DATE: Sunday, September 7, 1997             TAG: 9709070265

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C13  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Column 

SOURCE: Bob Hutchinson 

                                            LENGTH:  108 lines

CCA WANTS TOURNAMENT RULES CHANGED TO HELP SPAWNING FISH

The state's largest group of anglers is seeking changes in the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament which could conserve spawning-size fish.

The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), headquartered in Virginia Beach and representing about 4,000 anglers, wants changes in qualifying sizes for striped bass and cobia.

A function of the Marine Resources Commission, the tournament awards plaques, known as ``citations,'' to anglers entering qualifying fish.

Stripers must be at least 44 inches if released, 40 pounds if kept and weighed. Cobia must be at least 48 inches if released, 45 pounds if weighed.

Bob Pride, CCA executive director, has written Claude Bain, contest director, asking that the minimum size for citations for released striped bass be lowered to either 38 or 40 inches and that the minimum weight for retained cobia be increased to ``as much as 60 pounds.''

As for stripers, Pride said the smaller size would result in the release of ``more of these prime spawners.''

He said the CCA also was ``very concerned by the rate we are killing the large spawning female cobia.'' Virginia's catches ``must be inflicting some serious reproductive losses on cobia stocks,'' Pride said in his letter.

This year anglers have registered 530 weight cobia while registering but 71 releases. With the prime striper season just gearing up for an Oct. 4 start, the rockfish count is 30 releases, 20 boated.

Bain said these and numerous other suggested changes in contest rules will be aired when the program's tournament committee meets Oct. 1. Open to anyone, that meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the yacht club at the Marina at Marina Shores off Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach.

``This will not be a public hearing,'' Bain said. ``No comments from the floor will be allowed. However, the public is welcome to come sit in and see how the tournament is operated.''

N.C. DUCKS: North Carolina waterfowl hunters will have a longer season and more liberal bag limits under rules adopted by the Wildlife Resources Commission.

Duck hunters will have a 60-day season, split into two segments: Oct. 1-4 and Nov. 17 through Jan. 20.

For the first time, the state will not be penalized for not allowing Sunday hunting. Until now, Sundays were counted as part of the 60-day season.

``We've been requesting this from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for several years,'' said Hal Atkinson of Raleigh, an agency spokesman. ``We're delighted that our hunters will now have the same number of hunting days as those in other states.''

The basic bag limit will be six birds, up from a five-bird limit last season. The bag may not include more than one black duck, four mallards (no more than two hens), two wood ducks, two redheads, three pintails, one fulvous tree duck, one mottled duck and one canvasback. Black ducks will not be legal until Dec. 1 and harlequin ducks will be illegal.

The commission also approved a second Canada goose season for Oct. 1-Nov. 15 in all areas except the northeast section, including the counties of Dare, Currituck, Northampton, Bertie, Camden, Cowan, Hyde, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell and Washington.

Other waterfowling dates include: swan, Oct. 20-Jan. 31, by permit only; snow goose and blue goose, Oct. 24-Nov. 1 and Nov. 15-March 10; and brant, Nov. 24-Jan. 20.

BASS MONEY: Shawn Morris finished fifth in the amateur division of the recent Bassmaster Top 100 largemouth contest on the Potomac River.

The Virginia Beach teenager won $2,000 with a three-day catch of 12 bass weighing 23 1/2 pounds.

He's the nephew of Rick Morris of Virginia Beach, who finished 17th in the recent BASS Masters Classic, considered the world series of bass fishing, in Alabama.

The elder Morris finished 41st and out of the money in the professional field on the Potomac, where his 15 fish weighed 34 pounds, 11 ounces.

Also out of the money were Dave Dudley of Lynchburg, 35th at 35-14, and Woo Daves of Spring Grove, 43rd at 34-8.

Kevin VanDam of Kalamazoo, Mich., took the $75,000 top prize at 51-05.

SCHOOL BELLS: School bells are about to ring for local anglers.

A seminar on fishing for speckled trout will be held Wednesday at West Marine on Great Neck Road in Virginia Beach, starting at 7 p.m. It'll be taught by Richard Martin and Ben Thomas. Details, 496-9996.

Pete Bregant will hold a seminar on fishing for striped bass Sept. 17 at the same time and place.

Another striped bass seminar will be offered Oct. 1 at BOAT/U.S. on Virginia Beach Boulevard in Norfolk, starting at 6:30. It'll be taught by John Johnson. Details, 461-3601.

NEW VIDEO: There's a delightful new video out, ``Fishing Southeast Trout Streams,'' featuring cold water trout guru Harry Slone of Roanoke.

The video, which costs $23.95, plus $2.50 shipping and handling, covers several Virginia streams and was filmed by Ron Messina, a cameraman at WVEC-TV Channel 13.

Slone is the author of Virginia Trout Streams, a book which has sold more than 10,000 copies.

The 60-minute video is available from: Laurel Productions, 2756 Avenel Ave. SW, Roanoke, Va. 24015, telephone 1-540-981-0549.

SHORT CASTS: Oct. 18 has been designated ``Youth Hunting Day'' in Virginia. Waterfowl hunters age 15 and under will be allowed to hunt without Virginia licenses when accompanied by another hunter, age 18 or more, licensed in the state. . . . The 26th anniversary of National Hunting and Fishing Day has been set for Sept. 27, when public programs across the nation will pay tribute to the nation's outdoor heritage. . . . Little Creek Marina in Norfolk will hold a cobia/spadefish tournament Sept. 13-21, with awards for the three heaviest of each species. Registration will be $50 per boat. Details, 362-3600. . . . Finally, a reminder that you can have input on Virginia's 1998 and 1999 striped bass seasons by attending a public hearing Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the fourth-floor conference room of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, 2600 Washington Ave., Newport News.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu