NC Flatfish Welcome
September 19-20, 2008 @ Joyner Marina, Carolina Beach
I’m very excited to welcome you to the first annual N.C. Flatfish Championship, brought to you by Fisherman’s Post Newspaper. I’m also excited to be hosting the event out of Carolina Beach, the heart of North Carolina trophy flounder fishing.
Joyner Marina will serve as our tournament headquarters for the weekend: the captains’ party, the weigh-in, and the awards. Please come enjoy Joyner Marina’s unparalleled view of Snow’s Cut and the ICW. Even if you don’t enter the tournament, we encourage you to come out Saturday afternoon to watch the weigh-in.
It seems that this tournament has been a long time coming. My friends have been asking me for years to do a fall inshore event. Those of you that have fished in one of the five Spring Inshore Challenges know that we like to put on a professional but family-friendly fishing tournament. Fisherman’s Post takes its good reputation in the fishing community very seriously, and I believe that the N.C. Flatfish Championship will deliver.
The first big difference you’ll note is that this event is a true flounder tournament. This area has some of the best flounder fishermen around, so it seems fitting that we should label this tournament the N.C. Flatfish Championship. If there was a state-sanctioned title, it would have to come through Carolina Beach.
We also wanted to give the first place award to the best boat, so we’ve made the primary payout based on a two-fish aggregate. However, if you like the one big fish formula, then no problem-the TWT (which is voluntary) is based on the one biggest fish.
For the fall event we’ve continued some popular features of our spring tournament, such as the live flounder bonus payouts. We’re paying out a $10 bonus ($20 for both flounder) for every flounder weighed in alive that makes the leader board. Our sponsors have been quick to back this conservation-focused feature of our tournament, and we’re grateful for their support.
Our beneficiary for this event is the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust, a non-profit organization that works to protect pristine natural areas and waters on the coast of North Carolina. Since its inception, over 40,000 acres of barrier island beaches, marshes, and other special coastal areas have been protected, all recreational places in our community where both residents and visitors can boat, fish, kayak, or just enjoy the outdoors.
In addition to our participants, the success of the N.C. Flatfish Championship lies in the efforts of our sponsors, supporters, and volunteers. Please let them know that you appreciate their involvement and dedication to the flounder fishermen of North Carolina.
And thank you all for your continued support of Fisherman’s Post Newspaper. I love my job, and that’s because of the wonderful people I’ve gotten to know over the last six years (yes, we’ve now been printing for six years).
Gary Hurley
Publisher
Fisherman’s Post