At the Filth Annual Poor Boy Shark Tournament. heW In Shallotto Point (Brunswick County) last month its
fishermen hauled in 87 sharks, weighing some 7.000 pounds, during the three days ol action. Eight differ¬
ent species were hooked, but most were Tigers, as is this giant, caught with a slab of bloody beef, (all photos
by William Holloman)
The
Real
laws
Shark fishing is nol for
everybody hut a growing
tribe of good ol* boys en¬
joy the annual fun and
feasting at Shallotfe
Point.
tty WILLIAM IIOIU»l\\
Barrel-chested and sun-baked. Omer
Garrett, a 59-year-old auto parts distrib¬
utor from Wilmington, stooped beside
his 27-foot custom-made boat and in the
sweltering 103 degree heat showed
reporters where an angry shark attacked
his boat.
Tho 14-tool 529 pound Tiger shark being hoisted
ashore by a crane was the year's winning fish,
caught by Omer Garrett, ol Wilmington. That is Gar¬
rett pictureo while he was showing where the
monster attacked his boat.
It was the last thing the monstrous
14-foot Tiger shark did before Garrett
and his mate. Ronnie Cheers of Shal-
lotte. secured the fighting shark to the
side of the boat and headed back to
Hughs Marina here on the Shallotte
River.
Garrett and Cheers' catch won first
place and a $2,000 check in the Fifth
Annual Poor Boy Shark Tournament at
Shallotte Point last month — the only
one held in North Carolina.
The big shark was caught around one
a. m. on the second day of the three day
tournament. He hit a 15-pound slab of
bloody beef ribs about one and one-half
miles offshore. It took 50 minutes to get
the shark secured to the side of the boat,
the Miss Mary.
"You have to get 'em in as fast as you
can." says Garrett, "because the first
thing they want to do when you hook
'em is head for the open sea."
7,000 Pounds Caught
The big shark was only a small por¬
tion of the three-day catch. Thirty-five
boats from as far away as Maryland,
and 118 fishermen hauled in 87 sharks
weighing a total of 7.000 pounds. Most
were Tiger sharks, hut eight different
species, including a Hammerhead,
were caught.
The 7,(KK) pounds caught nearly tri¬
pled last year's tournament total weight.
Incidentally. Garrett took second
place honors in last year's competition.
Tournament committeeman Don
Pelch. also of Shallotte. said the event
started five years ago as an alternative
to the more usual tournament compe¬
tition. It doesn't take big money to en¬
ter. and proceeds go toward establish¬
ment of an area artificial reef to improve
fishing.
Dangerous
It is three days of special camarade¬
rie widely understood and enjoyed
among coastal fishermen. It involves
fun and skill and danger, too.
Boat Captain and former outdoor
fishing writer Tom Snider, of South-
mont. N.C.. has a precise summation of
shark fishing when he says. "It takes a
whole lot of patience, and everyone in¬
volved has to know exactly what they
are doing. It is dangerous, and you can
get killed out there."
The most often used bait is black sea
bass, cut into sizeable hunks: but every¬
thing has been used at one time or
another, including live chickens.
"Chumming", or baiting, an area is
the first priority, and Snider last year
said tournament officials "like to have
run me off for using menhaden oil
spread over dry dog food. The smell
was awful.
But. the smelliest and the bloodiest
usually works best in attracting sharks.
Unpracticed fishermen are warned.
Garrett said as a last-minute effort to
24
THE STATE. AUGUST 1986