After a year competing for largest fish caught in 2017 by a member of the Cape Hatteras Anglers Club, the winners were honored at the Surf Fishing Contest Awards Dinner Feb. 10 at the Anglers Club.
A total of 24 fish in four divisions were winners in the contest with three of the fish North Carolina citation size.
In the Men’s Division Darr Barshis won for three fish – a 2 lb. 15 oz. Flounder, a 3 lb. 2 oz. Speckled Trout and a citation size 2 lb. 10 oz. Sea Mullet. Claude Bain’s winning 5 lb. 6 oz. Gray Trout and Jeffrey Madre’s 2 lb. 4 oz. Pompano were also citation size. Charles Durrer had two winning fish, a 39” Bluefish and a 46” Red Drum.
Additional winners in the Men’s Division were Jim Kingsley, 37-inch Albacore; Robert Walczak, 9 lb. 12 oz. Black Drum; Greg Erwin, 1 lb. 1 oz. Blow Toad; Jim Armel, 4 lb. 3 oz. Sheepshead; and Kevin McCabe, 4 lb. 2 oz. Spanish Mackerel.
In the Women’s Division, K. Ashley Bahen had two winning fish – a 7 lb. 5 oz. Black Drum and a 3 lb. 4 oz. Pompano. Other winners were: Jasmine Roller, a 37” Bluefish; Linda Jones, 14 oz. Blow Toad; Charlotte Sprenkle, 3 lb. 1 oz. Flounder; Thelma Noble, 2 lb. 1 oz. Sea Mullet; and Carla Meekins, a 43” Red Drum.
Macullah Lester, age 15, not only won for the largest Red Drum at 48” in the Junior Division (Age 13-16), he also won for the largest Red Drum caught by any club member in 2017. Macullah’s name will go on the Bernice R. Ballance Memorial Plaque for the largest Red Drum caught in 2017. His brother, River Lester, also was a winner for a 4 lb. 11 oz. Black Drum; and William McCrystal Jr. won for his 35-1/4” Bluefish.
In the Youth Division (Through age 12), Josh Kiser had three winning fish – a 24-1/2” Albacore, 33-1/2” Bluefish and a 2 lb. 8 oz. Spanish Mackerel. Bobby Eakes Jr. won for a 46” Red Drum, and Bodie James Weston won for 4 lb. 14 oz. Black Drum.
All current members in good standing are eligible to compete in the annual contest which runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 each year. Fish can be weighed and registered at any Hatteras Island tackle shop. Fish that are released are to be witnessed by another angler on the beach. Registered entry forms are then submitted to the Anglers Club. Entry forms are available at all tackle shops and at the Anglers Club.
New members are always welcome. For more information on how to join the Club and compete in our member’s contest, call the Anglers Club office at 252-995-4253. The Anglers Club office, located on Light Plant Road in Buxton, is open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. You also may pick up a member application at any tackle shop, or visit our website: www.capehatterasanglersclub.org to print an application.
