Mike Martin Memorial Pier Tournament 2007
Surf City Pier held its third annual Mike Martin Memorial Pier Tournament August 18-19, commemorating Martin, the pier’s former and much-loved manager. Fishing lasted from 6:00 Saturday morning until noon on Sunday, and at 2:00 Sunday afternoon the tired anglers assembled outside the pier house to enjoy ice cream sandwiches and the awards presentations.
The event awards $100 first and $50 second place prizes for the largest bluefish, pompano, whiting, spot, flounder, puppy drum, sheepshead, spanish mackerel, and king mackerel. It also gives a $500 grand prize to the angler catching the largest speckled trout.
No specks were caught during this year’s tournament, so Beverly Vause was the event’s big winner, taking home the first place prizes in the spanish mackerel and pompano categories. Her spanish weighed a hefty 4.76 lbs., with the pompano at 1.41 lbs.
“I caught the spanish around 6:00 yesterday afternoon,” Vause reported, “and the pompano early this morning.” A live yellow tail minnow on the surface fooled the mackerel, while the pompano fell for cut shrimp fished on a bottom rig.
Jim Burke took the second place 3.34 lb. spanish mackerel. A 1.32 lb. pompano secured second place in that division for Shirley Miles.
Andy Spoon’s 4.23 lb. flounder took the top spot in the flatfish competition. A Carolina-rigged finger mullet was too much for the fish to resist. A 2.86 lb. flounder earned Margaret Ingram second place.
In the whiting competition, Cathy Allen took first place with a 1.30 lb. fish that fell for cut shrimp. Augustine Hernandez was right on her heels with a 1.24 lb. whiting.
Cody Hairr caught the first place spot for the second year in a row. This year’s winning fish weighed in at 0.47 lbs. Bryan Glassmond took the 0.33 lb. second place spot.
James Helms’ 2.27 lb. bluefish earned him the $100 prize in that category. A 1.32 lb. blue garnered second for Russ Becker.
This tournament also features a children’s competition, awarding trophies to the children catching the three heaviest fish. Shoal Sullivan’s 0.76 lb. spadefish earned the first place trophy, and Dalton Williams took both second and third with 0.67 and 0.62 lb. spades. All children fishing the tournament went home with a gift bag.
No red drum, sheepshead, or kings were landed during the tournament, but an angler did catch a slot-sized red just after the competition ended. Since the $500 trout prize wasn’t given away this year, the winning speck next year will be worth $1000.
For more information on Surf City Pier or the Mike Martin Tournament, visit www.surfcityoceanpier.com.
