THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 29, 1995 TAG: 9509280168
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 159 lines
MAMIE BUTLER reared back and let her rig fly, sending the weighted hooks dressed with cut bloodworm into the churning Atlantic.
As the rig carried her hopes of winning a surf fishing tournament and snaring some of the $5,000 purse, Butler back-pedaled onto the sand as the bait fluttered toward the sandy bottom.
Soaking wet from the waist down, she managed to strike up a conversation with a passing beachcomber while concentrating on her line.
``Is this fun?'' the 71-year-old Beach resident asked rhetorically. ``Uh huh! I just really love fishing. I love being in the sun and out on the beach. It's just. . . .''
Suddenly, Butler felt the excitingly familiar tug on her line. With reflexes still quick as a cat, she set the hook and began to reel in a foolhardy flounder tricked by her fake afternoon snack.
``Oh, I got one,'' she said, smiling. ``I got one. Yes!''
As Butler tugged the flopping flatfish onto the beach, the other members of her Sand Dollars surf fishing team cheered her on.
Like Butler, they were competing last Friday in one of eight angling contests that comprise the second annual Super September Tournament Series, which concludes this weekend. The surf fishing event was held Friday and Saturday on the oceanfront from 40th Street to Fort Story.
Butler was enjoying her catch until she got the news that the fish was too small to keep. In Virginia, flounder must be at least 14 inches long. More importantly, it meant no tournament points.
``It's not long enough?'' Butler said, gazing at a tournament official who had measured the 13-inch fish. ``Oh, come on. That's sickening. Darn it.''
Ah, fishing. Sometimes it rewards, other times it frustrates.
In 35 years of angling, Butler has learned the hard part of this lesson.
But based on her success in the first day of the two-day surf fishing tournament, she also knows the rewards.
After realizing there was no way of stretching out this flounder, Butler re-baited her hooks and sent the rig again flying into the waves.
She did, however, ask the passer-by not to leave. He had brought her some good luck.
``Thanks for the luck,'' Butler said. ``Come on back by if you can.''
Butler had great luck on the first day of the tournament, beaching enough fish to score her 8 points.
The first day was like that for all six teams in the inaugural event. Every angler on the four-person teams - three women's and three men's - caught fish. More than 80 percent of those fish were released alive after being measured for points.
Anglers were catching mostly small stuff - spot, sea mullet, croaker, pig fish and a speckled trout or two on this rain- and sun-mixed Friday afternoon.
And there was a good run of yearling black drum - born just this summer. Those fish, not eligible for points - were measured, tagged for scientific purposes and immediately released for their migration south.
``This tournament is producing a lot of information for science,'' said Dr. James C. Wright - one of the founding fathers of the tournament series and host of the regional television show ``Fishing With Dr. Jim.''
Almost before he could finish his sentence, Carolyn Lilley of the Sand Dollars beached an 8-inch long spot - good only for one point, but a point just the same.
``That's my big point for the day,'' Lilley said with a laugh.
Just down the beach - fishing with the Grandview Pier's Pride team from the Peninsula and Richmond - Pete Cruger of Richmond had caught a 17-inch speckled trout that earned him 10 points. It turned out to be the biggest fish caught in the two-day event.
``And he hit a piece of bloodworm,'' Cruger said, hustling back to the water's edge to cast more bait. Speckled trout usually attack living bait or artificials made to emulate them.
Farther north, Deborah James of the Fish Chewies team was using jumbo bloodworms purchased that morning by her husband, Bill. She had earlier caught a small pompano and was about to land a small spot.
This was her first tournament, although she first developed an interest in angling 20 years ago because of Bill's involvement.
``But I've only been surf fishing for a couple of years,'' she said. ``This is a whole different kind of fishing . . . more challenging.''
As the tournament's second and final day wound toward a 4 p.m. finish, the challenge was to beach more fish. And the 30 anglers were feeling the pressure.
They hustled for another small spot or anything that would earn more points toward the individual angler prize of $1,000 and top team purse of $4,000.
``The leader has changed constantly,'' said tournament official Jimmy Kolb. ``Yesterday morning and this morning, there was a lot of action. It was really exciting. Every time we stopped to weigh a team's catches, the lead changed.''
Several blocks to the north of the Sand Dollars was the Eastern Shore All-Stars.
When the totals were tallied, this foursome from Bloxom, Va., earned 84 points and the top prize money from the 35 fish they caught. Team member Bill Hall won the individual honors with 35 points from 13 fish.
The second-place team - earning $1,200 - were the Sons of the Beach from Virginia Beach. The all-women Virginia Beach Sand Witches were fourth overall.
The series has grown from four events last year to eight - culminating with an amberjack/cobia tournament this weekend.
All totaled, the tournament offered as much as $130,000 in cash and prizes - although $60,000 will roll over to next year. That money - $10,000 for flounder and $50,000 for a marlin - was offered for catching a fish previously tagged.
``They were out there,'' Wright said. ``(Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament director) Claude Bain tagged the flounder and I tagged the marlin. That was prize money that came with a lot of work and some luck tossed in.''
Another big prize is being offered, but won't be determined until the awards ceremony Oct. 13.
A full scholarship to Tidewater Community College could go to a youth angler who has earned enough points.
``This one really has to be earned, because the angler has to compete as an adult,'' Wright said. ``They aren't competing in youth divisions or anything. It's a real challenge, but at the same time, it's very possible.
``We won't know if anybody gets it until the awards ceremony.''
While many people have been involved in hosting the individual contests, Wright's name keeps popping up among them.
``All of the efforts come from the good heart of Dr. James C. Wright,'' said Kolb. ``He doesn't have to do any of this but he does. He's made an incredible effort to help promote fishing around here.''
And Wright sees the event growing every year.
``The teams that were in the surf fishing contest, they'll go out and tell people in their areas about the fun and the prize money,'' Wright said. ``We'll definitely add some other events next year and there will probably be some big changes.
``But it will still be about promoting the entire area's excellent fishing. We have some of the most outstanding saltwater fishing in the world right here - just an incredible variety of fishing opportunities.
``And we had some of the best anglers in the area competing in these tournaments, so this is growing into something very special.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Eugene Farrar shows off a sea mullet he caught off the beach.
Anglers were catching mostly small stuff.
Staff photos, including color cover, by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Mamie Butler, 71, proudly reels in a flounder tricked by a fake
snack. But the 13-inch fish proved to be an inch too short to
qualify for points in the second annual Super September tournament.
Staff photos by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
ABOVE: Jim Wright, left, and Ken Taylor measure a yearling black
drum not eligible for points. ``This tournament is producing a lot
of information for science,'' said Wright, one of the event's
founding fathers.
LEFT: Sally Dale of Norfolk, left, and Carolyn Lilley of Chesapeake
fish for the Sand Dollars team near the north end of Virginia Beach.
Lilley beached an 8-inch-long spot.
RIGHT: Pete Cruger of Richmond shows off his 17-inch speckled trout
that earned him 10 points. It turned out to be the biggest fish
caught in the two-day event.
Color cover photo\ON THE COVER: Doug Wehner, left, and Dave Walker
wait patiently for a bite at the Oceanfront.
by CNB