Swansboro Rotary Bluewater Tournament 2006
The Blue Water Division of the 2006 Swansboro Rotary Tournament had a number of billfish releases and one blue marlin brought to the scales.
“Maggie” was the Blue Water Division’s big winner. Capt. Randy Bryant, Mate Allen Davis, Angler Butch Bryant, and the rest of the crew had all of their action on Sunday, the second day of fishing.
They were fishing deep water, finding a blue marlin in 1000’ of water on a temperature break.
The blue came up into their teasers and stayed in the spread for over 1.5 minutes. Davis said, “He was going from left to right off both of the bridge teasers.”
Then they successfully pitched the blue marlin a spanish mackerel. The blue weighed in at 553 lbs.
The team also released a sail earlier on Sunday. The sail had hit a naked ballyhoo dink bait about 15 minutes after their lines had been in the water.
“Maggie” is a 50’ Carolina out of Morehead City.
Second place went to “Desperado” with two blue marlin releases. They had one blue on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Owner Ken Coffer, Captain Pete Rae, Mate Richard Wright, and Angler Ken Coffer Jr. were fishing about 75 miles offshore on both Saturday and Sunday. Rae said, “The gulf stream was pushed way offshore. We went to a piece of cool water and didn’t see a boat all weekend.”
“Desperado” is a 58’ Custom out of Carolina Beach
“Run Off,” a 42’ Wesmac out of Morehead, came in third place with a blue marlin release on Saturday. Their blue release was the first of the tournament.
Capt. Brian Harrington, Mate Marty Hiatt, and the rest of the “Run Off” crew were fishing offshore of the Big Rock in 650’ of water. They saw three other blues during the tournament. They had a shot at one, and the other two were just “window shoppers.”
“The Right One Baby Too,” out of Swansboro, landed the tournament’s heaviest cobia. Jim Davis, Barry Matthews, and Garland and Brandon Sewell caught the 60.85 lb. cobia south of Topsail at Jessie’s Ledge.
A live bluefish originally caught the cobia’s attention, and then they free spooled him a menhaden. After about 40 minutes they gaffed the fish, but the cobia was still a little too green. The cobia got off the gaff and fought for another 15 minutes before ultimately being brought in the boat.
The largest dolphin of the tournament weighed in at 38.80 lbs. It was brought in by “Big Hunter,” a 47’ Ricky Scarborough. The Wake Forest team of Owner David King, Captain Brian Peel, and Mate John Henry caught the fish at the 750 line.
And Jerry Gower, on “Strike I” out of Swansboro, caught the heaviest wahoo at 42.50 lbs.
