Bald Head Fishing Rodeo 2007
A 42 lb. dolphin and a 38 lb. yellowfin tuna were among the fish that led the “Robin Hood VI” crew to the overall victory at the 16th annual Bald Head Island Fishing Rodeo, held May 31-June 2 out of the Bald Head Island Marina. First place earned the team $11,640 and a trophy
The tournament determines its winner by the total weight of tuna, dolphin, and wahoo (above minimum sizes of 15 lbs. for dolphin and 20 lbs. for tuna and wahoo) that crews bring to the scales over the two fishing day event. The Carolina Beach-based “Robin Hood VI” crew took advantage of that format, weighing 234.34 lbs. of fish on Friday, June 1, and following it up with 35.85 lbs. on Saturday, for a total weight of 270.19 lbs.
Bill Edwards, Sean Dooley, Stewart Smith, and David Dunn fished the event aboard the 64’ Viking with boat owner Robbie Hood, Capt. Don Pierce, and Mate Chip Gierszewski. Though Saturday’s fishing was slower for the team, they still would have had nearly 20 lbs. more weight after Friday than the second place boat did in two days of fishing.
On Friday, the team experienced fast action with gaffer dolphin while trolling the continental shelf drop-off around 3 miles north of the Steeples. The crew also caught their only weighable tuna, the 38 lb. yellowfin, on Friday. The hot bite kept the “Robin Hood VI” in the same area all day.
On Saturday, the crew headed back to the same area. They found more dolphin, but not the red hot fishing they had on Friday. “We had to move around a little on Saturday,” Pierce said. Although they didn’t find many more fish for the scales, the crew released a sailfish Saturday afternoon. Ballyhoo under blue/white skirts accounted for the majority of “Robin Hood VI’s” catch both days.
“The ocean was beautiful yesterday,” Pierce recalled after Saturday’s weigh-in, “but it got snotty this afternoon. Fortunately we had it on our tail coming home.”
Second place in the tournament’s main division went to the “Abigail II,” a 35’ Cabo from Whiteville, for an aggregate weight of 215.92 lbs. The “Abigail II” team consisted of owner Rick Edwards, Richard Edwards, Al Rippy, Lance Lomax, and Capt. Chuck Williams, and this was the first tournament the boat had entered.
Like most of the tournament’s boats, the “Abigail II’s” total weight was comprised mostly of gaffer dolphin, and Friday they weighed 115.59 lbs. of them.
“Friday we had more weight, but I’d say we had better overall fishing today,” Williams said on Saturday. “There were lots of tunas busting the water, but we only caught one.”
The 41 lb. yellowfin “Abigail II” brought in made up a substantial portion of the 100.33 lb. weight they added to Friday’s total. Each day the action was fairly steady, with the exception of a midday lull. “Both days, the fish just shut down from 1:30 to 2:30,” Williams explained.
All of the “Abigail II’s” fish came from the Nipple area and hit skirted ballyhoo. The second place finish earned the crew a check for $5,820.
The “Reel Quick” team, from Fayetteville, NC, took third place with a weight of 188.69 lbs. Owners Barry and Carol Thomas fished the tournament aboard the 58’ C and L with Capt. Chris Bailey, mates Sam Smith and Forrest Mitchell, and several other anglers.
On Friday, the team fished at the Winyah Scarp and found consistent action with dolphin and wahoo, including the tournament’s heaviest wahoo, a 57.25 lb. brute. The wahoo got them more than halfway to their Friday total of 104.88 lbs.
On Saturday, the “Reel Quick” fished near the 140 Line. They found more gaffer dolphin and smaller wahoo, adding 83.81 lbs. to Friday’s weight. The crew caught most of their fish on skirted ballyhoo, but they were also pulling rigged squid and other baits. Third place was worth $1,940.
The Bald Head Island Fishing Rodeo featured an optional billfish release TWT, and 28 of the 32 boats that entered the event opted to compete in the billfish category.
Capt. Brian Peel and the “Big Hunter” team took the top spot in the billfish release competition for a sailfish they released at 10:05 on Friday morning. While several other teams released sails and white marlin (with each release worth 50 points), the “Big Hunter” was declared the winner by virtue of the earliest release.
Angler Bill Riddick fought the estimated 30 lb. sail to the boat Friday morning, where Mate John Henry grabbed the leader and released it. The sail ate a “dink bait”—a small naked ballyhoo—as the “Big Hunter” was trolling north of Frying Pan Shoals. Other than the sail, the team caught dolphin and lost a big tuna over the course of the two fishing days. The early sailfish release brought the “Big Hunter” winnings of $3,024.
Second place in the billfish release competition went to the “Ahi Mahi” for a white marlin they cut loose at 10:56 Friday morning. The “Jackatash” released a white marlin Friday afternoon to take third.
The Bald Head Island Fishing Rodeo is a non-profit event that benefits the Old Baldy Foundation. The foundation works to maintain the island’s lighthouse, which is the oldest in the nation.
The tournament organizers would like to express their gratitude towards the events sponsors: Rock 104.5 WRQR FM and Southport and Greater Brunswick County.
