Shallotte Point VFD Flounder Tournament 2005
Great weather on Friday and Saturday helped the Shallotte Point VFD Flounder Tournament attract 107 boats over the weekend of June 10 and 11, and the winning flounder was once again in the 9 pound class.
Fred Davis, from Wilmington, landed a 9.56 lb. flounder on Saturday, the second day of fishing in the tournament. Davis was fishing with Hank Martinez on the “Turn It Up.” He caught his winning fish in the Lockwood Folly Inlet on a large, live menhaden. Over the weekend he netted a number of large flounder, including a couple weighing 5 lbs., one weighing 4 lbs., and one weighing 3 lbs.
The prize money for his 9.56 lb. flounder was a little over $2500. Davis also won the Shallotte Point Tournament last year, weighing in a 9.75 lb. flounder.
Ken Pope, of Cerro Gordo, NC, came in second place with an 8.33 lb. flounder. Pope was fishing with Perry Faulk on the “Flounder Pounder.” The 8 lb. flounder came on Saturday in the Lockwood Folly River using a 7-inch mullet minnow. Second place paid over $1500.
Third place goes to the heaviest five fish weighed in over the two days of fishing. Billy Lefler, of Shallotte, took this award with a five fish total of 20.44 lbs. The largest was 6.95 lbs. His boat weighed in a total of nine fish on Friday and four on Saturday. They were fishing the Lockwood Folly Inlet using frozen mullet and live menhaden. Third place paid out $600.
Fourth place and $500 went to Jeremy McCay, of Monks Corner, who weighed in the third heaviest flounder. His 7.37 lb. flounder came from the Lockwood Folly Inlet on a mud minnow.
Billy Lefler Sr., from Albemarle, took fifth place with a 6.16 lb. flounder. Sixth placewas awarded to Kenneth Tucker, from Badin, NC, with a 5.99 lb. flounder.
The winner of the Edith Pigott Lady Angler Award, sponsored by Guy C. Lee, went to Patty Parnell, from Lumberton, NC. She weighed in a 6.37 lb. flounder to win the $500 prize.
There was a Junior Angler awarded each of the two days of fishing. Cory Ray Byrd (age 10), from Eden, NC, won on Friday with a 3.53 lb. flounder caught on a mud minnow. Saturday’s winner was Courtney Hockett, from Albemarle, NC. Courtney (age 12) weighed in a 3.04 lb. flounder.
Saturday’s Awards Ceremony is always preceded with a fundraising flounder fish fry. This year they served approximately 700 people.
This is the 22nd year of the tournament. The tournament this year was a collaborative effort between the Fire Department and the South Brunswick Islands Shrine Club. The Shrine Club’s purpose is to support the Shrine Burns and Crippled Children Hospitals. There are seven hospitals worldwide, with the closest hospital in Greenville, SC.
Mike Potts, the Tournament Director, said, “I’m happy to be working with both the Shrine Club and the VFD, and we love how the community comes together every year to help make this tournament a success.” The Shallotte Point Flounder Tournament is always held the seond full weekend in June.
