Tournament Report: Coach Bill Dooley Education Foundation Fishing Tournament
The 1st annual Coach Bill Dooley Education Foundation Fishing Tournament was held on April 21-23. This event was a gamefish tournament, where boats went out hunting tuna, mahi, and wahoo. Additionally, there was a division that awarded vessels for billfish releases within the two-day fishing window.
The first day of fishing provided some great overall fishing conditions, according to Allen Murray, who was fishing on the “J&B.” Allen stated, “It was pretty nice out there today. The wind was pretty calm allowing use to troll the ballyhoo well all day. The bite was decent—good in the morning and afternoon, but a little slow in between.”
The first day of tournament fishing saw all fourteen boats come to the scales to weigh fish. Most anglers reported staying around the Steeples, an area of relief in the 60-mile range. On day one, the mahi and tuna bite was red hot, but the wahoo was far more scattered and more difficult to locate.
Day two provided similar conditions to the first, but just a little improved with warmer weather and calmer seas. On the second day of fishing, the mahi bite stayed strong, with the tuna also biting well, but the wahoo were seemingly not wanting to hit anything.
The winners of the inaugural Coach Bill Dooley Fishing Tournament include Capt. Jed Galloway of “Jon Boat” (far left) that won the wahoo division, and the “Hammer Time” crew that took first place in both the tuna and mahi divisions.
On Saturday when the scales officially closed, the first-place wahoo weighed in at 32 lbs. and was caught by “John Boat,” captained by Jed Galloway. The first-place tuna went 32 lbs. as well, and it was caught by “Hammer Time,” captained by Austin Eubanks. The “Hammer Time” crew would also go on to win first place in the mahi division with a 25.25 lb. fish.
Although there were a fair share of hook-ups and spottings, no billfish were wired and released on either day of the tournament.
This memorial tournament honored the bright light of Coach Bill Dooley’s life. He was an astounding coach and an even better man, coaching successfully at University of North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Wake Forest University, where he would receive ACC Coach of the Year honors at each.
A silent and live auction were also held at the awards banquet where some 300 people showed up to celebrate the tournament and the life of Coach Bill Dooley. The proceeds of the two auctions will fund two scholarships for students of New Hanover County to attend the University of North Carolina.
