Visit The Outer Banks

Nags Head Surf Fishing Club Invitational Tournament: Deep Roots on the Outer Banks

By Denine Phillips
Oct. 16, 2023

A little more than a week earlier, a text came in asking whether I wanted to join the Sandbar Anglers for the upcoming tournament, held October 4 – 6, with fishing scheduled for Thursday and Friday. I immediately said yes. Since my previous surf fishing tournament in May — when our Stormy Gales team earned Third Place Women’s at the 38th Annual Ocracoke Invitational — I had been hoping for a spot on any Nags Head Surf Fishing Club (NHSFC) team. This opening turned out to be especially meaningful: I would be fishing with Dave Masters, president of the NHSFC and captain of the Sandbar Anglers. His wife Paula, the Tournament Coordinator and one of my Ocracoke teammates, had sent the message because I would be filling in for her. Everything seemed to be falling into place.

The Nags Head Surf Fishing Club has welcomed 80 six-member teams since the 1970’s. Its roots reach back to 1951, when three eight-member teams came together for a two-day competition. Ed Fike captained the local team, Claude Rodgers led a Virginia Beach team, and H. W. Shaner captained the Margate City Anglers from New Jersey, the third team that completed the matchup and threw down the challenge.

By 1957, the original three teams had expanded to 30, all competing for serious bragging rights. Participation kept increasing, making the NHSFC Invitational the largest sanctioned surf fishing tournament on the East Coast, according to the Association of Surf Angling Clubs. The club later introduced award divisions for Women’s and Mixed Teams. NHSFC continues to change with the times, and captains are currently being asked for input on a potential adjustment to the fish scoring system.

The Tournament Gets Underway

Wednesday afternoon began with team registration and station drawing inside the banquet hall at Jennette’s Pier. That is where the anticipation really starts, as captains and judges gather to review the next two days and address questions.

Jennette’s Pier served as NHSFC Tournament Headquarters.

I was mostly observing, though I did get the chance to pull our team’s station card. I reached deep into the bucket and came up with the card showing the station numbers and fishing sessions assigned to us. It matched what our captain had been hoping for, which was a relief. Our slots were Thursday afternoon, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Friday morning, 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Because Dave was also helping keep tournament headquarters running smoothly, timing mattered. Whether fish would be waiting at those stations was still unknown.

As Paula and other volunteers worked hard arranging T-shirts, raffle tickets, and prizes, I visited with other women anglers, including members of Blackbeard’s Babes and Frail Quails. One striking part of the tournament is the long history of women’s teams, some of which have been carried forward for decades. Women’s surf fishing could fill its own story, but the shared passion for the sport was already clear and would become even more visible in the days ahead.

Blackbeard’s Babes: L-R: Autumn Caswell, Dee Burritt, Amy Brooks Beth Penner, Bonnie Dickson, Dorinda Franklin (Captain)

Mother Nature Takes a Turn

Because weather affected beach access, beach width, and safety conditions, the tournament shifted south to Oregon Inlet. Park Ranger Jill Paxton with the National Park Service reviewed the do’s and don’ts for Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

Drivers were told to air down to at least 20 psi; travel 15mph, and 5mph near pedestrians or wildlife; display an ORV (off-road vehicle) permit; keep fishing and driving licenses available; and remain respectful of others. They were also reminded not to drink and drive, drive on the dunes, park on vegetation, or litter.

After talking with other anglers, we began setting up our station. I prepared four rods, each with a different purpose. Bluefish, red drum, trout, mackerel, and sea mullet were the intended targets. Skate, flounder, stargazers, and other species might be present, but they would not earn points. With the scoring species in mind, I set up one rod with a fireball double drop rig for blues, another with an artificial grub and Got-Cha jig head for drum, and two rods with large size 2/0 and small size 4 hooks for drum, mullet, or bluefish. I usually fish fresh shrimp with a Fishbite artificial bloodworm, but the conditions called for something tougher: chunks of finger mullet. I selected 5- and 6-ounce weights and kept a Sputnik ready as well.

Once the pole holders were planted firmly in the sand and rods were ready, the session began at exactly 1:00 p.m. A heavy current and hard-breaking waves did not stop my teammates, who pushed through the surf toward the sandbar. Their casting was impressive, and before long bluefish started coming to shore, along with a sizeable gray trout landed by Sammy. Judges were close by.

Dave Masters and Denine Phillips, the author, were at Oregon Inlet and ready to fish.

Each team captain is responsible for making sure fish are scored correctly. All legal fish — those meeting minimum size requirements and eligible species rules — are measured from snout, with mouth closed, to the end of the tail. I also learned that sweeping the tail across the measuring, or bump, board can add just enough length to possibly gain another point. By the end of the three-hour session, the team had caught 20 fish for 52 points. My small spot did not qualify. Ruth’s pompano did not either. Still, those 20 fish put us in a strong position: First Place for Mixed Team, out of 12 teams, and Fourth Place overall, out of 80 teams. There were many ways to place, including Session awards, but everyone was chasing the top three overall positions.

Day Two Brings Combat Fishing

Our 7:30 a.m. start came just after a 7:18 a.m. low tide, though the water did not make that obvious. The surf rolled in, and waves crashing over the sandbar looked even more intimidating than the day before. On the positive side, a slough ran the length of our station, potentially holding puppy drum and mullet. Stations to our north and south had shallow water reaching the bar’s edge, which made casting into deeper water much easier.

For our team to reach fish, anglers had to cross the slough with rods lifted high. Once again, I watched with admiration as teammates managed it, even with the occasional wipeout. One teammate described it as combat fishing, and the label fit; it carried real risk.

Even in difficult conditions, the team caught six fish. My flounder, which I had hoped was a puppy drum, was illegal to possess and earned no points. The session finished with nine additional points, bringing our final team count to 26 fish and 61 points. We would soon find out where that placed us.

Banquet Celebration

By 6:00 p.m., my husband and I had arrived at Jennette’s Pier. We stopped first in the vestibule, where scoreboards stretched from floor to ceiling. The Sandbar Anglers had kept First Place for Mixed Team and stood Sixth Place overall. Our teammate Greg Irwin, who had worked the water with remarkable effort, won the Most Fish category. It was shaping up to be a memorable evening.

Inside the banquet, the room was packed wall to wall. Fortunately, we had a reserved table, giving me a good view of the ceremony.

NHSFC Awards Party

Rob Crawford, tournament director, and Dave Masters, NHSFC president, led the event. A moment of silence honored club members who had passed away. With 71 years of history behind the tournament, many anglers have been part of its story. Rob also thanked the many people and groups who worked to make the event successful: volunteers including board members, judges, coordinators, scorekeepers, the secretary/treasurer, and caterers; the Town of Nags Head; the National Park Service; sponsors; raffle donors; advertisers; and tackle manufacturers. Head Judge Bobby Halstead recognized the tournament judges and gave special thanks to Gary Strickland for stepping in when assistant head judge Lee Barrett had to leave.

During the raffle prize distribution, Dave paused to honor nine-year-old Luke Jones with a special gift for taking part in his first tournament. Luke received a rod, reel, and tackle. His family connection runs deep: his father is a team captain, and both his grandfather and great-grandfather took part in this same tournament for many years.

Dave Masters and Luke Jones, proud young angler

Rob presented the angler awards, and Pat Preston distributed them. After a quick photo, teams returned to their tables. Once the trophies, plaques, and silver platters had been handed out, winners also received generous fishing prizes, including rods and reels, coolers, pole holders, tackle boxes, and more.

The event became another standout entry in the tournament’s history. Anglers caught 326 fish on Thursday, 374 Friday, and 700 total, a notable increase compared with 364 total fish in 2022.

Most fish, if not all, went back into the ocean. These tournaments are not about catching dinner. They are about camaraderie, teamwork, time in nature, maybe protecting a title, and perhaps taking home a trophy. The 71th Annual Invitational, expertly executed by the Nags Head Surf Fishing Club, has every reason to be proud of its long Outer Banks of North Carolina history. Without a doubt, everyone had a good time.

First Place Team - Island Life Realty Fishing Team (defending 2022 first-place winner)
L-R: Pat Preston (presenter). Gale Johnson (Captain), Kyle Berry, Andy Martz, Chris Tenbusch, Travis Kemp, Tom Manley

First Place Women’s Team - Hatteraskals
L-R: Pat Preston (presenter), Bonnie Koehler, Angelia Jackson, Roberta Midgett (Captain), Rossie Jackson, Sue Garrett, Tonya Midgett

First Place Mixed Team - Sandbar Anglers
L-R: Pat Preston (presenter), Greg Irwin, Denine Phillips, Sammy Thornton, Ruth Thornton, Troy Moore, Dave Masters (Captain)

2023 NHSFC Team Awards

2023 NHSFC Individual Awards

Most Scoring Fish

Largest Scoring Fish

Most Points

Anyone interested in joining NHSFC can find more information at www.nagsheadsurffishingclub.org. Members are able to participate in the club’s year-long tournament for the largest fish across all species. Rules are available on the website.

Author

Denine Phillips is a retired technical writer with many published works. Ms. Phillips is also the author of two books: Don’t Give Up on That Dog, a popular photo journal about lessons learned while raising a German Shepherd Dog, and Through the Magic Shed, A Grand Adventure Lies Ahead, an educational read-aloud book that takes young readers to 10 of America’s most iconic landmarks. She can be reached at denine.phillips@charter.net.

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