Conditions weren’t great for fishing in the waters around Wrightsville and Carolina Beach Saturday, fishermen agreed, due to 30-knot winds. Still, 89 fishermen took part in the Carousel Center’s 14th annual Flounder Tournament.
Fishermen left the docks before dawn and returned around 3 p.m. They were allowed to fish throughout the Cape Fear waters, but the rough conditions mostly confined them to the Snow’s Cut area.
A past winner, Chris Hansen, earned another victory and $1,000 after reeling in a 5.8-pound flounder. Hansen caught the winning fish around the Cape Fear River because the ocean was too rough to venture further out.
The Monkey Junction resident is no stranger to fishing competitions, saying, “We like to fish all the local tournaments.”
Another participant with experience, Bryan Perkins, spent the day fishing alongside his 14-year-old son Justin. While their flounders didn’t earn any awards, they also didn’t leave empty-handed. Perkins loaded their catch in a cooler to eat for dinner that night.
The tournament drew many fishermen who, like Hansen and Perkins, fish and compete regularly. But participation also included a number of families who simply wanted to support the Carousel Center, a child advocacy center serving New Hanover County, Pender County and Brunswick County.
Carousel Center executive director Amy Feath was appreciative of all those who took part in the tournament to aid the Carousel Center, despite the challenging conditions. She was especially grateful to their support during what she called a transition year for the tournament.
Tom Banks, the driving force behind the tournament for years, could not help organize it this year for personal reasons, but Feath was determined not to cancel the event for the sake of the both the center and its supporters.
“We didn’t want to disappoint people,” she said.
The tournament has raised more than $200,000 over the years for the center, and while this year won’t add much to that total, Feath stated, “We’re going to come back even bigger and better next year.”
The fishing tournament is one of the center’s largest annual fundraisers. Proceeds go towards general operations to help the organization provide medical examinations and trauma therapy for children in cases of reported child sexual or physical abuse.
The money is more needed than ever, Feath said, because grant opportunities are dwindling as demand for the organization’s services goes up. This year, it will serve 400 children, providing them not only medical healing but also emotional healing—“helping the kids get back to being kids.”
