Cape
Charles, VA - An 84.8-pound citation black drum landed by
Hampton Capt. Bill Brown took top honors in the 2009 Black
Drum World Championship Fishing Tournament held May 15 and
16, out of Bay Creek Marina in Cape Charles, Va. Rounding
out the winning Team Eleanor Susan were Will Brown of Cape
Charles, Darden Barrett of Hampton, J.P. Hubbard of Eastville,
and Richard Hubbard of Machipongo.
Team
Eleanor Susan earned $3,000 for their efforts. The winning
angler also will receive an engraved wall plaque featuring
a miniature hand-painted black drum mount. In addition, the
angler, team name, and fish weight will be engraved on the
tournament's perpetual trophy, a black drum sculpture prepared
by Turner Sculpture of Melfa.
Alexandria's
Matt Parks claimed second place with his 71.22-pounder. Parks
was fishing with Capt. Wayne Galbraith of Montpelier and John
Galbraith of Arlington. Team Galbraith walked away with $2,000
for their work. Parks will receive an individual custom plaque.
The third-place fish, worth $1,000 and a plaque, was captured
by Capt. Christian Seay of Cape Charles. His black drum weighed
in at 68.45 pounds. Fishing with Seay aboard Team Big Blue
was Rick Seay of Virginia Beach.
The
crew aboard the Eleanor Susan also took first place in the
Conservation Division with six tagged black drum. Participants
in this division were registered members of the Virginia Gamefish
Tagging Program or participated in a black drum tagging seminar
prior to the captains meeting Friday night. The team will
earn a boat plaque for its efforts.
The
2009 Black Drum World Championship attracted a field of 53
vessels with 243 anglers. Anglers hailed from Virginia, Maryland,
North Carolina, West Virginia, Delaware, Georgia, and Tennessee.
Fishing was originally scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday,
but the tournament committee on Saturday evening called off
Sunday fishing. Small craft warnings were posted Saturday
beginning at 1 p.m. through Monday. The marine forecast was
for showers and scattered thunderstorms throughout Saturday
evening and into Sunday afternoon with winds at 15 to 25 knots
gusting to 30 knots later in the day Sunday. Seas were forecast
at 3 to 4 feet becoming 4 to 5 feet as the wind picked up.
Fish
entered in the tournament were subject to examination by the
Virginia Marine Resources Commission's Fisheries Management
Division, which obtained biological samples for use in its
Black Drum Data Collection Program. Anglers contributing to
this program were awarded hats or shirts for their participation.
The VMRC examined and collected samples from 31 fish during
the tournament.
Another benefactor from the tournament was the Foodbank on
the Eastern Shore, which received five donated drum; the fish
will be distributed to families in need on the Eastern Shore
of Virginia.
Generous
sponsors contributed to the tournament's third year. Chesapeake
sponsors included Chris' Bait & Tackle, Gowen & Associates,
O'Connor & Co. Inc., and J.H. West Seafood, Inc. Our Kings
Creek sponsors included Bay Propeller, Cape Charles Yacht
Center/Southport Investors, Davis Disposal/Ashby Construction,
Eastern Shore News, Eastern Shore Outfitters and Mid Atlantic
Marine Group. Shore Ice, Inc., sponsored the posters.
Capt. Bill Brown,
left, took top honors at the 2009 Black Drum World Championship
Fishing Tournament with an 84.8-pounder. His teammates aboard
the Eleanor Susan included Darden Barrett, Richard Hubbard,
J.P. Hubbard, and Will Brown.
Thanks
to our fine sponsors!
Chesapeake
Sponsors
Kings
Creek Sponsors
Shore
Ice, Inc., sponsored the posters.
