Chesapeake fishing club's service event has big turnout

The Great Bridge Fisherman's Association held a fishing outing last week at the Ocean View Fishing Pier for physically- and mentally- challenged adults from Sentara and Hope House assisted-living facilities.

The event probably went a long way in helping the fishing club in its efforts to secure state funding for its nine-year-old community service program.

The GBFA is seeking $4,200 from the Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund, which gets its money from the purchase of licenses.

GBFA spokesman Joe Stephenson said the state's Recreational Fishing Advisory Committee already has approved the funding. Now, it and other requests go before the Virginia Marine Resources Commission for approval.

The association does two outings a year for residents of the facilities.

"We had the most people out that we've ever had," Stephenson said. "And we caught more fish... than ever."

Stephenson said a VMRC official was on hand along with 41 anglers from Hope House and 24 from Sentara, and 18 club members who assisted with the fishing. They mostly caught croaker, but there were a few flounder, spot, sea mullet and skate. One angler caught 27 fish.

"When I was headed out there, it was raining," Stephenson said. "By the time we were fishing, it had stopped and the sun had come out. It was just a fantastic day."

ECSC momentum

The East Coast Surfing Championship is months away, but it keeps growing.

Officials for August's 49th running of the beach party announced last week that a professional division has been added to the beach volleyball tournament.

Men and women in the Pro Beach East Tour and newly formed National Volleyball League will compete for a total purse of $75,000.

ECSC general manager George Alcaraz said the addition is part of the event's "growing momentum."

ECSC officials last month announced the professional surfing portion of the week had been upgraded to a 4-Star event with the Association of Surfing Professionals.

The volleyball division will feature 64 two-person teams - 32 each for men and women - competing in a double-elimination format. Matches will take place Aug. 26-28 at Fifth Street.

Surf's up

The old Steel Pier at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront has been gone for decades, but the swell that draws thousands of surfers annually to its former location is still kicking.

That's why the Virginia Longboard Federation holds its annual Steel Pier Classic and Surf Art Expo there.

This year's event - with Coastal Edge signing on as the lead sponsor - is slated for May 28-30 at the First Street Jetty.

The event features more than 300 amateur and professional surfers. The pro division features a $7,500 total purse. Tandem surfers will compete in a division that has seen a rise in popularity.

Mary Knight, president of the VLF, announced former world longboard champion Joel Tudor will be in town for the contest.

In keeping with its Memorial Day tradition, surfers will hold a Hawaiian Paddle-Out to honor fallen U.S. servicemen and women.

The art show will take place on the Boardwalk.

For information, go to www.virginialongboardfederation.com.

Slighted again

Two leading outdoors organizations have released their annual lists of the top outdoors and fishing towns in the country.

Neither southeastern Virginia nor northeastern North Carolina made the cuts despite year-round saltwater fishing, hunting and freshwater fishing opportunities.

Outdoor Life magazine released a list of 200 "Towns for Sportsmen." The criteria for the list was that the town had to have abundant access to fishing and hunting opportunities and a high quality of life and suitability for families. New Bern, Wilmington and Morehead City in North Carolina made the list - all three out of the top 100. Waynesboro skirted in at 198 as the only Virginia town on the list.

But the Outer Banks or South Hampton Roads? Nowhere to be found.

Bend, a town of 80,000 in Oregon, was the magazine's best spot in the country.

The World Fishing Network's "Ultimate Fishing Town USA" has a list of the top 20 towns - which are awaiting votes in a poll that closes May 31 to determine the order of finish. The 20 were narrowed from more than 300 towns submitted on the organization's website.

The Outer Banks and South Hampton Roads don't appear in the top 20. In fact, no towns in either state made the top 20.

Gobbler season closed

The spring gobbler season in Virginia closed Saturday.

Pro bassin'

While today is the final round in the Bassmaster Elite Series event on South Carolina's Lake Murray, the pros in the FLW Tour get started Thursday in the fourth of their sixth qualifying events.

FLW anglers will compete on the Red River in Louisiana, attempting to earn points that will get them in the Forrest Wood Cup in August.

Heading into this week's event, David Dudley of Lynchburg sits in third place.

But Dudley, the FLW's leading money winner with nearly $2.6 million who spends considerable time each year at his Manteo home, is only four points behind leader Stacey King of Missouri.

Dudley won the 2003 Cup on the James River and was the tour's Angler of the Year in 2008.

Results

From a Virginia Bassmasters largemouth bass fishing tournament held on Roanoke Rapids Lake:

1. Dennis Pearl of Chesapeake, 15.03 total pounds; 2. Rick Hodges of Knotts Island, N.C., 14.08; 3. Joyce Melton of Corapeake, N.C., 13.02 (including the 6.5-pound lunker winner). Top co-angler: Kevin Walton of Norfolk, 8.07.