52-inch red drum takes first in annual NCBBA tournament
The drum fishing was really hot as the sixth annual North Carolina Beach Buggy Association Red Drum Tournament got underway in the early morning hours of Thursday, Oct. 23, on Hatteras Island’s northern beaches.
A cold front had just passed through the area, temperatures were cool, and the wind was blowing at 25 to 30 mph from the northwest — apparently great weather for catching the fish.
In the last session on the first day, Jamie Fajardo of Fuquay Varina, N.C., reeled in a 52-inch red drum, which turned out to become the tournament winner.
It also set a tournament record for the largest red drum to take the overall prize — by just a quarter of an inch.
In all, 250 anglers, judges, and winners from the 2013 tournament competed for over $8,500.00 in cash and prizes during the three-day event. They represented 14 different states with Tim Snyder from Tucson, Ariz., traveling the longest distance.
A total of 106 red drum were caught — 12 citations, 60 yearlings, and 34 puppy drum caught, measured, and released alive.
Bob Butler of Waldorf, Md., caught the most Red Drum with seven fish. Scott Allsbrook caught five fish, and four of those were citation red drum.
Registration began Wednesday, Oct. 22, at tournament headquarters, Frank & Fran’s tackle shop in Avon. Fishing began at midnight and ended on Saturday afternoon.
Each day, the temperatures got warmer, the wind got lighter, and the fish got harder to find.
Eight-seven red drum were caught in the first five sessions that ended Friday morning. Only one red drum and one bluefish were caught during the first session on Saturday. Two puppy drum were beached in the second session, and no scoring fish were caught in the final session.
Awards were handed out at the tournament’s banquet on Saturday evening at Cape Hatteras Secondary School
The winners were:
- Largest red drum overall — Jamie Fajardo of Fuquay Varina, N.C. — 52 inches
- Second largest red drum — Jimmy Reynolds of Round Hill, Va. — 50.75 inches.
- Largest red drum, Day 1 — Glen Allen of Clayton, N.C., — 48.50 inches fish. He also caught the first fish of the tournament at 12:20 a.m. on Thursday.
- Second largest red drum, Day 1 — John McKee of Durham, N,C. — 48.00 inches.
- Largest red drum, Day 2 — Donald Beard of Hampton, Va. — 46.50 inches.
- Second largest red drum, Day 2 — Hank Connelly of Culpepper, Va. — 46.50 inches.
- Largest red drum, Day 3 Mike Eastridge of Charlotte, N.C. — 27.75 inches.
- Second largest red drum, Day 3 — Jim Davis of Worton, Md. — 26.00 inches.
- Most red drum — Bob Butler of Waldorf, Md. — seven.
- Largest red drum, ladies division — Anna Jarvis of Stella, N.C. — 32.75 inches.
- Largest red drum, senior division — Bob Butler of Waldorf, Md. — 44.75 inches.
- Largest red drum, junior division — Jared Haynes of Wilson, N.C. — 27.00 inches.
- Biggest sea mullet — George Sloop of Salisbury, N.C. — 2.06 pounds, 17.50 inches.
- Largest bluefish — Hunter Durrer of Charlottesville, Va. — 18.50 inches.
During the tournament, NCBBA collected a pick-up load of non-perishable food for the Hatteras Island Food Pantry and five huge boxes of new unwrapped toys for the children of Hatteras Island who otherwise may not have anything to open Christmas morning. The Rodanthe-Waves-Civic Association also received a $500 donation.
