Had a blast Saturday, fishing the NC State Spanish Mackerel Championship. Well, ok, that's a little self-serving, perhaps, because I was the chairman of this event.
Let me explain. I joined the Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club last year. The club is small, but it has some pretty cool members. From all walks of life. Like me. After a few months, it came time to hold elections for 2011. I was nominated to be the vice president, and I graciously accepted. So, in discussions about what projects the club should undertake for 2011, the new kid on the block suggested a spanish mackerel tournament. We hear about the big-bucks king mack tourneys. The ones with tens of thousands of dollars in prizes. The ones where professional anglers from all over the southeast trailer thier big boats, wrapped with the finest advertising logos, pretty fish, pretty women, or whatever. Yeah, those big center console boats sporting three...count ém, three...300 horsepower outboars! Wow.
Well, that's not the kind of tournament I had in mind. I wanted one that the everydáy guy, like me, could enter. And, stand a chance of winning. So, as many of us know, make a suggestion, and you can become chairman. I did, and I did.
We had hoped for 40 or so boats. Some negativity on a couple fishing web sites put a little damper on my enthusiasm. Some folks would rather sit at their puters and nitpick or complain than fish. I just don't get it. I have to quote Ann Landers or Dear Abby...I forget which...from many years ago: Son, you have a problem and should seek professional help. At least, a change of latitude would be good for some of these folks, one far, far away from me, and one with no computer connection.
Ok, enough about that.
We had fun. And, in talking with the anglers that came in for the weigh-in Saturday afternoon, they did, too. Didn't matter whether they had a small fish, like us, or several very nice spanish macks, the point was they had a good time.
Like Michael Bishop, a 13-year old from Raleigh. He took the junior angler award for the heaviest spanish caught by a kid under 16.
Not his first kiss, he told me. At least, not the first time he's kissed a fish, he said. How much value can you place on a smile like this one?
Jeffy Naylor aboard the Reel ém "N" did well, too. With a three fish total of 12.78 pounds, he took second place for aggregate weight. He also took home the prize for the single biggest spanish mack in the TWT (Tournament Within a Tournament...a side wager, if you will), with a spanish that tipped the scales at 5.34 pounds. A nice fish for Jeff.
In first place was the crew from Bubbalicious (I want to know where some of these boat names come from). They nailed the top spot with three fish that weighed 13.22 pounds.
In third place, with an aggregate three fish weight of 11.36 pounds, was the crew of Reel Outdoors.
Let me explain. I joined the Onslow Bay Saltwater Fishing Club last year. The club is small, but it has some pretty cool members. From all walks of life. Like me. After a few months, it came time to hold elections for 2011. I was nominated to be the vice president, and I graciously accepted. So, in discussions about what projects the club should undertake for 2011, the new kid on the block suggested a spanish mackerel tournament. We hear about the big-bucks king mack tourneys. The ones with tens of thousands of dollars in prizes. The ones where professional anglers from all over the southeast trailer thier big boats, wrapped with the finest advertising logos, pretty fish, pretty women, or whatever. Yeah, those big center console boats sporting three...count ém, three...300 horsepower outboars! Wow.
Well, that's not the kind of tournament I had in mind. I wanted one that the everydáy guy, like me, could enter. And, stand a chance of winning. So, as many of us know, make a suggestion, and you can become chairman. I did, and I did.
We had hoped for 40 or so boats. Some negativity on a couple fishing web sites put a little damper on my enthusiasm. Some folks would rather sit at their puters and nitpick or complain than fish. I just don't get it. I have to quote Ann Landers or Dear Abby...I forget which...from many years ago: Son, you have a problem and should seek professional help. At least, a change of latitude would be good for some of these folks, one far, far away from me, and one with no computer connection.
Ok, enough about that.
We had fun. And, in talking with the anglers that came in for the weigh-in Saturday afternoon, they did, too. Didn't matter whether they had a small fish, like us, or several very nice spanish macks, the point was they had a good time.
Like Michael Bishop, a 13-year old from Raleigh. He took the junior angler award for the heaviest spanish caught by a kid under 16.
Jeffy Naylor aboard the Reel ém "N" did well, too. With a three fish total of 12.78 pounds, he took second place for aggregate weight. He also took home the prize for the single biggest spanish mack in the TWT (Tournament Within a Tournament...a side wager, if you will), with a spanish that tipped the scales at 5.34 pounds. A nice fish for Jeff.
In third place, with an aggregate three fish weight of 11.36 pounds, was the crew of Reel Outdoors.
Nice Spanish.
Thanks to all of the volunteers, Marine Fisheries (they took samples from the fish to study), and ALL of the anglers who participated. And, with any luck, we'll do it again next year.
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