THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 10, 1995 TAG: 9507100143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
Weekend fishing produced a North Carolina record bluefin tuna, the first spadefish ever entered in the Virginia Salt Water Fishing Tournament, and a new leader in the contest's black drum division.
The tuna weighed 744 pounds and was caught off Oregon Inlet by Thomas Bailey of Culpeper, Va. The old record was 732 1/2 pounds, held by Lyman Dickerson of Virginia Beach.
Another tuna, released the same day, might have been the new record holder had it been retained. Caught by Ray Delucchi of Hopewell, Va., it was estimated at 800 pounds. Delucchi was aboard the Temptress, also out of Oregon Inlet.
Michael Dassing of Union, N.J., became the first angler to enter a spadefish in the state-sponsored tournament when he boated a 9-pounder at Plantation Light, off Cape Charles. The spadefish was added to contest eligibles only this year. Dassing was aboard the Galaxy.
Robert L. Jimerson Jr. of Glen Allen, Va., fishing from the Three J's at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, boated the black drum, which weighed 93 pounds. It displaced an 87-pounder.
Elsewhere, the team of Bill Igel, Harry Trembley, Encil Webster and Rommie Head Jr. of Hampton won the $10,000 top prize in a cobia tournament staged out of Salt Ponds in Hampton. Their four-fish catch weighed 158.4 pounds. Rowe Jenkins of Tabb had the largest fish at 62.9 pounds, caught from the Rusty Nail. He won $1,000.
A rundown of recent catches: [For copy of list, see microfilm] by CNB