THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 12, 1996 TAG: 9610120262
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LORRAINE EATON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NAGS HEAD LENGTH: 48 lines
TW's Mullet Mamas of Kitty Hawk were the only anglers able to hold onto their first-day lead and finish in the winners' circle in the 46th Annual Nags Head Surf Fishing Tournament.
The Mullet Mamas finished as the top women's team with 12 fish worth 22 points. Fish are scored by length.
A single point separated the overall tournament winners. Each team caught the same number of fish: 22. The winners were the Drum Runners of Wanchese with 61 points; the Outer Banks Hurricanes of Nags Head with 60 points; and the Raleigh Salt Water Sportfishing Club with 59 points.
``It was a little rough with the weather we've been having down here,'' said tournament director Dave Masters of Nags Head. ``But the fishing picked up this afternoon . . . in little holes here and there. One team caught 17 fish this afternoon worth 49 points.''
The largest fish landed by a male angler was a 24-inch channel bass by Paul Leary of the Stiff Rods of Nags Head. Two anglers tied for the largest fish landed by a female, both with 18-inch catches. Jan Holloman of Tight Lines of Kill Devil Hills landed a black drum and Jane Wirth of the North Carolina Sea Hags of Kill Devil Hills landed a speckled trout.
After two days of fishing, the 80 six-member teams reeled in a total of 370 fish worth 946 points. The most fish ever caught in the tournament was in 1976, when anglers reeled in 7,824 fish.
Surf fishing tournaments originally were started on the Outer Banks to bolster the ``shoulder'' tourist seasons in spring and fall and to coincide with fall runs of blues and other fish. In the first Nags Head tournament, three 8-man teams signed up. The tournament has grown, and in 1981 a record 84 teams battled it out in the surf. Now new teams must wait for five or more years before getting a spot in the most established Outer Banks surf fishing competition.
Today there are four major Outer Banks surf fishing tournaments, one in Ocracoke in the spring, two in the fall in Hatteras and the Nags Head tournament.
The Nags Head competition marks the middle of the fall tournament surf fishing season. The last tournament, sponsored by the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club, will take place in early November.
The Nags Head tournament continues today with an open individual competition for adults and youth. Registration is $2 and will be taken from 7 to 8 a.m. at George's Junction at Milepost 11 in Nags Head. by CNB