Cape Fear Blue Water Open 2004
Cape Fear Blue Water Open
This year’s Cape Fear Blue Water Open, sponsored by the Cape Fear Blue Water Fishing Club, had 27 boats fishing a clean Friday, May 14, and a sloppy Saturday, May 15. There were numerous fish weighed in every category (tuna, dolphin, and wahoo) and several billfish releases over the weekend. The tournament enjoyed more boats, more fish, and a bigger payout from last year’s event.
The heaviest fish of the tournament, winning both the overall and the wahoo division on Friday, was brought in by Captain Mel Miller and the “Mara III.” The angler was Curtis Camp. The wahoo weighed 64 lbs. and was caught at the 150’s in 185 feet of water. There were no wahoo weighed in on Saturday.
The heaviest tuna this year and the daily winner for Friday was a 48.3 lb. yellowfin caught by the “Cut N Dry” with Captain Jeff Scott. They were fishing north, in the area between the 250 to 300 line. The Saturday daily winner was Captain Drew Kerekes and the “Sea-Ker.” They caught a 47.5 lb. yellowfin at the 250’s in 300 feet of water.
The dolphin category on Friday was won by “Back to Back.” Captain Mike Lewis found the 31 lb. dolphin on Friday trolling a blue and white Hawaiian Eye in 500 feet of water. Saturday’s daily winner was “No Regrets” and Captain Brad Dalton with a 30.8 lb. dolphin.
The aggregate prize was won handily by Captain Gene Long and the “Reel Long.” They brought in 194.7 lbs. of fish on Friday and 123.9 lbs. on Saturday for a combined weight of 318.6 lbs. “Suds N Studs” won second place in the aggregate with a two-day total of 214 lbs.
In the billfish release category, there were 7 different boats that released a total of 9 fish (1 blue, 4 whites, and 4 sails). Friday produced a triple-header for Captain Tom Ronner and boat owner Jay Mouser aboard the “Doubleshot,” the winner of this division. They had three sailfish on at the same time and released each fish within 10 minutes of each other. “Back to Back” took second place by releasing a blue marlin.
Kristie Horton won the Lady Angler with a 45.9 lb. tuna caught while fishing aboard the “Trophy.”
Tom Armour, Tournament Director, said, “This year we gave out just over $20,000 in prize money, the most we’ve ever awarded.”
Eckerd Youth Alternatives was the charitable beneficiary of this year’s tournament. Eckerd Youth Alternatives hosts therapeutic wilderness camps that help troubled and “at risk” children confront their individual issues. Kids from the local chapter, Camp E-Tik-Etu based in Elizabeth Town in Bladen County, helped with the weigh-in. For more information on Eckerd, you can visit www.eckerd.org.
