Sarah James Fulcher Redfish Tournament
The Sarah James Fulcher Redfish Tournament is an annual event held in Cedar Island, NC, in honor of Sarah James Fulcher, a young native of Down East, whose love for life, and mesmerizing smile, inspired a community to come together in celebration and to improve inclusive access to all of the natural resources that Sarah James loved so dearly.
This year’s big winner was Drum Runner, out of Sea Level, made up of Brad Brown, John and Rick Yount, and Clint McKoy. Clint McKoy, of Real McKoy Guide Service, was the angler that brought in the 47 3/4” red drum that won the Longest Red Drum category.
The “Drum Runner” is Brown’s boat, and he has fished all seven years of the Sarah Fulcher Redfish Tournament, with three third-place finishes prior to this year. This was the first year Brown didn’t have onboard longtime fishing partner Corey Thompson, who missed the event due to a family trip.
After Registration at Cedar Island, the crew made a 13-14 mile run into the Pamlico Sound to get away from all the freshwater influx from Debby and find saltier water. For Brown and crew, finding citation red drum at night is relatively easy, so one of the challenges of the Sarah Fulcher is being able to find big fish while the sun is still up.
They don’t like to chum, as it often brings in skates and sharks, but they do like to put a little oil on the water’s surface, and their bait of choice is always menhaden. Once they had a slick and a spread of baits out in the water, they hooked two big fish before their winning red drum took a menhaden chunk at around 7:30 pm.
While the ride out to their spot was pretty, the run back to Cedar Island, with a hard southwest wind, created rough conditions, but the over $24,000 in prize money helped.
Drum Runner thanked their sponsor Farm Bureau in Beaufort.
Amy Price, from Arapahoe, NC, took second place in the 2024 Sarah James Fulcher Redfish Tournament with a 47 3/8″ red drum caught on a piece of cut mullet off a shoreline. She was fishing with Chase Price, Caslyn Ward, and Jacob Willis on the Drum Roller.
Second place went to the crew of Drum Roller, made up of Amy Price, Chase Price, Caslyn Ward, and Jacob Willis. Amy Price, from Arapahoe, NC, was the angler that reeled in the 47 3/8” red drum.
Drum Roller left Cedar Island after Registration and headed through storms and thunder to their first spot where they put out a spread of lines all rigged with cut mullet. After about 30 minutes without a bite, they decided to pull lines and try a new location.
The second stop was a drop-off not far from a shoreline, and once again the foursome put out a spread of mullet, some towards the shallower shoreline side and some on the deeper water side of the boat. The first fish at the second spot would be the second-place fish, hitting a piece of cut mullet in the deeper water at approximately 6:30.
The red drum went on several runs, as it would come in and see the boat and run, and then come in and see the boat and run again. After about 15 minutes, the citation red was in the boat, measured, and photographed. The crew boated a total of four citation red drum before heading back to Cedar Island.
This was not only Amy Price’s first time fishing in the Sarah James Fulcher Redfish Tournament, but it was also her first fishing tournament ever.
Clint McKoy, on the Drum Runner, with the winning 47 3/4″ red drum in the 2024 Sarah James Fulcher Redfish Tournament. He was soaking menhaden in the Pamlico Sound with Brad Brown, John Yount, and Rick Yount.
The Sarah James Fulcher Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded by eastern North Carolina natives, and they use innovative methods to raise funds for community-based projects that are inclusive and promote recreation in the outdoors, as well as promote growth and development of local community programs. The Sarah James Fulcher Redfish Tournament is the foundation’s flagship fundraiser.
Since 2018, the annual tournament has continued to grow in participation, attendance, and prize money. From its inception, this tournament has been about creating a one of a kind, family friendly atmosphere, with great food, mind-blowing music, and some of the best drum fishing in the world. Whether you are a master angler, new to fishing, or even a father/daughter team with a tiller motor, the Sarah James Fulcher Redfish Tournament has something for everyone to enjoy.
For more information on this event and the foundation, visit www.sarahjamesfulcher.org, or check out their Facebook page.
