15th annual NCBBA Red Drum Tournament begins with record 550 anglers

October 24, 2024 | Fishing | By: Joy Crist
Vehicles line up to sign up for the NCBBA tournament on Wednesday. Photo by NCBBA.

The 15th annual North Carolina Beach Buggy Association (NCBBA) Red Drum Tournament began at midnight on Wednesday with a record-breaking 550 anglers participating in 2024’s event.

“It was much more than we expected, and we had a rush of about 60 different anglers added [on Wednesday],” said NCBBA Committee Chairman Mike Regan. “We have anglers coming from 17 different states and three countries this year.”

Henry Lee Bowman with his winning drum catch in 2023. Photo from NCBBA.

During the catch-and-release red drum tournament, anglers fish from ORV Ramp 23 to old ORV Ramp 45, (although Ramps 25, 27, and 30 are not included due to recent erosion), from midnight Wednesday through noon on Saturday.

“We’ve had great cooperation with the Park Service allowing us to fish in usually enclosed areas,” said Regan. “It’s 60 hours of straight fishing, without any assigned ramps or stations – so that has made us a popular and attractive type of tournament for anglers.

The previous record for the tournament was 425 anglers, which was set in 2023.

Organizers estimate that roughly 150 participants are new to the tournament, although there are some familiar faces including last year’s youth winner Henry Lee Bowman from Florida. Bowman ended up winning both First and Second places in the Youth Division Category with two 31” red drum in 2023. (He also won the Youth Longest Bluefish Category.)

“We have a large number of families this year, which includes a lot of young anglers,” said Regan. “I believe the youngest anglers in the tournament are about 8 or 9 years old.”

Anglers are competing for more than $14,000 in prizes in 2024, and all proceeds from the tournament go to benefit local organizations including NCBBA scholarships for Hatteras Island students, the Cape Hatteras United Methodist Men, soccer programs and little league programs, and more. “It all goes back into our community,” said Regan.

The tournament ends on Saturday with a banquet and awards in numerous categories. For more information about the NCBBA and the ongoing tournament, visit their Facebook page or their website at https://www.ncbba.org/.

Wednesday’s sign-up. Photo by NCBBA.
The winners of 2023’s tournament. Photo by Photo by NCBBA.

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