Beach couple fish together - and win together

Dave Smith Sr. might be known more for what he helped his wife do.

The Virginia Beach man was running the family boat last year when his wife, Sue, caught a state-record 63-pound, 1-ounce king mackerel while fishing off Sandbridge.

That catch came a year ago last week.

But last week, Dave Smith became one of only a handful of anglers to reach the third level of the state's Master Angler Program.

To reach Level 3, Smith had to register his 75th citation since the program started in 1996. He did that with a 50-inch black drum caught from around the islands of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

"I've got a lot more citations than 75. I've been at this a long time," said Smith, a 48-year-old shipyard facilities manager. "I've fished with a lot of the best anglers in the area and learned a lot."

Smith said the Navy brought him to South Hampton Roads in 1982. He quickly discovered the area's vast fishing wealth one day at the old Duck Inn, where he witnessed an angler catching a speckled trout from the beach.

"I fell in love with it right from the start," he said.

Smith said he no longer goes after trophy catches and instead enjoys more leisurely angling trips with his wife. But he always has himself in position to catch an award-winner.

"I took my son out fishing for his 22nd birthday yesterday," he said of Dave Jr. "I have 15 years worth of logs, so I can figure out where and when the best fishing is going to be."

Anglers participating in the Master Angler Program have to register 25 award-winning catches or releases at each level - with no more than one award per species in a given year.

Federal registry

Anglers fishing in Virginia waters next year will have to register with a federal program designed to create a national database.

The purpose of the database is to improve recreational catch reports used by federal fisheries managers when calculating limits.

States that have a license program can be exempt from the federal registry because the names and contact information of licensed anglers can be made available to federal fisheries managers.

But in several states, changes to license programs would have to be made to meet federal guidelines for exemption.

Virginia is such a state. Virginia Marine Resources Commission fisheries managers and members of the angling public met Wednesday night to discuss options.

Forming a state "fishing information program" is a popular one that would keep the current license program intact and wouldn't, once enacted, require anglers to register federally.

The federal registry is free the first two years but will have a fee beginning in 2011.

"Delaware is going through this, and they're going to start the information program," said Jack Travelstead, the commission's chief of fisheries management.

Travelstead said another option would be to get rid of state blanket licenses for boats and piers. "The boat license is the most popular one we have. We sell about 80,000 or so of them a year," he said.

Either of those changes to the current program would require a vote by state legislators. Because that couldn't take place until late January or February, anglers will have to register with the federal program in the new year.

A third option would be to keep things as they are and let anglers register with the new federal program - paying in 2011 what essentially would be a second license fee.

"The information program seems like the best option," Travelstead said. "It's looking like it would cost between 50 and 75 cents per angler to set up something online and a telephone thing. The money would come out of the license fund. The cost isn't exorbitant, and it will meet the federal guidelines."

Travelstead said he has heard plenty of complaints about the new federal program.

"People need to remember that it's ultimately about getting better data to manage the fisheries," he said. "One of the biggest gripes anglers have now about regulations is that they are based on bad data. This could be a way to improve that."

Travelstead and his staff will be making presentations about the options to angling clubs and said that public comment can be sent to the commission.

Upcoming events

- The 12th annual Virginia Beach Invitational Marlin Tournament will be held Thursday through Saturday out of Fisherman's Wharf Marina at Rudee Inlet. Teams can register through Thursday night's 7 p.m. captains meeting. Basic registration is $1,000 per boat or $2,250 to enter all levels. Last year's event had 29 teams and a payout of more than $40,000.

- Cobb's Marina and the Tidewater Angler's Club will hold their annual flounder tournament from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 2 out of Cobb's Marina inside Little Creek Inlet and Long Bay Pointe Marina in Virginia Beach. Registration, which can be completed at Cobb's or Long Bay Pointe, is $40 per team. The event is limited to 50 boats. The team with the heaviest five-fish stringer will win $300. Each angler can pay $10 more to enter the big-fish contest. Last year's biggest fish was worth $830. Food and drinks will be provided during weigh-ins. Call Cobb's Marina at (757) 588-5401 or Long Bay Pointe Marina at (757) 481-7517.

- The Fishing for a Cure flounder tournament will be held Aug. 8 and 9 out of Little Creek Marina inside Little Creek Inlet and Long Bay Pointe Marina in Virginia Beach. Registration is $100 for a team, which can include as many as four anglers. The team with the heaviest combined three flatfish will win $1,000. Go to www.hamptonroadsregatta.org.

- A hunter education course will be held from 7:30 a.m. to

6 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Chesapeake Civic Center. The course is required for all new hunters. Lunch will be available for a donation to the 4-H Shooting Club. The class is limited to 80 participants. For information, call Bruce Hartman at (757) 543-0805 after 6 p.m. A second course will be held Sept. 27.

- The 25th annual Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show will be held Aug. 8-10 at the Showplace, 3000 Mechanicsville Turnpike in Richmond. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Aug. 8; 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 9; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 10. Admission is $10 daily or $15 for a three-day pass. The show will feature hunting vendors, along with the Virginia Deer Classic and Virginia Open Calling contests. The National Rifle Association's whitetail collection also will be featured. For more information, call Hugh Crittenden at (804) 748-7529 or go to www.sportsmanshow.com.