DATE: Tuesday, May 27, 1997                 TAG: 9705270145

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   73 lines

WEEKEND FISHING

Despite the weather, the fishing wasn't all that bad.

Big black and red drum continued to make a strong showing over the holiday weekend, as did gray trout, many over 3 pounds. Flounder action around the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was exceptional, even though few fish big enough to earn citation awards were caught.

And Paul E. Lester of Blue Ridge, Va., caught the season's first spadefish big enough to earn a citation from the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament. The fish weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and was caught at the Chesapeake Light Tower.

Virginia Beach's Richard Allen nearly missed a billfish triple crown off the Outer Banks, catching and releasing a sailfish and blue marlin while aboard the Broke Again.

On the freshwater scene, shellcracker action slowed somewhat but still provided the bulk of the action. Fishing at Lake Meade in Suffolk, Charles Clayton Parker III and Amy Seen weighed in 22 shellcracker, and 11 of them qualified for citations from the Virginia Freshwater Fishing Program. The biggest went 1-2.

Here's a rundown of other recent catches:

VIRGINIA BEACH INSHORE: No outstanding catches reported.

VIRGINIA BEACH OFFSHORE: Tautog: George Cooper, Portsmouth, 14-4, no name on boat.

LOWER CHESAPEAKE BAY: Flounder: Christy Dawn Ross, Chesapeake, 6-0, no name.

CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL: Black drum releases: Jimmy Kolb, Virginia Beach, 52 inches, Star Ship; Mark Campbell, Virginia Beach, 49 inches, Lite. Black drum: Marc Austin, Virginia Beach 74-0, Slip & Fall; Jeff Moushegian, Salem, Va., 74-0, no name. Red drum releases: Williams Kidkiff, Chesapeake, 48 inches; Pete Bregant, Virginia Beach, 47 inches, Darrell Meeks, Virginia Beach, 45 inches, all on the Renegade; and Ty Lysaught, Virginia Beach, 46-inches, no name.

EASTERN SHORE: Flounder: T.R. Peck, Chincoteague, 7-4, no name; Phillip Stewart Jr., Chesterfield, Va., 6-3, Posted. Black drum releases: Jim Gordon, Suffolk, 45 1/2 inches, no name; Richard Savage, Suffolk, 45 inches, no name; Edward Higinbotham, Suffolk, 45 inches, no name. Black drum: William Reynolds, Cape Charles, 79-14, Big Red. Sea bass: Jack Christensen, Chincoteague, 5-4, no name.

OUTER BANKS INSHORE: Red drum releases: Randy Taylor, Williamsburg, 46 and 43 inches, caught at the Point. Spanish mackerel: Clifford Sexton, Richmond, 8-0, The Hooker.

OUTER BANKS OFFSHORE: Blue marlin releases: Stephen Mapieck, Poquoson, Va., Outer Limits; Chris Kestle, Poquoson, Hog Wild; Joel Matheny, Lynchburg, Sea Creature; Wayne Stone, Burlington, N.C., The Wahoo; Frank Romeo, Chesapeake, Tom Cat; Elmer Brinson, Hampton, Free Spool; Earl Bridges Jr., Hampton, Cindy B. White marlin releases: Rick Herring, Virginia Beach, Candlewicke Lady; Roger Ramm, Charlotte, Harper's Folly. Sailfish releases: John Eberwine, Suffolk, Carolinian; Valerie Allen, Chesterfield, Va., The Hunter; Keith Beaudein, Norfolk, no name. Dolphin: James Rogers, Virginia Beach, 49-0, K-Zam; James Hintz, Lanexa, Va., 44-0, Miss Jackie; Marshall Seay, Richmond, 43-0, The Hooker; William Battle, Richmond, 42-0, no name; Walter Cruey, Chesapeake, 42-0, Last Draw; Joseph O'Brien III, Norfolk, 38-0, Marlin Mania; Karen Kennedy-Rose, Battlesboro, N.C., 36-0, Citation; John Rawlings, Wilmington, N.C., 36-0, Eagle; Phillip Hubbard, Duffield, Va., 36-0, Lady By; Ann Moseley, Rocky Mount, N.C., 36-0, Twin Bills. Wahoo: Lawrence Owens, Albemarle, N.C., 47-0, Eagle; Tracy Burris, Chesapeake, 41-0, The Big Eye. Amberjack release: Jill Stilles, Mechanicsville, Va., 55 inches, Miss Hatteras.

FRESHWATER: Largemouth bass: Alfred Napier, Virginia Beach, 8-12, private pond; Jerry Harlen, Virginia Beach, 23-inch release, Lake Smith. Shellcracker: Tim Holland, Suffolk, 1-8, and Roger Bradshaw, Suffolk, 1-2, both caught in the Blackwater River; Curtis W. Dunlow, Chesapeake, 11 3/4-inch release, Lake Prince; Stanley Porter, Emporia, Va., 11 1/2-inch release, Prince; Ron Clark, Virginia Beach, 11 1/4-inch release, Prince. Chain pickerel: Stephen Miklandric, Bellmead, N.J., 4-4, Meade. Yellow perch: Wayne Christson, Norfolk, 12 1/2-inch release.

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