Blueline tilefish caught in June sets new record

The records keep falling.

Two weeks ago, the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament certified the state record for spadefish.

This week, tournament officials certified a 20-pound, 10-ounce blueline tilefish as the state record.

Kenneth Bowe of Chester caught the blueline June 28. He eclipsed the 20-4 fish caught earlier this year by David Akridge of Virginia Beach and tied a month later by Brook Ferguson of Richmond.

Bowe caught his big tile in about 400 feet of water near the Norfolk Canyon while fishing with Michael Adkins.

Bowe's fish was 31 inches long and had a girth of 24 3/4 inches. It was caught on a simple bottom rig using squid and balao (ballyhoo).

The trip produced two other 20-pound tilefish.

Bowe's fish is under consideration for the International Game Fish Association all-tackle world record. Akridge also is seeking world-record status.

CHAMPIONSHIP FISHING

The 13th Forrest Wood Cup largemouth bass fishing championship runs Thursday through Sunday in downtown Pittsburgh.

The field will consist of 77 professional and 77 amateur anglers who earned spots in several different series.

For the first time in several years, no angler representing southeastern Virginia or northeastern North Carolina will be in the field.

David Dudley of Lynchburg and Manteo, N.C., - the FLW Tour's all-time leading money winner - failed to make the cut. The 2003 Cup winner finished the tour in 64th place overall. Only the top 40 FLW Tour anglers advance.

Curt Lytle of Zuni finished 116th in the overall tour standings and also failed to make the Cup field.

The winner will take home $500,000, plus an additional $500,000 bonus if he or she is running a Ranger boat.

IT'S SHOWTIME

The 26th Virginia Outdoor Sportsman Show is Aug. 7-9 at the Showplace in Richmond.

The event is largely regarded as the annual pre-hunting season extravaganza and features nearly 300 dealer booths.

But the highlight of the weekend is the Virginia Deer Classic, where the previous season's top white-tailed deer are judged.

The Virginia Open Calling Championship for turkey callers will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday.

The National Rifle Association's Great American Whitetail Collection will bring 12 of its biggest bucks mounts to the show.

Tickets for the show are $10 a day or $15 for a weekend pass.

For information, go to: www.sportsmanshow.com

RESULTS

- From the Bob's Fishing Hole Sunday largemouth bass series on the Northwest River:

1. Charles and Diana Ruffin of Virginia Beach, 10.45 total pounds (including the 3.2-pound lunker award winner); 2. Mike White and Danny Knight of Virginia Beach, 7.15.

- From the Bob's Fishing Hole Wednesday night largemouth bass series on the Northwest River:

1. Darrell Kidd and Mark Ingram of Chesapeake, 16.86 total pounds; 2. Jeremy Gatewood and Jeremiah Parker of Chesapeake, 13.25; 3. Richie Akers and Dennis Padgett of Virginia Beach, 11.45 (including Padgett's 6.7-pound lunker award winner).

- From the Bass-Jon's largemouth bass fishing tournament held July 11 on Western Branch Reservoir:

1. Bob Bullen and Rick Williams, both of Virginia Beach, 5 fish, 20 pounds, 4 ounces total weight; 2. Walt DeGraaf of Virginia Beach and James Brown of Chesapeake, 5 fish, 17-4.

- From the Boot'Legg Trail largemouth bass tournament held last weekend on Lake Meade:

1. Sam North of Suffolk and Russ Hall of Newport News, 5 fish, 21.2 total pounds; 2. Jerry Patterson of Carrollton and Bill Sparrow of Hampton, 5 fish, 15.68 total pounds; 3. James Williams and Gene North, both of Suffolk, 5 fish, 14.78.

UPCOMING

- The Virginia Marine Resources Commission monthly meeting will be Tuesday in the fourth-floor conference room at 2600 Washington Ave. in Newport News. Fisheries issues generally start around noon. One of the issues on the agenda is a proposal to establish a nonresident fee to the Virginia saltwater fishing license. The board also will discuss potential regulations for the upcoming fall striped bass season.

- The Virginia Beach chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold a "Sportsman's Day Out" from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Oceana Skeet and Trap Range on Oceana Boulevard. Registration is $25 and includes lunch and a year's membership to DU.

For information, call Joe Ficarra at (757) 434-8057 or John Lipscomb at (757) 434-7510.

- The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Paddle for the Bay will be held from 7 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Ocean View Fishing Pier in Norfolk. Check-in is at 6 a.m., and registration is $40, or $50 on race day. The fee includes lunch.

There will be divisions for outriggers, small boats and stand-up paddle boards.

For more information, visit www.mapa1.org.

- The 10th Fishing for a Cure Flounder Tournament will be Saturday out of Little Creek and Long Bay Pointe marinas. A captains' meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday at Bay Point Marina in Norfolk. The event benefits St. Jude children's Research Hospital and is part of the Hampton Roads Regatta taking place the same weekend.

Registration is $160 per four-angler team, and $40 for each additional angler.

For information, visit www.hamptonroadsregatta.org.

- The 26th Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament will be held Aug. 10-14 out of Pirate's Cove Marina in Manteo, N.C. For the first time, additional weigh-in sites will be located at Hatteras Harbor, Hatteras Landing, Oden's dock and Teach's Lair marinas. For information on the various entry levels, call (757) 965-7799.

- Fourth Virginia Beach Sport Fishing Bluewater Classic inshore and offshore fishing tournament Aug. 13-16. Weigh stations will be in Rudee and Lynnhaven inlets. Registration is $300 if made before Saturday. For information, go to: www.virginiabeachsportfishing.com.

- The 75th Hampton One-Design National Championship Regatta will be held Aug. 14-16 at the Hampton Yacht Club in Hampton. For information, go to: www.shorenet.net/hamptonone.

- The sixth Virginia Beach Billfish Tournament will be Aug. 19-22 out of Rudee Inlet. The event is limited to 75 teams. For information about the various entry levels, call Paula Owen at (757) 652-8409.