THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 28, 1996 TAG: 9610280146
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
LENGTH: 73 lines
While striped bass have dominated the fishing scene in recent days, a few anglers have resisted the rockfishing temptation to test other waters.
And some came up with splendid success.
For instance, Ron Phelps of Chesapeake has taken the bluefish lead in the annual Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament with a 19 1/2-pound chopper boated off Virginia Beach.
The trip, aboard Keith Casiano's Princess Patti, also produced three sea bass large enough for citation awards from the Virginia tournament.
Phelps' big blue replaces a 17-8 chopper caught early this spring by Emily Trudgeon of Midland, Mich.
Elsewhere, Norman E. Cox Jr. of Chesapeake, leader in the contest's speckled trout category with a springtime 9-3 ``Hot Ditch'' catch, has boated two more specks large enough for citations.
These weighed 6-0 and 5-4 and were caught while trolling at Lynnhaven Inlet.
Gary Dunstan of Kitty Hawk, N.C., has earned a brace of citation awards from the North Carolina Salt Water Fishing Tournament.
Caught off Hatteras on the boat Sea Haven II, one was a 34-12 king mackerel, the other a 27-pound barracuda.
And Doug Fisher of Virginia Beach has earned a pair of citation awards from the Virginia Fresh Water Fishing Program. One was for a 12-inch yellow perch, the other for an 11-inch shellcracker. Both were caught at Lake Prince.
As for stripers, they're showing almost everywhere in salt waters of the two states, with the best hauls along the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
Fishing pressure has been tremendous along the crossing since the Virginia season opened Oct. 17. Most fish have been under 15 pounds and less than 35 inches. No citation winners have been reported. Here's a rundown of recent catches by anglers from Southeast Virginia and Northeast North Carolina:
VIRGINIA BEACH INSHORE: Speckled trout: Keith Harlan, Virginia Beach, 5-0, no name on boat, caught at Rudee Inlet.
VIRGINIA BEACH OFFSHORE: Bluefish: Wayne Couch, Virginia Beach, 16-1, caught from the boat Plan Sea. Tautog: Paul Brown, Virginia Beach, 11-12, and Joann Husted, Virginia Beach, 9-0, both Katie Brown. Sea Bass: Abraham Seaborne Jr., Smithfield, 6-1, Rainbow; Gerald A. May, Norfolk, 5-12, Bubba Wright, Chesapeake, 5-3, and Kenny Haywood, Portsmouth, 5-0, all Princess Patti; and Cliff Ingram, Virginia Beach, 5-3, Edie N.
LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY: Tautog: David Peterson, Norfolk, 12-10, no name, caught at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Speckled trout: Donald McKenney, Virginia Beach, 5-4, no name, Ocean View.
EASTERN SHORE: Speckled trout: David A. Lewis, Cape Charles, 5-3, no name, Plantation Creek; and Mark A. Spencer, Cape Charles, 5-1, Janet Paige, Plantation Creek.
OUTER BANKS INSHORE: Red drum release: Alex Baxter Jr., Newport News, caught from the surf; and Bryan Walke, Nags Head, surf.
OUTER BANKS OFFSHORE: King mackerel: Lenny Harris, Yorktown, 44-0, and Vernon Lawson, Virginia Beach, 36-12, Good Times; Lois T. Rascoe, Windsor, N.C., 32-0, 31-0, Carla A Rascoe, Windsor, 32-0, and Kim G. Gardner, Windsor, 31-0, all Gambler; and Roger Piland, Portsmouth, 30-0, Getaway.
FRESH WATER: Largemouth bass: Wayne Smith, Suffolk, 23 1/2 inches, caught at Lake Prince; Joan Dewitt, Chesapeake, 22 inches, Prince; and Jim Roper, Portsmouth, 6-2, Western Branch Reservoir. Striped bass: Joe Hines, Portsmouth, 20-14, Western Branch. Blue catfish: Tom Wiese, Virginia Beach, 28-0, James River; and Jan Turpin, Chesapeake, 25-0, James River. Chain pickerel: George Rowe, Windsor, Va., 24 3/4 inches, Prince. Crappie: Charles Kincaid, Suffolk, 15 inches, Prince. Yellow perch: Mark Sikkenga, Windsor, 14 inches, Lake Burnt Mills; Tom Gilmet, Windsor, 13 1/2 inches and 12 inches, Burnt Mills; and Roam Perrell, Suffolk, 12 inches, Prince. White Perch: Kevin Powell, Chesapeake, 1-5, Western Branch; and James Bizzell, Chesapeake, 1-5, Western Branch. Shellcracker: Charles Burroughs Jr., Virginia Beach, 1-0, Prince.
TOURNAMENTS: Russell Gammon and Jim Banks of Virginia Beach won a largemouth tournament Sunday out of the Fishing Hole on the Northwest River. Their combined catch weighed 21.21 pounds. Second went to Wayne Hayes and Wendell Jenkins of Virginia Beach at 17.85. Gammon had the lunker at 3.79. by CNB