Tournament Report – Inshore Tournament Trail
The two champions of the 2016 Fisherman’s Post Inshore Tournament Trail worked hard all season, and they both came through winners via a strong strategy and good teamwork.
Team “Flounder Nutz,” featuring Al Fulford, Teresa Fulford, and Jeremy Ridenhour (Al’s fishing partner of 10 years), are participants in the Fisherman’s Post inshore events every year, and now they are three time Trail winners.
Team Flounder Nutz Teresa Fulford, Al Fulford, Shane Britt, and Jeremy Ridenhour with their 15.12 lb. aggregate weigh-in at Carolina Beach Inshore Challenge. The weigh-in was enough to give them the overall win in the Flounder division of the Fishermans Post Inshore Tournament Trail.
Al Fulford came in with a simplistic but successful strategy, “Fish the areas that we have caught the biggest fish.” And that game plan paid off, securing him bragging rights for another year as Flounder Division Champion and a check for $1,000.
“We were in 5th place going into the last event, where we hooked a 12.72 lb. fish, and when you catch a fish that big, you jump up the leaderboard quick,” he said with a laugh.
“We look forward to the Trail every year. We enjoy it. It’s always a lot of fun,” noted Fulford, and then added a warning for anglers next year, “We’ve got a mission for the next year. We’re going to catch those red drum.”
Scott Teeters, of Team “Marsh Fiddler,” won the Red Drum division of the trail with the help of his daughter, Olivia.
Olivia Teeters and Scott Weaver, of Team Marsh Fiddler, weighing in at the Carolina Beach Inshore Challenge. Team Marsh Fiddler had a season best three-fish weight of 21.57 lbs., winning the Red Drum division of the Inshore Tournament Trail.
“We fished Southport last year and had a great time. When the ad for the Trail came in the Fisherman’s Post this year, Olivia cut it out and taped it to her wall. It’s still there,” he explained with a chuckle. “She works hard and does great in school, so I told her we would fish the whole Trail this year. She’s actually caught a lot of our winning fish.”
Teeter’s strategy is to sit in a place he knows will produce fish and wait.
“I take enough live bait, I sit in one place, and I fish. It can be tedious for some people, but I bring my brother-in-law with me. He loves to fish, too, and that method of fishing pays off.”
Teeters reflected on the tournament as a great time on the water with his daughter and brother-in-law, “We love that the event is family friendly. I might be dead and gone, but Olivia will be able to take her kids fishing and think back to the days on the boat and say, ‘Hey, let me teach you how to catch a red’.”
A complete Trail leaderboard for both flounder and red drum can be found at www.FishermansPost.com.
