Healthy Grin Sport Fishing

After too long of a hiatus, we made it back out on the water today. We caught some big tautog with five weighing in the double-digits. I managed to catch one of those. Dr. Hamish Small, from VIMS, had never caught a citation-sized tog before. Now he has four. His largest fish weighed in at 15 pounds 8 ounces. JT Hale caught a cod. We caught some lesser tog and a few nice sea bass that were released. The tog we weighed in were: 11.5, 12.5, 13, 14.5, and 15.5 pounds.

When I got to the boat yesterday morning, Hunter Southall was using a snow shovel. The rest of the guys were beating on the deck with 5 gallon buckets, trying to break up the ice. We left Rudee Inlet in the direction of the Triangle Wrecks. It was too rough running in that direction so we turned south to an inshore wreck. We got anchored up, in the sleet, and proceeded to catch nothing until the anchor broke free. We re-anchored and did more of the same. By the third time the anchor came loose, the seas were settling down. Since we were not catching anything where we were, we headed to a wreck further offshore and re-found the rough seas. It was too rough to try and anchor so we made a few drops while I tried to hold the boat over the wreck with the engines. The guys did catch and release some nice sea bass but no tautog. We gave up on that and were going to head further out to catch some tilefish but the rain picked up and the water-in-the-fuel alarm went off. Enough was enough, we pointed the boat down sea, drained the water from the filters and headed home.

The Peninsula Salt Water Sport Fisherman’s Association held their annual awards banquet to celebrate the 2014 fishing season. Many awards were handed out. Of these, some of the most important are the special youth awards. They are the future of our sport.

Young anglers receiving awards for their 2014 catches include: Johnny Bingham, Gaston Shepard, Hayden Head, Spencer Elford, McKenna Head, Caleb Sava, Lexi Sava, Madison Hunt, Morgan Cooper, Ethan Moore, Michael Speas, Taylor Simmerman, and Alexa Robb.

Awards were given to the winners of the various tournaments held in 2014. The Triple Threat (red drum, black drum, cobia) tournament was won by Wally Veal with a total length of 162”. The Youth Flounder Tournament was won by Hayden Head with a 5 pound 9 ounce fish. Hayden also won the Youth Croaker Tournament with a 1 pound 4 ounce croaker. Amy Blow won the Ladies Flounder Tournament with a 4 pound 4 ounce flatfish. The Ladies Croaker Tournament was won by Diane Greasley with a 1 pound 7 ounce croaker. Chris Nelson won the Spot Tournament with a .64 pound spot. The Youth Spot Tournament was won by Caleb Sava with a .63 pound spot. The Don Forman Cobia Tournament was won by Hayden Head with a 55 pound 8 ounce cobia. Wes Blow won the Irv Fenton Rockfish Tournament with a 49 pound striped bass.

A number of special awards were presented.

Deven Simmerman won the Critter of the Year Award with a barracuda.

The Angler of the Year Award is won by catching a large variety of trophy-sized fish. This year’s winner of the top angling award is Wally Veal.

The Fish of the Year Award was presented to Stan Simmerman for his 85-pound wahoo. This was the largest wahoo caught in Virginia in 2014.

The Dr. Boatwright Rockfish Trophy is presented to the angler catching the largest striped bass for the year. Charles Southall won this trophy with his 50-inch rockfish.

Two awards were presented for Outstanding Contribution. These awards are presented to individuals or businesses whose service to the PSWSFA is so outstanding that it has to be recognized. This year’s recipients are Amy Blow and Dawn Agee.

Considered the most prestigious of all of the PSWSFA Awards is the George C. Robertson Memorial Fisherman of the Year Trophy. This award has nothing to do with catching fish but rather of service. This award is presented to the individual who has done the most for the sport fishing community. This year the George C. Robertson Trophy was presented to Rick Wineman.

Numerous awards were presented for a variety of fish species. The first place awards: Amberjack-WallyVeal-62”, Blackbelly Rosefish-Wally Veal-16”, Black Drum-Ken Neill-51”, Blackfin Tuna-Paul Hunt-28.5”, Bluefish-Wally Veal-37”, Blueline Tilefish-Stan Simmerman-33.5”, Channel Bass-Wally Veal-54.5”, Cobia-Hayden Head-60.5”, Dolphin-Richie Moore-56”, False Albacore-Charles Southall and Jeff Dail-37”, Flounder-Jody Linthicum-30”, Grouper-Wally Veal-24.5”, King Mackerel-Ken Neill-57”, Sea Bass-Charles Southall-24”, Shark-Wally Veal-132”, Sheepshead-Wes Blow-25”, Snapper-Johnny Bingham-18”, Spanish Mackerel-Johnny Bingham-21”, Speckled Trout-Wes Blow-31”, Spot-Matt Waddell and Wally Veal-10.5”, Striped Bass-Charles Southall-50”, Tautog-Ken Neill-31”, Triggerfish-Stan Simmerman-72”, Wahoo-Stan Simmerman-72”, White Marlin-Spencer Elford-84”, Whiting-Morgan Cooper and Michael Hudgins-14”, Yellowfin Tuna-Tabb Bridges-55”.

The PSWSFA Awards Banquet was supported by very generous donations from: Dr. Guy Harvey, George Poveromo, Sport Fishing Magazine, Multi-Print Inc., Yorktown Transmissions, 1^st Advantage Credit Union, The Pizza Shop, Grafton Fishing Supply and Seafood, Reel Fast Tackle, Appomattox River Co., Olivia’s Restaurant, Juan’s Mexican Café, Rustic Eagle, Mountain Breeze Taxidermy, Bishop Bait and Tackle, Wilcox Bait and Tackle, West Marine, Dare Marina, Dave’s Sinkers, Yorktown Pub, Golden Creations Jewelers, Eggheads Diner, Beachcomber Restaurant, Simmerman Wildfowl Sculptures, Sea Tow Lower Chesapeake, Affordable Marine, Wallace’s Marina, Holland Inc., Andrea’s Italian Restaurant, Sal’s Sicillian Pizza, River Walk Restaurant.

It thawed out enough to allow us to shovel out the remaining snow in the boat, break through the ice, and go fishing yesterday. We ran out in thick fog, big swells and when we anchored on the wreck, the current was ripping. We had to break out the heavy sinkers but even 20 ounces was not enough to hold bottom. We did not catch a single tautog. We did catch a few really nice sea bass that we had to let go. Stan Simmerman caught a big striped bass on a jig…also released.

February2015CHUMLINE

It was too rough. We went fishing anyway. Tagged and released 6 tautog, getting DNA samples from each. Then we decided that we had had enough and went in for lunch.

Hunter Southall and myself went out for a short tog trip today. We only caught 7 tautog up to 19 inches long. We collected DNA from each for VIMS.

The VSWFT Awards were given out last night. Two of the species awards were caught on the Healthy Grin. Stan Simmerman caught the largest wahoo in Virginia in 2014. Dr. Hamish Small caught the largest gray triggerfish in the state. These make a total of 14 annual species awards won on the Healthy Grin.

While we were fishing for tautog on Super Bowl Sunday, Johnny Boyd caught a hake. There are numerous species of hake and I cannot tell them apart. Typically, we clean the fish at the dock when we get in. Being in a hurry to get home for the Super Bowl, we just took the fish home to clean later.

Doug Olander, Sport Fishing Magazine, saw a photo of the hake and said that he thought it was a Carolina hake and if so, it would be a new world record. Jason Schratwieser, IGFA, agreed that it was a Carolina hake.

It was probably going to be too late but we contacted Johnny to see if he had cleaned his fish yet. It was still in the cooler and he was going to clean it after work for his dinner. Well, don’t do that.

We took the fish to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission where the fish was weighed by Tournament Director Lewis Gillingham and witnessed by the VMRC Commissioner, John Bull, and the Fisheries Chief, Rob O’Reilly. We then took the fish to the Virginia Institute of Marine Science where the species was confirmed as Urophycis earlii , the Carolina hake.

The application is being filled out and if approved, Johnny’s 5.68 pound hake will be the new, IGFA All-Tackle World Record Carolina hake and it will be the 11th All-Tackle World Record caught on the Healthy Grin. VIMS really wanted to keep the fish to add to their collection. Johnny said that he could eat something else for dinner and he donated his fish.

Super Bowl Togs. We caught 16 tog to 23 inches today before running in early for the Super Bowl parties. We also caught sea bass and a nice hake.