We have a new Flounder Bowl champion! Flounder Bowl V stretched out over two weekends due to weather advisories. The Flounder Bowl began with a captains meeting, hosted by Dare Marina, on Friday June 28. With marginal weather forecasts and generally poor flounder fishing, it was questionable how the turnout would be. The turnout was good and there was no barbeque left over.
Saturday and Sunday’s fishing were cancelled due to marine advisories. The seas were not bad at all so many went fishing anyway. Sunday, the food was ready and the weigh-in seafood party was on, without a weigh-in. Again, the turnout for the party was questionable. It was likely the largest Flounder Bowl party yet: 300-400 pounds of fish and scallops, 2400 hush puppies, 12 kegs of beer, and untold amounts of other food, liquor, soft drinks, and bottles of water disappeared. Now, we had to wait until the following weekend.
On July 6, 105 boats competed in the fifth Flounder Bowl. Flounder fishing has not been good but with this many of the best flounder anglers fishing for big prize money and bragging rights, there would be flounder found. Some nice flounder were caught. Overall, stringer weights were down from previous tournaments and no fish over Virginia’s citation minimum of 7 pounds were weighed in this year.
The 2013 Flounder Bowl champions are Brian Hogge and team Hog Choker. Their 3-fish stringer weighed in at 15.85 pounds. Brian’s largest fish weighed 6.24 pounds. This fish won both the Big Fish Calcutta and the PSWSFA Member Award. Team Hog Choker’s total winnings were $10,700. Brian becomes the first repeat Flounder Bowl Champion. He won his first championship during the 2010 Flounder Bowl.
The second place boat was the Hounddog with Richard Lewis. Their stringer weighed 13.31 pounds. They won $2,000.
Third place was Barry Bradley on the Fatty Flatty. They also won the 3-Fish Stringer Calcutta with their 12.62 pounds. Their total winnings were $3,700.
Just Plumbing sponsored the fourth place team. Zachery Hoffman on the Salt Treated weighed in a stringer of 12.5 pounds. Fishing on the Salt Treated was the Top Lady Angler, JJ Hensel. Her winning flounder weighed 4.69 pounds. She received $100 and a pair of Costa sunglasses. Salt Treated’s total cash winnings were $1,100 and Just Plumbing gets to keep the Sponsors Trophy for the next year.
Coming in fifth place was Malcolm Covington and the Sweet Caroline. They weighed in 12.44 pounds and won $500.
In sixth place was Kenny Hoffman on the M & M Custom Painting team. Their 11.27 pound stringer won $250.
The Top Youth Angler was Fisher Dedmond with a 5.69 pound flounder. He was fishing on Cindi “D” sponsored by Bishop Fishing Supply. Fisher won $100 and a pair of Costa Sunglasses.
The $500 “Lucky Dog” winner was the Cindi “D”.
Total prizes for the 2013 Flounder Bowl were $18,850 plus merchandize.
It takes a tremendous number of volunteers to conduct a tournament of this size. Most of the volunteers have some relationship with Tournament Director, Capt. Jorj Head. Without Jorj and his large network of friends, the Flounder Bowl does not happen. Also, the efforts of the staff at Dare Marina are indispensable to this event.
Of course, the sponsors are everything. These are the businesses that make the Flounder Bowl much more than just another fishing tournament:
Gold Sponsors
Thomas E Wilson Insurance Agency, VBSF.net, Yorktown Materials, Harbor Mechanical, Pomoco Auto Group, Dare Marina & Yacht Sales, Multi-Print Inc, Green Top Sporting Goods, Michael Surveying & Mapping, P. C., The Bush Companies, Wanchese Fish Company, Seaford Scallop Company, Bay Propeller, Ferguson Enterprises, Inc., C. A. Barrs Contractor, Parks Orthodontics,York River Electric, Inc., M and M Custom Painting, Randy Blanchard, MD Plastic Surgery Center of Hampton Roads, Douglas Aquatics(in memory of Eric Arnold), The Rod Father Bait and Tackle, Mercury Mulch, Inc., Comfort Technology Heating & Air Conditioning, Liebherr Mining Equipment, Riverwalk & Water Street Grille, Whitehouse Cove Marina, Boat U.S., Auto Solution
Sponsors
Holland Corp., Rudees Inlet Station Marina, Grafton Fishing Supply, Sinkerman’s Wholesale Sinkers & Lures,VooDoo Tackle, Pig Out BBQ, Sea Tow Lower Chesapeake, Hunt Smile Design, Mountain Breeze Taxidermy, Bishop Fishing Supply, Wayne Harbin Builder, Inc., Dr. K. E. Neill, Oyster Cove Boatworks & Yacht Brokerage, Fishing Tidewater with Don Lancaster, Teagle Insurance Agency, Inc., West Marine, Dr. Guy Harvey, Catchin’ With Capt. Reese, Tidewater Family Dentistry, CFE Equipment Corporation, Amory Funeral Home, Beachcomber Restaurant, Auto Haus, Drucker & Falk Real Estate, Dock 2 Sea, Yorktown Pub, Geary Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Aero Colours Auto Body & Paint, Williams Facility Service, Firefly Sweat Tea Vodka, Skyy Vodka, Flor De Cana Rum, Dr. McGillicuddy’s Liqueur, Appleton Rum, Lila Nicolls, Inc. RE/MAX Peninsula, Pop’s Drive In,The Pizza Shop, Bill’s Seafood House, Ace Peninsula Hardware, Back River Rods, Bluewater Yacht Sales, Costa Sunglasses, Just Plumbing, Hibbard’s Iron Works, Coca Cola Refreshments, Chesapeake Angler, James Frasor Coastal Art, Reel Fast Tackle, Mark’s Glass, Atlantic Marine Service, Humps Contracting, Southern Plumbing & Heating Supply, Wallace’s Bait & Tackle, Cactus Restaurant, ASI Security
Many photographs from this year and previous years can be seen at the Flounder Bowl Facebook page.
