The visually impaired enjoy fishing tournament

Despite rain and strong winds that whipped up high waves along the Outer Banks, a record amount of fish were caught during the 2005 North Carolina Lions VIP Fishing Tournament.Tournament officials said that 1,023 pounds of fish were caught during the five-hour tournament on October 11. The total catch was three hundred pounds more than was caught in 2004.The VIP Fishing Tournament is an annual event for visually impaired persons.

Over 520 people representing 76 North Carolina counties participated. This year marked the 21st year that the tournament was held in the Outer Banks. It is the largest event of its kind in the United States.Along with fishing, participants took part in seminars and received information on important changes in Medicare and Social Security that will have a direct effect on the visually impaired.The VIP Fishing Tournament is sponsored by North Carolina Lions and is organized by the First Flight, Manteo, Nags Head and Wanchese Lions clubs.

The Plymouth, Columbia and Currituck Lions also participated.The cost for the three-day event is around $150,000, Executive Director Gwen White said."We're thankful that many businesses and individuals made significant contributions, whether they provided money, supplies or in-kind contributions, which allowed the Lions to put on such a great event for the visually impaired."

The North Carolina Lions Foundation also provided a grant.White said 13 motels in Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head and Manteo provided accommodations at discounted rates for participants and volunteers. Many of the volunteers traveled six hours or more just to help with the VIP Fishing Tournament.Participants fished off the Avalon, Nags Head and Outer Banks Fishing Piers. Two head boats, the Crystal Dawn and Miss Oregon Inlet, were also used.Last week's rainy weather forced tournament officials to abandon plans to include the Rodanthe Fishing Pier after the primary road used to reach the pier flooded.

More than 150 participants who were assigned to use the Rodanthe pier were reassigned to use the three other fishing piers."Despite the rainy weather and the elimination of the Rodanthe pier, this was probably the best tournament we have ever had," said William W. Hood, president of the tournament's board of directors."Everyone appeared to have a great time, particularly when it came to the day of fishing.

A little rain didn't dampen their spirits. Our visually impaired friends appeared to have really enjoyed themselves," he said.Hood noted that the 357 participants who fished went through more than 2,400 pounds of Canadian-grown blood worms and 25,000 feet of fishing line.Board Member Allen Aldridge noted that the Avalon Fishing Pier appeared to have the best luck, with participants catching more than 438 pounds of fish.

Participants at the Nags Head and Outer Banks piers recorded a total catch of 270 pounds at each location.More than 140 of the VIPs were first-time participants. Aldridge noted that 226 of the participants caught at least one fish.One volunteer was assigned to each three participants, placing the worm on the hook and removing the fish once caught. Forty-seven students from Manteo High School and 15 nursing students from Dare County also volunteered.

This year also marked the first National VIP Fishing Tournament, pitting North Carolina against visually impaired fishermen from South Carolina and Virginia. The national tournament was held on October 12 at the Nags Head Fishing Pier. Caroline Ward, of Watauga County, won the tournament - clinching the first title for North Carolina.

Here are the results for the North Carolina VIP Fishing Tournament:Avalon - Tony Ferrita of Alamance County, 1st place; Mary Alice Hughes of Davidson County, 2nd place; and Sharon Weddington of Iredell County, 3rd place.Crystal Dawn - Ann Sumner of Edgecombe County, 1st place; Bill Sutherland of Vance County, 2nd place; and Angel Scott of Edgecombe County, 3rd place.Miss Oregon Inlet - Dee Frizzell of Haywood County, 1st place; Douglas Howard of Catawba County, 2nd place; and Robert Boone of Rutherford County, 3rd place.Nags Head - Lillie Midgett of Dare County, 1st place; Mike Stockton of Gaston County, 2nd place; and Frank Wood of Gaston County, 3rd place.Outer Banks - Donald Tucker of Catawba County, 1st place; Rick McClellan of Cabarrus County, 2nd place; and Annie Bragg of Cabarrus County and Hubert Ward of Watauga County, 3rd place.The Bill Reynolds Trophy for the heaviest fish caught went to Carolina Ward of Watauga County and Ramona Stafford of Forsyth County, who both caught a fish that weighed 2.6 pounds.