Tidelines – June 28, 2012
This past weekend represented a first for Fisherman’s Post. It was our first time hosting an Inshore Challenge fishing tournament out of Southport, and after a great showing I’m wondering even more why it took us so long to come to town.
Those of you that have spent any time in the Southport/Oak Island area know that it is a salty place with a great fishery and a strong fishing community. Their region has been friendly to Fisherman’s Post since the newspaper first started in 2003, but even our strong history together didn’t prepare me for the hospitality that Fisherman’s Post enjoyed over the weekend.
For starters, I think Max and I had no fewer than four invitations from people who offered us use of their boats on Saturday morning before the weigh-in scales opened. They didn’t offer to take us out on their boat. They offered to let us take their boats out on our own because they were busy elsewhere and wouldn’t be able to use them.
I like to think that I’m a nice guy, but I’m not in the habit of lending my boat out to people. Apparently Southport’s definition of nice goes a little deeper.
Southport Marina, both the facilities and the people, proved to be the perfect venue. No tents were needed, as we all mingled in the shade of the big live oaks as a cool breeze off the water fanned away the heat.
Like I mentioned before, Southport is a fishing community, and the Fisherman’s Post staff was impressed with how the community came out to watch the weigh-in. We’re used to tournament anglers gathering around the scales to see what others are weighing in, but having onlookers, ones that didn’t fish the tournament but just want to see the fish, created an even stronger sense that we were all part of a neighborhood event and not just a “money in a hat” tournament.
And Southport is also strong in perhaps my favorite category of all—its array of colorful characters. All a community would need is an overcoat-wearing Jimmy Price and/or an old-man-of-the-sea Ricky Bishop, but those guys are only a part of the landscape. They have to share the limelight with Jody, the Southport fish cleaner that had recently lost a battle with a buzz saw and was sporting a self-inflicted haircut (a haircut that was mostly finished).
There’s Scott, a guy that overlooked the fact that his wedding anniversary fell on Saturday, the tournament’s one fishing day, and had to do some quick negotiations to get a half day of tournament time on the water. And Adam, who helped us early by running trash and ice with his golf cart, and then helped us later with Patron margaritas in plastic Sweetwater Brewery cups. I thanked him by goading him into a tournament side bet which he lost horribly (to Scott) because his red drum spot was loaded with black drum on tournament day.
If you’re a fan of John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row, then spend an afternoon with Tommy Rickman at the Tackle Box, a tackle shop overlooking Southport Marina and the boat ramp, the landscape that serves as the backdrop for the character parade. It’s the closest thing to a scene with Doc, Mack, and the rest of the gang that I’ve come across.
Now that the Southport Inshore Challenge is over, event #2 in our 2012 Inshore Tournament Trail, we focus our attention on the next leg of the series. Event #3 is the Morehead Inshore Challenge, to be held July 20-21 out of Town Creek Marina. It’s fitting that we turn to Beaufort/Morehead as this issue features a Guide Time article out of the area. You can read about a live bait grouper trip with Capt. Chris Kimrey of Mount Maker Charters starting on page 36.
Remembering our fishing trip out of Beaufort Inlet has me wondering what other future memories await us on the Morehead Inshore Challenge weekend? I’m pretty confident that the colorful characters will surface, as they rarely need any encouragement no matter what fishing community you’re in. So that leaves the matter of a boat. Who out there wants to lend us your boat on Saturday? How about if I promise to only let Jody drive?
