Carousel Center Flounder Tournament
The winning anglers from the Carousel Center Flounder Tournament after accepting their trophies. Wilmington’s Chris Hanson took the top spot in the tournament with a 5.05 lb. lb. flounder he landed on a live menhaden in Snow’s Cut while fishing with Troy Philip.
Just breaking the 5 lb. state citation mark and easing past the second place fish, Wilmington’s Chris Hanson took home first place and $1000 in the Carousel Center Flounder Tournament, held July 27 out of Inlet Watch Marina in Carolina Beach.
Hanson fished with friend Troy Philip aboard his 17’ boat “Panther.” The pair had fished in a flounder tournament the weekend before, but didn’t find much worth returning to on the day of the Carousel Center event.
“We fished the Fisherman’s Post tournament around the Wrightsville jetty,” Hanson explained, “and we couldn’t even pull out a 15-inch fish.”
Deciding to stick closer to Carolina Beach for the event, the anglers ventured out into the Cape Fear River on tournament morning, but they quickly abandoned that plan in favor of fishing Snows Cut.
“We headed out in to the river and got nothing, so we went back into the cut,” Hanson said.
Catching a 4 lb. class flatfish soon after changing their spot confirmed it had been a worthwhile move. As the tide rose around 10:00 tournament morning, Hanson got another bite while casting a live menhaden to a mud bank from 13’ of water.
“That fish was out in the deeper water,” he said. “I was pulling that bait back to me when I thought I felt a good hit.”
Hanson gave the fish plenty of time to finish its meal before setting the hook.
“I let him chew and chew and chew,” he said. “I could feel him swimming around down there but not eating the bait.”
The waiting game played out for around five minutes before the angler applied some pressure to the fish.
“I pulled a little bit, he pulled back, and I set the hook,” Hanson reported.
At first, the fish swam towards the boat, but it quickly began using Snows Cut’s strong current to its advantage.
“He started coming up,” Hanson continued, “but then he got into that current and started fighting. I thought it was a real monster for a minute.”
Several minutes went by before the angler was able to pressure the fish to the surface. Philip was ready with the landing net once it came to the top, and he scooped the fish into the boat.
Though it wasn’t the monster he’d been anticipating, the citation-class flounder was a definite improvement over what the anglers had in the boat.
As the tide slacked, the anglers fished a few docks and other spots in the ICW, and then returned to Snows Cut for the falling tide, where Philip put another 4 lb. class flatfish in the boat. They headed for the scales shortly after 3:00, hitting another few docks along the way, but were unable to best the 5-pounder.
“I was really surprised that fish finished first,” Hanson said. “I figured somebody would have a 6 or 7-pounder.”
At the close of the scales, the fish held up, and the anglers walked away with the first place check.
Sliding in just behind the winner, Wilmington’s Bob Carr scaled a 4.95 lb. flatfish for second place. Sam Daughtry took third with a 4.75 lb. flounder, and June Salvati’s 4.50 lb. fish was good for fourth. Mike Hill rounded out the top five with a 4.45 lb. flounder.
The Carousel Center provides critical care and support to victims of child abuse throughout NC’s 15 southeastern counties, and the annual flounder tournament is one of the Center’s principal fundraisers. More information about the organization is available at www.carouselcenter.org.
