NCBBA Red Drum Tournament will be Oct. 24-26 on Hatteras Island

The North Carolina Beach Buggy Association will sponsor its fifth annual Red Drum Tournament on Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 24-26, on Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area with more than $12,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs.

Tournament headquarters will be again be at Frank and Fran’s tackle shop in Avon. Registration begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 23, with fishing beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, and ending at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26.

The $100 tournament entry fee includes a tournament T-shirt and hat, heavy hors d’oeuvres on Wednesday evening during the general rules meeting and Saturday night’s tournament banquet. The tournament is limited to 300 paid anglers. Space is still available.

All proceeds from the last two events have gone to the Hatteras Island Methodist Men to help the folks of Hatteras Island recover from storm damage. NCBBA also has not given up the fight for beach access. This year’s proceeds will go to the NCBBA legal fund to help offset legal fees related to the lawsuit that the Cape Hatteras Access Preservation Alliance has filed against the Department of Interior and National Park Service for the continued fight for “free and open vehicular beach access.”

According to NCBBA, this tournament is “grandfathered” into the National Park Service’s new ORV management plan, so participants will be able to fish in the same areas as before the final rule.

NCBBA has received the special use permit to allow the group to use ORVs on the village beach areas between Ramps 23 and 38 that will be seasonally closed during the tourney and to use ORVs in the vehicle free areas between Salvo and Avon.

NCBBA says it has received assurance from National Park Service that all non-resource closed areas will be opened for this event. Anglers in the tournament can use any area that is not a resource or safety closure from the Rodanthe Pier south down to the no-driving zone south of Ramp 38.  As in past years, this is subject to any full beach resource closures for turtles.

The closed beaches on northern Hatteras will be opened at 8 a.m. on Wednesday for anglers to scout before registration. For those who really want to get a head start on finding a prime fishing spot, The Capitol City Four Wheelers (CCFW) are holding a 24-hour tournament on Oct. 19 and 20 that covers the entire Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area.

Anglers who had previously fished in the tournament had until May 31 to sign up. Since June 1, registration has been available to everyone on-line at www.ncbba.org or in person at Frank and Fran’s so you too can fish these areas that are otherwise closed to vehicular access the rest of the year.

The tournament really needs judges. If you are interested in being a judge, you will be compensated for your time with a free entry into the tournament for the times when you are not judging.  First-time judges will be notified of your selection and your registration fee will be refunded during registration on Oct. 23. Each judge works a six-hour shift at least twice during the three-day event. Each judge will be assigned a ramp to work and will need a four-wheel-drive vehicle to be able to cover a three or four mile area between the ramps. Depending on the draw, some judges are scheduled to do an additional four-hour shift Saturday afternoon. At least 36 people are needed for these positions.

Head Judge for this year’s tournament will again be David Flanigan. He will be assisted by Bobby Halstead.

David Joyner is again the tournament chairman and co-chairman is Ervin Gaskins.

NCBBA will also be collecting new unwrapped toys for the Toys for Tots for Hatteras Island children who otherwise may not have a present to open on Christmas morning. Please drop off your donations at Frank and Fran’s during the event. The group will also accept cash donations anytime during the event. Checks should be payable to NCBBA and put Toys for Tots in the memo line on the check.

“Your continued support of NCBBA and beach access is greatly appreciated,” Joyner said. “This tournament is our single largest fund raiser of the year….The NCBBA Board of Officers and Directors appreciate your support and past participation and hope the 2013 tournament will be the best yet.”

For more information, go to www.ncbba.org.