Dixie Chicken Fishing Funament 2005
The 6th annual Dixie Chicken Fishing Funament held their event over Memorial Day weekend this year, and approximately 30 boats competed in both Inshore and Offshore Divisions. The Dixie Chicken, sponsored by Damon’s Restaurant and the North Myrtle Beach Chamber, donates all proceeds from the event to the development and enhancement of the Jim Caudle Reef (PAO1).
William and Renee Honeycutt, from Albemarle, NC, won the overall Inshore 1st place and the heaviest flounder of the tournament fishing on the “Kut Kut.” The overall inshore awards are based on an aggregate total weight of one of each of the eligible species (flounder, trout, and spanish). The Honeycutts caught a 5.92 lb. flounder on a live mullet minnow near the Little River jetties. They didn’t catch a trout or a spanish, but the heavy flounder alone was enough to win the aggregate.
Grady Gordon and Kyle Hughes, fishing on the “Trippin” out of Holden Beach Marina, took second place overall with a two-fish weight of 4.44 lbs. They caught both their trout and flounder in the Little River Inlet area.
Third place went to “Flight Pay.” Dana and Wendy Maudlin, of Ocean Isle Beach, landed a 3.52 lb. speckled trout in the Tilghman’s Creek area. Angler Wendy Maudlin also won the Inshore Division’s Lady Angler award.
The largest spanish was caught by Greg Stegall, of North Myrtle Beach. He caught a 1.50 lb. spanish just off of the Little River jetties.
The Junior Angler award went to Tim Lefler with a 1.84 lb. flounder.
In the Offshore Division, Bill Welbourn, of Lexington, took the overall 1st place. He was fishing with Brent and Stephen Welbourn and Ben Conner on the “Bilz Fisher.” They landed one of each of the eligible offshore species: wahoo, dolphin, and king. Their three-fish total was 47.10 lbs. They were fishing just inshore of the 100/400. The 16.94 lb. wahoo was also the largest wahoo of the tournament.
“Team Anchor Marine” took the overall 2nd place award. Capt. Ronnie Atkinson, Angler Bob Pyle, and the rest of Team Anchor Marine weighed in a dolphin, a king, and a wahoo totaling 40.78 lbs. They were fishing about 68 miles offshore just south of the Black Jack Hole.
Third place overall went to Walter Neal, of Rock Hill, and the “Fansea.” Neal landed a tournament heavy 22.84 lb. tuna and a 15 lb. dolphin for a two-fish total of 37.84 lbs. He was fishing the area between the 100/400 and north to the Black Jack Hole. Diane Waldrop won the Lady Angler for the 22.84 lb. tuna.
The largest king of the weekend came from “Tool Time.” Anglers Alex and Tripp Myers, fishing with their father Eric, landed a 12.34 lb. king at the Bill Perry wreck.
Mark Becker had the largest dolphin over the weekend, a 30.28 lb. fish, and Jeffery Linta took the Junior Angler.
For the sixth year in a row, the tournament did not have a cobia weighed in.
Ron McManus, one of the Tournament Directors, said, “We just want to have fun, and that’s why we named in the FUN-ament.” In addition to having fun, the Dixie Chicken Fishing Funament sunk 100 reef balls (about $14,000 worth) at the Jim Caudle Reef on the Friday before the tournament.
