Banks," she explains, "but it creates a 

 great community spirit. We support 

 the fishing tournaments in our area." 



After the recent Nags Head Surf 

 Fishing Tournament, Ply did some 

 figuring to determine the impact this 

 tournament had on the area. Of the 

 500 fishermen who entered the tourna- 

 ment, 52 percent were not local and 33 

 percent were from out of state. With a 

 conservative estimate of $60 a day for 

 expenses for these people (lodging, 



meals, etc.), she figured the three-day 

 tournament added $50,000 to the com- 

 munity's coffers. And, this was a very 

 low estimate, she explains, because it 

 doesn't account for the numbers of 

 fishermen who stayed longer than 

 three days and brought their families 

 and friends. 



Some communities actually sponsor 

 a tournament, as is the case with the 

 U. S. Open King Mackerel Tourna- 

 ment held in the fall. Backed and 



promoted by the Southport-Oak 

 Island Chamber of Commerce, this 

 tournament is not meant to make 

 money, explains chairman John Bar- 

 bee. "We basically want to bring peo- 

 ple into the area when business is 

 usually slow, the Indian summer days," 

 he says. He figures at least $200,000 

 worth of business was brought in dur- 

 ing the recent tournament. And this 

 also is a conservative estimate, Barbee 

 explains. 



Photo by Cassie Griffin 



Pursuing a hobby for 

 competition and camaraderie 



Ask any tournament fisherman why 

 he fishes competitively, and the first 

 thing he'll say is he just loves to fish. 

 Fishing isn't just a weekend hobby 

 with this breed because almost all 

 tournament fishermen have fished for 

 years and fish regularly, year-round. 

 But, fishermen have their reasons to 

 spend so much time and money pursu- 

 ing their hobby. 



For some, like Gene Carnes, fishing 

 is his profession. Carnes is a 

 professional guide and captain of the 

 boat Coquina in Wilmington. "I've 

 been tournament fishing up and down 

 the coast for fifteen years," he says, 

 "from the Bahamas to Canada and in 

 every conceivable type of tournament 

 put on. This is the way I make my liv- 

 ing, and I don't have any other job, 

 but to fish." 



Even if his surroundings are plush 

 and the free lifestyle exciting, there is a 

 lot of work involved in his profession. 

 In addition to the routine maintenance 

 and preparations each day, Carnes is 

 responsible for entertaining the tour- 

 nament team on board and guiding 

 them to spots that can produce win- 

 ning fish. 



Is it luck or experience that makes a 

 winning tournament fisherman? 

 "Myself, I believe it's more luck," he 

 answers. "Naturally, experience plays 

 a great part in it, but a man that's 

 never even been fishing before can go 

 out and catch a fish. However, a man 

 that's got some experience will, over a 

 period of time, more than likely 

 produce more winning catches than a 

 man that's just plain lucky." 



"One aspect of tournament fishing," 

 Carnes says, "is to bring a crowd of 



people together to enjoy each other's 

 company. There are parties and plenty 

 of socializing all during the tourna- 

 ment. I guess it's the camaraderie I 

 like best about tournaments," he ex- 

 plains, "where everybody over the 

 years has become very close friends 

 and enjoys seeing one another during 

 the season." 



Gary Oliver of Manteo agrees that 

 there is some luck, especially "luck in 

 the draw" of positions, in surf fishing 

 competition. But then, he's not telling 

 what his team, the Outer Banks 

 Sportfishers, used for bait to win the 

 Cape Hatteras Anglers Club Surf 

 Fishing Tournament two years in a 

 row. Oliver also makes fishing his 

 profession. In addition to owning a 

 pier and two bait and tackle shops, he 

 writes a weekly fishing report for the 

 Outer Banks Current and is the 

 local representative for the National 

 Marine Fisheries Service. 



Finesse, Oliver insists, is the secret 

 to winning. "Being able to read the 

 water," he says, "is what makes a good 

 surf fisherman. I ride the beach before 

 a tournament to get a feel for the fish 

 around and decide what bait and rigs 

 to use. Conditions can change in one 

 wind switch, so you have to be 

 prepared for everything." 



Tournaments are almost like a holi- 

 day, he declares. "The guys I fish with 

 on my team and the people in the club 

 are a lot of fun to be around," Oliver 

 says. "Not only is the competition a 

 real challenge, but I look forward to 

 tournament time. It's like a vacation 

 in the fall." 



The prestige of winning is one reason 

 Ken McGee of Wilmington enters 



For Gary Oliver, fishing is both 

 his profession and pleasure 



mackerel and marlin tournaments, 

 even though he admits that almost 

 everybody loses money tournament 

 fishing. McGee will do almost 

 anything to compete in the tourna- 

 ments and has found an economical 

 way to satisfy his competitive nature 

 and love of fishing. He owns a small 

 23-foot boat, catches his own bait, oc- 

 casionally buys used equipment, rigs 

 his own lines, and has two friends who 

 are also experienced fishermen on his 

 boat with him. Sometimes, he will even 



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