tournament — small inboard-outboards 

 ranging in length from 16 to 30 feet 

 and in cost from $4,000 to $60,000. 



Mackerel will strike either artificial 

 lures, including the Sea Witch or 

 Drone Spoon, or live baits such as 

 menhaden and pinfish. Mackerel 

 fishermen tend to save money on bait 

 by catching their own. 



Scoring for prizes varies in mackerel 

 tournaments. First prize in the 

 Wrightsville Beach King Mackerel 

 Tournament, a $2,500 cash award, is 

 determined by the combined weights 

 of a boat's three largest fish. But the 

 largest fish landed wins the U.S. Open 

 King Mackerel Tournament in 

 Southport, and the sponsors think this 

 arrangement is fairer to the small-boat 

 owner. 



According to John Barbee, chairman 

 of the second annual U.S. Open, 374 

 boats competed this year in the event, 

 which was held October 2 through Oc- 

 tober 4. Barbee says such a high atten- 

 dance can be attributed to the 

 rewards, as first through third prizes 

 were $10,000 in cash, a Jeep CJ5 

 Renegade and a McKee Craft boat, 

 motor and trailer. The winning fish 

 weighed 43 pounds, 4 ounces. 



The marlin season in North Carolina 

 runs from mid-May through Septem- 

 ber and provides plenty of excitement 

 for five tournaments: Pleasure Island 

 Tournament at Carolina Beach, Cape 

 Fear Marlin Tournament at Wrights- 

 ville Beach, Big Rock Marlin Tourna- 

 ment at Morehead City, Hatteras 

 Marlin Tournament at Hatteras and 

 the Oregon Inlet Billfish Tournament 

 at Oregon Inlet. 



A pre-tournament meeting and 

 registration also begin billfish or 

 marlin tournaments, which generally 

 schedule three or four days of fishing. 

 Competition times are set by the spon- 

 sors with most boats leaving before 

 sunrise to reach the fishing grounds (50 

 to 60 miles offshore) by starting time. 

 And, after a full day of fishing, there is 

 still the long haul back to the marina 

 to weigh the catch. 



Some tournaments are designed to 

 run a whole week, from the meeting on 

 Sunday evening, fishing on Monday 

 and Tuesday, a "lay day" on Wednes- 

 day, more fishing on Thursday and 

 Friday, and the awards banquet Satur- 

 day evening. At these extended com- 

 petitions, many of the boats register- 

 ing will be from out of state and part of 

 the "circuit" of tournaments up and 



down the East Coast. Characterized as 

 members of the leisure set, or the elite, 

 marlin tournament fisherman can af- 

 ford to pursue this expensive hobby. 



Just as surf fishing and mackerel 

 tournament fishermen gear their 

 equipment to the particular species, so 

 is marlin tournament equipment 

 geared to catching and bringing in 

 large offshore fish. An average blue 

 marlin may weigh 250 pounds and 

 measure 8 to 10 feet from tip of the bill 

 to tail. Equipment ranges from the 

 best to even better. A custom-built rod 

 and reel capable of holding one of these 

 monsters can cost $500, with factory- 



The good book says 

 every day you fish 

 the good Lord gives you 

 another day. 



— Fritz Boyden 

 Nags Head 

 Surf Fishing Club 



built outfits running about $300. 

 Although some small outboards may 

 compete, billfishing boats are 30 to 60 

 feet long and starting at $30,000. The 

 majority of the boats in this field of 

 competition are custom-designed and 

 worth at least a quarter of a million 

 dollars. Even to the innocent bystan- 

 der, these boats are a thing of beauty, 

 from the plush interiors to the highly 

 polished brass fixtures and teak decks. 



In a marlin tournament, boats cover 

 a tremendous amount of water 

 offshore and fish for not only blue and 

 white marlin, but sailfish, dolphin, 

 wahoo and king mackerel as well. Ar- 

 tificial and natural baits are trolled, 

 with natural bait choices including 

 Spanish mackerel, squid, ballyhoo and 

 mullet. More bait is also used in this 

 type of tournament, with an average 

 daily expense of $50 for natural baits. 



One of the most exciting aspects of 

 marlin tournaments is the weigh-in at 

 the marina the end of each fishing day. 

 Spectators arrive early to watch the 

 sleek boats come in and check for the 

 white and blue flags flying 

 (designating white and blue marlin 

 caught). Once a fish is weighed and 

 recorded, the amount and boat's name 

 are marked in chalk on it. Every angler 



and spectator hopes for a good day like 

 the one Jack Herrington had in 1974 

 when he brought in a blue marlin 

 caught off Oregon Inlet. It weighed in 

 at 1,142 pounds, setting a new state 

 record that remains unbroken. 



Although there are more of the 

 monster fighting marlins like 

 Herrington's in North Carolina 

 waters, the winning fish in a tourna- 

 ment generally weighs about 500 

 pounds. Often, a cash prize of $1,500 is 

 awarded for the biggest blue marlin 

 with smaller cash awards for other 

 species and special honors, such as the 

 first blue marlin over 400 pounds or 

 last blue marlin caught. 



If the prizes awarded in all three 

 tournaments seem small in comparison 

 to the investment anglers may have, 

 remember they are really only the tip 

 of the iceberg. There is an age-old 

 tradition in tournaments that often 

 outclasses the actual event in terms of 

 excitement and competition — the 

 Calcutta. Basically a jackpot, the 

 Calcutta is established during the pre- 

 tournament meetings when registered 

 boats or teams are auctioned off to the 

 highest bidder. It is not unusual in 

 some tournaments for the Calcutta to 

 be 10 times greater than first prize, or 

 even higher. 



Another common thread in all three 

 types of tournaments is the hard work 

 involved. Several tournament leaders 

 said planning for the next tournament 

 begins the day after one is over. 

 Arrangements have to be made for en- 

 tertainment (meetings, social hours, 

 banquets), judges and scoring, 

 trophies and awards, program books, 

 invitations, registration, publicity, 

 cooperation from marinas and com- 

 munities, and many other details. 

 Almost all of this work, plus the full- 

 time staff working during a tourna- 

 ment, comes from volunteers from 

 either the organization or the com- 

 munity. 



Even with volunteer help, expenses 

 can be several thousand dollars. Entry 

 fees, which range from $50 to $175, 

 pay most of the expenses. Tournament 

 sponsors also defray some of the costs 

 by selling the fish. But tournaments 

 are primarily not profit-making func- 

 tions. Any funds leftover go back to 

 the club or sponsor or into the com- 

 munity. And, the sponsors and 

 organizers all admit that a tournament 

 is just as much fun for them as for the 

 winning team or boat. 



