The Second Annual Cape Fear Red Trout Tournament was held September 24-26.
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The tournament started on the 24th, with a captains' meeting and very nice dinner for all participants
and their significant others. The dinner was very nicely done and included silent and live auctions on some
tempting items from fishing rods to paintings to necklaces for the ladies. Almost anything you might want
was there and you had a chance to bid on it and win.
The actual tournament fishing was held the 25th and 26th. My two man team consisted of Mark Skeen, District
Manager for Mercury Marine, and Jerry Dilsaver, Staff Writer and Special Events Coordinator for the NC Sportsman
Magazine.
Fishing was from 6:30 to 3:30 both days, which is a lot of fishing. Conditions were far from great this
year. We had to deal with gusty winds in the 15 to 20 knot range both days and then it rained on us a bit
the second day. But, we persevered through it all, fished very hard, and when it was all said and done,
our team took First Place in the Most Redfish Caught Division. We also had First Place Most Redfish
Caught Angler, Second Place for Most Points, and Third Place for Largest Redfish Caught.
The awards party was something else. Catered food and live music and a raffle for some very nice items.
And, of course the awards, framed art work of Redfish and or Trout with a brass engraved plate indicating
your accomplishment.
I would like to add that my team member Mark Skeen won the Most Redfish Caught Division and he
had never caught a red before!
It was a long weekend, but very worthwhile. We raised a lot of money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
and that is what this tournament is all about. I was able to see first hand what efforts like ours had accomplished
in the past and knew that in some small way we provided for more accomplishments to defeat Cystic Fibrosis
in the future.
Capt. Rick Bennett
Rod-Man Charters