Tournament Report: Wrightsville Beach Sailfish Tournament
Anglers fishing in the Wrightsville Beach Sailfish Tournament over October 19-28 were looking forward to a great week of weather and fishing. Running this year in memoriam of local dockmaster Tripp Brice from Bridge Tender Marina, the forecast was great, with temperatures on the beach into the upper-70s and offshore seas and winds mild.
Taylor Pleasant, on “Doc Fees,” had a group of Wilmington, NC anglers onboard that included his dad, Tracy Pleasant, Worth Farrington, Jackson Diab, Watson Brown, Zach Harriman, Chad McIntire, and son Wick McIntire.
Their tactic was to run deep, around 65 miles to the 100 fathoms area, and fish the schools of sailfish that had been biting out there. They also identified a nice eddy and temperature change they wanted to stay in.
The bait selection was easy and standard—smaller “dink” baits fished naked on circle hooks while also pulling dredges. Over the two-day period, “Doc Fees” racked up enough points from their 1 blue marlin and 17 sailfish releases to finish as this year’s champion.
Even better, with eighteen total releases, every angler on the boat had an opportunity on the rod, with young Wick also winning the Junior Angler Division.
The “Outnumbered” crew came away from the week with second place for their release of 14 sailfish and 1 blue marlin. The team was captained by James Breen, and he was joined by Charlotte, NC’s Kevin Summerville, Kevin’s wife and daughters (including Lauren Summerville who won the Lady Angler Division), and friend Lambert Long.
“Outnumbered” heard that the fish were deep, so they made the run and put out a four-line spread. The “Outnumbered” crew enjoyed numerous knockdowns leading to multiple hookups at the same time, and the team avoided costly tangles and maneuvered fish well enough to lock down their second-place leaderboard spot.
Third place this year was claimed by “Bill Affair,” led by Wrightsville Beach angler Dak Millis with his son Ren, Cole Plott, Hunter Rahe, Jed Galloway, and Bo Ingram.
Their week of fishing looked very similar to others, running offshore of the 170 Rocks and targeting that 100 fathom area. They worked their spread along a little temperature break they found, focusing on an eddy that had some 79-degree water. The team found three sailfish the first day and missed a couple of others.
The tournament weekend was a great success with the field of seven boats releasing 36 sailfish and 3 blue marlin. Most everyone donated their winnings to the Lower Cape Fear Hospice, and early numbers estimate over $20,000 was raised.
To see more information on this annual sailfish event, including updates on next year’s tournament, visit IntracoastalAngler.com and/or follow them on social media.
