Sneads Ferry Pinfish Tournament 2007
For many anglers, catching pinfish is an occasion for contempt, not celebration. However, for southeast NC inshore anglers, that changes one day each year—the day of the Sneads Ferry Lions Club Pinfish Tournament, when one hefty pinfish will earn an angler a brand new boat.
In this year’s event, held July 21, it was 6-year-old Rachel Scott that caught the winning pin, a 0.78 lb. whopper. Scott fished the event with her parents Carol and Matt Scott aboard the 22’ Century bay boat “Wild Child,” but they may choose to fish next year’s tournament aboard her new 16’ Carolina Skiff.
The Scotts, from Wilmington, chose Wrightsville Beach’s Sea Path Marina as the spot most likely to produce a monster pin. The choice proved to be a good one, as Rachel hooked the 3/4 lb. pinfish around 10:30 Saturday morning. The first place fish fell for a piece of cut shrimp fished on a standard two hook bottom rig.
“When she caught it, Carol and Rachel went crazy, but I didn’t think it would be a winner,” Matt Scott said. “I weighed it on my hand scales, and they said 0.6 lbs., but I thought it was a little bigger than that. We kept fishing, and I was trying for a big flounder to go with the pin. We stayed till 12:45, and then Carol laid the law down, and said we’ve got to get to Sneads Ferry.”
The Scotts trailered their boat at the Wrightsville ramp, dropped it off at the house, and headed for the scales at the Sneads Ferry Community Center. After weighing the big pin, which was more than twice the weight of the top fish on the leader board when the Scotts arrived, they endured a 30 minute wait, hoping no one would show up with a larger fish.
No larger pinfish were brought to the scales, and as the weigh-in closed the Scotts realized they’d won the grand prize, a 16’ Carolina Skiff powered by a 25 hp Tohatsu four stroke outboard and perched atop a Wesco Galvanized Trailer.
Rendell Kellum, of Jacksonville, caught the second place pinfish at 0.58 lbs. Kellum received a combination of money and savings bonds for second.
The winning angler’s mother, Carol Scott, caught the third place pin at 0.46 lbs.
Cameron Kellum took fourth in pinfish competition.
The Lion’s Club Pinfish Tournament also presents checks and savings bonds to the anglers catching the three heaviest flounder and trout weighed in the event.
Fred Davis, of Wilmington, caught the tournament’s heaviest flatfish at 4.81 lbs. Davis was fishing with his daughters Bethany and Leah, and Ryan Gilbert aboard the 19’ Triton “Turn It Up.”
Davis caught the first place flounder around 10:30 Saturday morning. The fish ate a peanut pogy fished on a Carolina rig.
Gilbert, also from Wilmington, caught the 4.58 lb. second place flounder. His fish bit a finger mullet also fished on a Carolina rig.
Kim Morse took third place with a 2.35 lb. flatfish.
Becky Kellum, from Jacksonville, caught the top trout at 2.78 lbs. She was fishing with her husband, Capt. Ricky Kellum, who caught the third place trout, and their sons Rendell and Cameron, who placed in the pinfish category.
The Kellum’s caught all their fish while fishing a creek off the New River with live shrimp rigged beneath floats.
Barry Yopp, from Sneads Ferry, caught the second place trout.
The Lion’s Club Pinfish Tournament benefits the Sneads Ferry Lion’s Club, and all proceeds from the event go directly to non-profit charities.
The money the tournament generates for charitable causes would not be possible without the event’s many generous sponsors, and Tournament Director Donna Yopp wished to express her gratitude to each of them.
