Long Bay Lady Angler 2006
On Saturday, August 5, the Oak Island Fishing Club held its 18th annual Long Bay Lady Angler King Mackerel Tournament. Despite slightly sloppy seas, the field of 73 boats managed to weigh some impressive kings.
On top of the leader board for the 2006 event was angler Valerie Wallace and the “Showtime” fishing team. They brought a 41.94 pound king to the scales at South Harbour Marina in Southport to secure first place.
The “Showtime,” a 24′ Suzuki-powered Grady White captained by Welton Hatcher, found their winning fish in the Cape Fear River shipping channel. The big king ate a naked pogy off of the outrigger around 2:30 pm.
Following the strike, the fish nearly spooled Wallace’s reel before the team chased it down. A tense 20 minutes after the bite, Valerie’s husband David was able to sink a gaff in the giant mackerel.
“We knew we had a big fish when we couldn’t fit its tail into the fish bag,” said Wallace of the nearly 40+ pound king mackerel.
Also aboard the “Showtime” for this event were, Kim Anderson, Carmen Hilliard, and Wallace’s daughter Hannah. The team brought home a check for $6530 for their first-place finish. It included $3000 for first place, $2932 for first place in the TWT, and several smaller awards.
Hannah Wallace also captured top honors in the 12 and Under Junior Angler Division.
Second place went to angler Anne Fields and the “Rebait,” a 26′ Regulator powered by two Yamaha 250 HPDI’s. They found their 38.62 pound king mackerel around 20 miles off Carolina Beach.
The “Rebait” team coaxed their king to eat a pogy with a pink skirt just after 8:00 Saturday morning. The king made an initial run of over 200 yards before Capt. Brad Fields could begin chasing the fish with the boat. When the fish finally approached boat side, Billy Helms gaffed it, and the king mackerel was in the fish box at 8:30.
The second place finish earned the “Rebait” a check for $3252: $1500 from the main tourney and $1752 from the TWT.
Tricia Poole, aboard the 21′ Yamaha-powered Scout “Latitude Adjustment,” caught the third place king. It weighed 34.24 pounds. She was fishing with Capt. Billy Coleman, Cindy Keen, Pam Petroski, and Carl Ward.
The “Latitude Adjustment” fish bit a naked pogy on top at the Cabbage Patch. After striking, the fish made a long run staying deep. It put up a 40 minute struggle before Ward could gaff it. Third place was good for a $1972 check: $800 from the main event and $1172 from the TWT.
Angler Larissa Green and the “Dell Dude,” captained by Jason Walker, came in fourth, weighing a 31.26 pound fish. Also aboard the 26′ Sea Hunt were Nadean Bryant, Elizabeth Walker, and Kathy Whitley.
The “Dell Dude” team found their fish at the Lighthouse Rocks. It bit the forward starboard rod around noon, and then ran to the port side of the boat where it went through every other rod in the spread. The crew managed to clear the other lines, though, and the fight was on.
After the initial excitement, the fight proved to be a short one, and Capt. Jason Walker gaffed the fish about 10 minutes after the bite.
The 31 pound king brought the “Dell Dude” team $600, and was the first king mackerel landed aboard the two month old boat.
Alicia Caldwell, aboard the 23′ Yamaha-powered Parker “Fish Factory,” captured fifth place with a 28.44 pound king mackerel. She was fishing with her husband Doug Caldwell around 25 miles off of Caswell Beach. A double pogy rig accounted for the king, which bit around 10:45.
Fifth place was worth $525, and the Caldwells would like to thank Bill and Barbara Sears aboard the “Gotcha” for helping them locate their prizewinning king.
In addition to the 12 and Under Junior Angler Division, there are two other age-specific divisions in the Long Bay Lady Angler Tournament: Sweet Teen (for teenagers) and Forever Young (for women 55 and over).
Amber Richardson, fishing aboard the “Wrench Head,” won the Sweet Teen Division with a 21.62 pound king. And Janice Rhyne, aboard the “Runnin Late,” won the Forever Young with a 20.08 pound king. They received $100 each, plaques, gold king mackerel pendants, and bouquets of flowers.
The Long Bay Lady Angler King Mackerel Tournament is the largest all ladies tournament on the East Coast. The goal of the tournament is to encourage females of all ages to get out fishing more, and a visit to the awards makes it clear that the event is succeeding.
The festive awards ceremony, the chances to win big money and door prizes, and the opportunity to fish amongst a field of some of the finest lady anglers in the state are only a few of the reasons area women should fish in this tournament.
For more information on the tournament and the Oak Island Fishing Club, you can visit www.oakislandfishingclub.org.
