VFD PLEASED WITH TURNOUT
Ballenger Wins Tightly-Contested Shallotte Point Flounder Tournament
STAf F PHOTOS BY DOUG HUTTtl
MIKE BAUJiNGER shows off the 5.83-pound flounder that took first place in the 10th annual Shal
lotte Point VFD Flounder Tournament. Also pictured are Mike's parents, John and Doris Ballenger of
Hnlden Beach.
1MMM11m MMMNNM jMNHMMMI MM MM I ? MMM li I
SUFF PHOTOS BY TAMMIE HENDEKSON
RODNEY CIJNE of Supply (right) receives a trophy for the largest wahoo at last week's Bald Head
Island Fishing Rodeo. Presenting the award is Jim Lachey of the Washington Redskins.
Female Crew Wins Bald Head Event
Three female anglers captured the
top prize of S7.500 in last week's
Bald Head Island Fishing Rodeo.
Kim Gottwald, Sharon Dixon and
Anne Burnett made up the fishing
team on the winning boat, the
Kimberly out of Bald Head Island.
Drew Dixon and Donnie Lee were
crew members.
The winners brought 164.5
pounds of fish to the docks during
the two-day tournament last Friday
and Saturday. One point was award
ed for each pound of wahoo, tuna
and dolphin.
Finishing second with 155 points
was the Rascal Fair, another boat
out of Bald Head. The prize was
S3,750.
Winning S2.000 for third place
was the Slow Poke out of Morehead
City with 151.5 points.
The Miss Sarah, captained by
Rodney Clinc of Supply, was the
fourth-place finisher with 128.5
points. Cline also weighed in the
largest wahoo at 36.5 pounds.
The Reel Thing of Bald Head
Island took fifth place with 106
points. The Kimberly and Slow Poke
each won an additional S500 in daily
prizes.
Jim Lachey of the Washington
Redskins presented the awards.
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THE KIMBERLY was the overall winner of the Bald Head Island
Fishing Rodeo. Pictured (from left) are Sharon Dixon, Drew
Dixon, Kim Cottwald, Donnie I^ee and Anne Burnett.
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BY DOUG RUTTKR
Mike Ballcngcr of West End
caught a 5.83-pound fish in the
opening hours of the two-day Shal
loue Point VFD Flounder Tourna
ment that ended up winning the top
prize of SI,500.
Fishing with his parents, John and
Doris Ballcngcr of Holdcn Beach,
Mike's catch highlighted cnc of the
most tightly-contcstcd and success
ful tournaments in recent years.
Each of the five biggest fish
weighed between 5.09 and 5.83
pounds. The 114 entries were the
most in four years, and the fire de
partment sold out of fish plates at its
awards dinner Saturday night.
"The weather was great," Shal
lottc Point VFD Secretary-Treasurer
Vernon Ward said Saturday. "We
had more entrants. We had more
people here eating. And when you
have that it makes you less tired at
the end of the day."
Mike Ballcngcr, a newcomer to
the 10th annual flounder tournament
out of Tripp's Fishing Center, said
he caught the winning fish near the
mouth of Shallouc Inlet.
The Ballcngers landed two small
flounder Friday morning before
Mike pulled in the eventual winner.
They brought the fish to the weigh
station at Tripp's around 9 a.m. It
was the first fish on the scales.
"We wanted to get him weighed
before he lost any weight," Bal
lenger said. "We were hoping it
would win."
The fish did win, barely. Randy
Parnell of Lumberton placed second
with a flounder weighing 5.59
pounds. It was worth S1,000.
Fred Davis of Wilmington won
S600 for weighing in the five
biggest fish over the two days. The
combined weight was 13.49 pounds.
Hank Martinez of Fayetteville, a
perennial tournament winner, caught
the third largest flounder. The 5.53
poundcr was worth S500.
Finishing fifth and winning $400
was Richard Canady of Longwood
with a flounder weighing 5.24
pounds. Dwight McCall of Shallotte
won S200 for a fish weighing 5.09
pounds.
Mike Warren of Myrtle Beach,
S.C., caught the most fish both days.
He landed 13 flounder Friday and
15 Saturday to win a total of S400 in
daily prize money.
Canady, Gary Long of Longwood
and Ron Baucom of Lumberton tied
for second place on the first day
with 10 fish each. They won S50
apiece.
On Saturday, Long was second
with 14 flounder and Canady third
with 12. Long won SI00 and
Canady S50.
Winners of the $50 daily chil
dren's prizes were Brodie Warren of
Myrtle Beach
with a 4.39
pounder, and
Bevcrlee Mc
Dowell of Sun
set Harbor with
a 1.72-pounder.
Overall, Ward
said fishermen
brought 177
flounder to the
weigh station. mcdowf.LL
r
*
K
BRODIE WARREN of Myrtle Beach, S.C., won a $50 child's prize
for this 4.83-pound flounder. Brodie's father, Mike Warren, caught
the most fish both days of the tournament and won $400.
The combined weight was 290 awards ceremony.
pounds. Approximately 450 people ate
Fishermen caught a lot of under- fish or barbecue dinners at the fire
sized fish. Flounder less than 13 station. Firefighters and auxiliary
inches long have to thrown back, members cooked all of the fish
"There's a lot of them out there," caught in the tournament plus 100
Ward said. "If they're not caught be- extra pounds.
fore next year we'll have a whole lot Ward said the fish fry gives resi
of big ones." dents in the fire district an opportu
Ward said weather for the touma- nity to visit the station and see the
ment was excellent. "It's cither been needs of the department. The VFD
cold or rainy or both for the last two is trying to save money for a new
years. The weather this year was by truck.
far the prettiest we've had in a long "It's something we really need,
time." and the only way to get it is to work
Tournament officials said they toward that end and put a few thou
couldn't remember a better turnout sand dollars a year in the account
for the Saturday night fish fry and until we get enough," he said.
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