Anglers are a superstitious lot. Bananas on board a boat are taboo. Mates will never wash lucky hats. Special food, music and rituals are observed to maintain good karma. So when a boat does well on a bad omen day like Friday the 13th, it goes against common logic. The secret? Not realizing the actual […]
It was a mellow Thursday, compared to normal OBX August standards. Wave Paver, Mama C and Tarheel padded their leads. But there is still one more day of competition in the 38th annual PCBT and the 39 remaining boats will be trolling naked ballyhoo and pulling dredges and daisy-chain teasers Friday in hopes of a […]
It may have been the shifting moon phase, a more concentrated effort or simply the cosmic tumblers aligning. Whatever the case, the action was definitely more upbeat on the second day of the 38th annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. But like fishing of any sort, boats had to be in the right spot at the […]
It is a common practice in billfish tournaments for boats to display flsh flags reflecting the day’s catch from the outrigger halyards when returning to the marina. Local customs vary, but generally the rectangular pennants with the fish right-side up depict a boated fish, while inverted graphics designate releases. Along the Mid-Atlantic seaboard, a white […]
If there was any doubt about a return to today’s version of normalcy, it was shattered Monday night. The 38th edition of the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament is back to glory days levels. A total of 99 boats have registered to fish this week for an unofficial total prize purse of more than $1.2 million. […]
With a record 145 boats and nearly 900 lady anglers, the 32nd annual Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament set new standards for charity fishing events. This popular North Carolina contest, held in Manteo at the Pirate’s Cove Marina, is special not only for its purpose but for also for sheer enthusiasm and passion […]
Pink was the theme of the night, highlighted by colorful costumes, balloons and hundreds of smiling faces. It is the 32nd edition of the Alice Kelly Memorial Ladies Only Billfish Tournament and a record field of 145 teams will head to the Gulf Stream Sunday for a day of offshore fun—and a cause. Named after […]
Manteo, North Carolina: The 37th annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament won’t be forgotten any time soon. Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, 83 boats competed for $852,950 in cash prizes. A total of 473 billfish were released during four days of fishing. But when the diesel smoke finally cleared, it was Desperado, the 2019 […]
By Capt. Dave Lear Manteo, North Carolina: Only two dozen contenders steamed out the Oregon Inlet before dawn for the final day of the 37th annual Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament. The remaining 59 were already done for the week, awaiting the final outcome. A few competitors made late pushes with respectable tallies, but the points […]
By Capt. Dave Lear Manteo, North Carolina: So it comes down to the wire in a tournament that historically has witnessed fortune-altering lead changes on the final day of competition. For the 24 teams eligible to compete on Friday—the rest have already used their mandatory lay days—it’s fish or cut bait. Two made strong statements […]
