THE 



CATCH 



ABOVE: The Hatteras 

 Island beach was lined with tournament 

 participants. RIGHT: A surf fisher waits for 

 a tug on his line. 



recreational fishing specialistjim Bahen. 

 "Fishery Resource Grant studies show that 

 circle hooks are effective in reducing fish 

 mortality." Sea Grant administers the 

 FRG Program. 



In 1999, saltwater anglers in North 

 Carolina spent $1 70 million on trip 

 expenditures and $1 .4 billion on durable 

 goods for a combined total of $1 .6 billion, 

 according to John Whitehead, an economist 

 at the University of North Carolina at 

 Wilmington. 



"Although the exact number of 

 saltwater anglers is not known in North 

 Carolina, surf fishing seems to be growing in 

 popularity," says North Carolina Sea Grant 

 Extension DirectorJackThigpen. 



Many recreational anglers participate in 

 fishing tournaments. In 2002, more than 50 

 saltwater fishing tournaments were held in 

 North Carolina — including the Big Rock 

 Blue Marlin Tournament in Morehead City 

 and the Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament in 

 Manteo. 



"The number of saltwater fishing 

 tournaments has doubled in the last 1 to 

 1 2 years," says Randy Gregory, DMF marine 

 biologist. 



Founded in 1957, the Hatteras 

 tournament is one of the largest surf fishing 

 tournaments of its kind in the world and 

 the second oldest fishing tournament in 



North Carolina. The oldest 

 tournament is the Nags Head 

 Surf Fishing Club 

 Tournament. 



In 2002, 1 00 teams from up and down 

 the East Coast participated in the Hatteras 

 tournament, so popular that it has 66 teams 

 on the waiting list, according to Sue Glass, 

 executive secretary of the Cape Hatteras 

 Anglers Club. 



Kevin Deneen of Wilmington had to 

 wait 1 3 years to get in. 



"You have to wait for the team members 

 to die," says Deneen. 



The Hatteras Surf Fishing Tournament 

 is a four-day event. Before members start 

 fishing, they participate in numerous activities 

 at the fishing club that is housed in a white 

 building in Buxton. 



A sign proclaims: "Welcome ye who go 

 down to the sea in boots." Lists with names 

 of fishing teams are posted on the hall wall, 

 including "Surfside Anglers," "Six Aces," 

 "Rod Runners," "South Jersey Surfacasters" 

 and "Slammin Sammy's Hurricanes." Daily 

 totals also are posted during the tournament. 



Before the tournament starts, the 

 members gather in a large room where they 

 socialize, participate in auctions, view new 

 fishing equipment and draw for tournament 

 stations that determine where they will be 

 fishing. 



"It is all volunteers," says Gary Oliver 

 who lives on the Outer Banks. 'This is my 

 33rd year to be in the tournament. It started 

 out with 30 to 40 teams and grew from there 

 to 100 teams with 6 people on each team." 



Fourteen of the 1 00 teams are all 

 women. 



"I have been in the club for eight years," 

 says Ferol Drust, a "lady angler" from Frisco. 

 "I like the excitement of not knowing what is 

 on the other end. I also like being outdoors." 



Tournament Rules 



For the fishing tournament, there are 

 stnct rules. No cast nets or chumming — 

 tossing ground bait in the water to attract 

 fish. Also, the participants can't use a stringer 

 or line on their belts. 



Fish on stringers can attract 

 sharks, according to Larry Hardham, president 

 of the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club. 



In addition, members may not have more 

 than one line in the water at a time. When 

 fishing, a nonteam member cannot assist the 

 anglers in anyway. Anglers must do all the 

 work. 



Points are awarded according to the size 

 offish and species. 



The team competition lasts two days and 

 consists of a morning and afternoon session. 

 Each team is assigned stations — two areas on 

 the northern beach of Hatteras Island and two 

 on the southern beach. 



"Every group gets to fish at low and high 

 tide," says Hardham. "We try to make the 

 tournament enjoyable for everyone, and 

 apparently we are." 



During one morning session, participants 

 and judges arrive on the beach before 7 a.m. 

 in their sport utility vehicles and trucks. The 

 sessions run three hours in the morning and 

 three in the afternoon. 



To ensure the prompt release offish, 

 75 volunteerjudges drive along the beach in 

 trucks or vehicles with orange flags. As fish are 

 caught, the judges measure them. 



As Art Beckwith of Kitty Hawk casts his 

 line into the surf, he says that all he is catching 

 are bluefish. 



"I am using fresh mullet as bait," says 

 Beckwith. "Bluefish are biting the best." 



Once you cast your line, he says it is 

 "even chances for everybody." 



"Skill is not all that important," he says. 

 "Ninety percent of the fish caught are within 

 20 yards of the breakers." Further down the 

 beach, some anglers are catching red drum. 



Kevin Greaves of Ocean City, N.J., pulls in 

 a red drum that is 26.5 inches long. 



"I have been in the tournament since 

 1 996," says Greaves. "It is good for the mind 

 and soul. You forget all other problems." □ 



22 AUTUMN 2003 



