Onslow Bay Redfish Tournament 2007
Capt. Rick Patterson and Robbie Oakes had plenty of reasons to smile on the evening of Saturday, June 23, as they were crowned the winners of the pro and amateur divisions, respectively, in the 1st Annual Onslow Bay Redfish Tournament.
Patterson, from Cape Carteret, NC, weighed in a two red drum total of 12.09 lbs, while Chapel Hill, NC-resident Oakes brought two reds with a combined weight of 12.65 lbs. to the scales at Casper’s Marina Saturday afternoon.
Patterson, who operates Cape Crusader Charters, fished the event with his father Richard aboard the “Cape Crusader,” a 22’ Pathfinder. Their fish measured 25.25” and 26”, and weighed 5.81 and 6.28 lbs. Topping the Pro Division earned the Pattersons a check for $1500.
“We caught our first fish first thing after fishing started, then got the other one right before lunch,” Rick Patterson said. The Cape Crusader team found both of their reds in Bogue sound near Island Harbor Marina. “We were mainly fishing on a big sand flat, and the reds were feeding on it as the tide fell out,” he continued.
The Pattersons were able to cull their big fish from around 15 reds they caught on Saturday. A spinnerbait with a nuclear chicken soft plastic body fooled all their fish. “The water was a little dingy where we were, and the topwater bite was off, so we went with the nuclear chicken,” Patterson explained.
Capt. Jamey Copeland finished second in the Pro Division. Copeland, who operates Coastal Carolina Charters, fished with friend Chris Condit aboard Condit’s 20’ Kenner Bay Boat. Copeland and Condit weighed in 5.08 and 5.88 lb. reds for a 10.96 lb. second place total. Second place in Pro competition earned the pair a check for $750
Copeland caught both the team’s fish on a Top Dog plug fished in a creek near Hammock’s Beach. He and Condit landed seven drum over the day and lost many more due to cut-offs on oyster rocks.
Robbie Oakes fished the tournament aboard his 19’ Intruder with his father Robert and friend Mac Jones. Their 12.65 lb. weight total was comprised of a 26.5” red drum weighing 7.04 lbs. and a 25” red that scaled 5.61 lbs. The Amateur Division win netted the team $577.50.
“We caught all our fish first thing before 6:30,” Robbie Oakes revealed. “We lost four more.” One of the team’s drum struck a Zara Spook topwater, and the other fell for a Redfish Magic spinnerbait. They found both fish, along with the only other drum they landed Saturday, feeding on some oyster rocks in Bogue Sound.
The event’s top Lady Angler was Angie Ketchum, from Stella, NC. Ketchum fished with her husband Cleve aboard the couple’s 19’ Atlantic. Angie’s fish weighed 6.14 lbs., and Cleve added a 5.04 lb. red for the 11.18 lb. total that put the Ketchums in second place in amateur competition. Angie received a trophy for the Lady Angler win, and the pair pocketed a check for $412.50 in second place money.
The husband/wife team caught both their fish before 8:30 Saturday morning on a grass flat near the Emerald Isle Bridge. Mirrolure Top Dog plugs fooled their drum. And according to Cleve Ketchum, “The grass was so thick where we were fishing, a topwater lure was the only thing you could use. We still got hung up some.”
The third place amateur was Floyd Moody, on the “Family Affair” from Hubert, NC. Moody weighed in two drum at 11.18 lbs. to take home the $330 third place check.
Emerald Isle’s Kyle Abrams weighed in 10.20 lbs. to finish fourth and earn $247.50. Fifth and $82.50 went to Nathaniel Sylvester, from Cedar Point, for his 10.14 lb. weight.
Heather Mills took second place in the Lady Angler competition, weighing a 5.28 lb. red drum.
The Onslow Bay Redfish Tournament’s top Junior Angler was Jake Gainey, who weighed a 26.5”, 6.63 lb. red. Gainey fished with his father Buddy on a 19’ Actioncraft Flatsmaster.
Jake caught his drum around 7:00 Saturday morning while fishing the marsh near the Swansboro Coast Guard Station. Live mullet on a Carolina rig tempted the 6 lb. red to strike. The Gaineys caught several other reds and a few flounder over the course of Saturday’s fishing.
The tournament also featured a Calcutta competition paying two places for the red drum with the most non connected spots. John Hislop took home $433.13 for a 7 spot drum, and Cleve Ketchum’s 5.04 lb. fish had 6 spots, earning him $185.63.
The inaugural Onslow Bay Redfish Tournament attracted 37 boats, with 15 fishing in the Pro Division and 22 in the Amateur Divison. The Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club organized the event.
OBSFC Board Member John Hislop wished to thank all the event’s sponsors and everyone that fished. “We had a great time, great weather, and we’re already looking forward to next year,” he added.
