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riental Rotary Tarpon Tournament director John Mitchell says the tarpon gave the ‘greatest cooperation’ this year. Over the weekend, 28 tarpon were caught (and then released). That was the second highest number in the 16 year history of the scholarship fundraising tournament.

The fish were especially out in force on Saturday, when 21 were caught. Less so on Sunday when there were only 7.

The top tarpon captain this year was Gene Wooster (who also won the tournament three years ago). Gene took home a check for $3,060 for his first place finish.

First Place and top tarpon-getting team, headed by Gene Wooster of Mobile East Marine in Alliance. They caught 6 tarpon and had three others jump off From left to right: Ed Braun, president of the Rotary, Gene Wooster, his son James, and John Deaton with Tarpon Tournament director John Mitchell. (Not present at the awards ceremony was fellow team member, Michael Boone.)

49 teams took part in the competition which had fishermen out at first light on Saturday and Sunday in waters of the river, the sound and near the inlets to the Atlantic (that’s as specific as most boat crews would get about their fishing areas). The tournament was based at Whittaker Pointe Marina in Oriental.

Second Place team of Buddy Laws, Mike Noel and brothers Jimmy and Michael Goodmon. They caught three tarpon.

Third Place award went to Derek Jordan shown here with his daughter Claire and son, Michael and the rest of his team. They caught three tarpon

The second and third place winners had three tarpon each. The tie was broken by the clock — which team caught their first tarpon first. It was an intra-family competition. Brothers-in-law Derek Jordan and Jimmy Goodmon shake hands.
Alternative caption: Tied at three fish each, brothers-in-law Jordan and Goodmon determined the outcome by the ancient Rotary ritual of “Death Grip Handshake”.

The Standings

The first 8 boats were “in the money.” No less than 6 boats tied with 2 tarpon each – the final order being determined by the clock.

1. Gene Wooster, 6 tarpon, $3,060
2. Jimmy Goodmon, 3 tarpon, $1,530
3. Derek Jordan, 3 tarpon, $765
4. Phil Ambler, 2 tarpon, $612
5. Harry Ireland, 2 tarpon, $535.50
6. Dan Roberts, 2 tarpon, $459
7. Matt Deaton, 2 tarpon, $382.50
8. Doug Sulc, 2 tarpon, $306
9. Len Banks, 2 tarpon
10. George Beckwith, 1 tarpon
11. Charles Gryb, 1 tarpon
12. Henry Mallard, 1 tarpon
13. Scott Price, 1 tarpon

The highest money earner for the weekend was actually the second place boat. Jimmy Goodmon won the “Tournament Within A Tournament”, adding $1,725 to his winnings for a total of $3,255.

How hard are tarpon to catch? On the same weekend that saw the second highest number of tarpon caught, 36 of the 49 boats that competed caught none.

These boots were made for skating. The award for most skate caught went to….

George Beckwith has now won the Pancake Tarpon award for two years running. This year he had 40. 443 skate were caught altogether.

Aside from the fishermen, the weekend long event drew hundreds to a BBQ dinner on Saturday and awards ceremony on Sunday at Whittaker Pointe Marina. Lots of photos follow:

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One focus of attention at the tournament headquarters was the score board. Here, Dick Moat, the chief tabulator, enters the figures.

Nicole and Alexis Edwards were doing a brisk business in raffle tickets, which raise money for the Rotary scholarship fund.

512 people were served up a BBQ dinner Saturday night! While the line looks like they won’t get served til Tuesday, it all went pretty quickly. ( Ratio of dinners served to tarpon caught? 18 to 1.)

From the aft of the dinner line. Standing at the end is Rotary Club President Ed Braun (they say membership has its privileges, but the club Prez still has to stand in line).

Rotarian Paul Henry takes a break from pouring the Yeungling.

The quarry.

The high-tech tabulations of Dick Moat couldn’t happen without the right equipment. This year’s was a fried chicken box.

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The Lawson Creek Bluegrass Band played on Saturday evening..

A bass at a tarpon tournament.

Fiddle player in the country band which played Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s country band and its drummer.

Norma Smith didn’t compete, but the life-long Oriental resident isn’t a stranger to the event, or to fishing. “Have I ever been fishing? Oh my, yes.” Miss Norma says she and two other women friends would take a pontoon boat out on to the Neuse many nights and set a net for a few hours. Then, on the way back to town, they’d give some of the fish to the fisherman lined up along the shorefront. She stopped fishing three years ago.

Captain Larry Walker and Alexis and Nicole Edwards drawing the winner of Larry’s captain’s license course. $1,001 was raised by the raffle (it all goes to the Rotary scholarship fund) – Ed Terry won the course.

The fishing may have been over for those waiting for the results at the tournament headquarters at Whittaker Pointe Marina, but the work week was just beginning for the commercial fishermen on board the shrimp trawlers that were heading out Sunday afternoon (look in the distance).

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Jimmy Goodmon provided TownDock.net with some photos from the water:

One of the three tarpon caught by the Goodmon crew… on the hook and fighting.

Most boats don’t get to see this sight – a tarpon on the line.

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Releasing the fish, Jimmy Goodmon (left) and Buddy Laws.

Posted Monday July 28, 2008 by Melinda Penkava