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Friday, March 29, 2024

Families fish for Spanish macks

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The 2014 Wide Open Tech Spanish Mackerel Open tournament, organized by the Fisherman’s Post, will take place on Wrightsville Beach from Sept. 19-21.

Fisherman’s Post editor and tournament co-director Max Gaspeny said this tournament is all about fun and family.

“We wanted to make this tournament family oriented and easy for fishermen of all ages and experience levels,” Gaspeny said during a Sept. 16 phone interview. “The Spanish mackerel are smaller fish and often feed as close as 100 yards off of the beach, so we’re not asking families to go way off-shore in order to participate,” he said.

The tournament is a captain’s choice format — participants chose either Saturday or Sunday to fish.

“We like that because it helps people to fish around their schedules,” Gaspeny said. “We’re trying to attract as many kids as possible and weekends are tough with soccer or football practices. Plus, it lets people pick the better weather day.”

Judges will weigh a team’s three best fish at Motts Channel Seafood.

“We’ve got a great captain’s party at Wild Wing Cafe on Friday night, and an awards ceremony when we give out the prizes on Sunday at 4:30 p.m.,” Gaspeny said.

The tournament will award more than $5,000 in prizes, and will have prize categories for junior anglers.

Ken Pearce won the 2013 tournament with a trio of Spanish mackerel weighing a total of 3.90 pounds.

Boats can register online or between 3-8 p.m. at Wild Wing Cafe on Military Cutoff Road Sept. 19. The entry fee is $125 per boat and there is no limitation on the number of anglers a boat can carry.

“There have been some really nice Spanish [mackerel] feeding off of Wrightsville in the last couple of days, so now we just have to pray for good weather,” Gaspeny said.

To register or to see a complete list of prizes and schedule of events, visit www.fishermanspost.com/tournament/spanish-open

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