapeake, 9-4. Non-boat owner: Alex Gnatiuk, Virginia Beach, 8-5. Lunker: Butch Wilson, Norfolk, 4-0.
Results of the Tidewater Anglers Club cobia tournament Sunday out of the Marina at Marina Shores, Lynnhaven: 1. Ted Kramer, Norfolk, 41.3 pounds; 2. Art Christman, Virginia Beach, 37-5; 3. David Oswald, Virginia Beach, 34.7. by CNB