Fishing in VA

[Medium Rare]

Fair warning, this will be a flame free thread.     

   Angler?s commercial license disqualifies ''record'' striper

By LEE TOLLIVER, The Virginian-Pilot
© March 5, 2005 | Last updated 8:51 PM Mar. 4

Alvin Wimbrough could hardly stand the boat ride back to Lynnhaven Inlet.

Click here He had caught a huge striped bass Friday just south of Sandbridge. He thought it might be big enough to be a state record.

It was.

The fish was weighed at Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle and tipped the scales at 66 pounds, 8 ounces. That easily tops the current state record of 63-8, caught in January by Paul Kleckner of Greenbackville, Va.

But Wimbrough's fish has been disqualified as a pending state record. Wimbrough, of Virginia Beach, holds a state hook-and-line commercial fishing license. Rules for the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, which oversees state records and presents awards for significant catches, prohibit commercial hook-and-line fishermen from participating in the program.

But Wimbrough said he has a tournament release citation hanging on his wall.

It could be that he does? said Claude Bain, director of the awards program. Some of these things slip through the cracks. But a state record is not going to slip through any crack.

Bain said the tournament committee has been adamant about the rule.

We can't get into the mind of a commercial fisherman when they go out on a trip, Bain said. The rule was designed to prevent one from going out, catching a big fish and then saying that they weren't commercial fishing. More often than not, the trip started as a commercial trip.

Bain does not dispute the intent of Wimbrough's outing Friday but said rules are rules.

Wimbrough, 41, was fishing with a group of friends on the charter boat Fishing Fever with Capt. Paul Ewing. Wimbrough has chartered Ewing's services in the past.

This was a charter trip, Wimbrough said. Since I got my citation from last year, I never thought it would be a problem.

Ewing and Wimbrough said they plan to fight the ruling.

I'm a charter captain and this was a charter trip, Ewing said. We fish hard like every other recreational charter. His commercial status has nothing to do with this trip or this boat.

We'll fight this for as long as the day is long.

Reach Lee Tolliver at 222-5844 or lee.tolliver@pilotonline.com

     
 
 
Alvin's a buddy of mine, known him for near 20 years. He was legally fishing for a tournament. This issue was fought and won with the state. A year later near to the day, the record was broken by another fisherman, and the law went into effect. So, he does hold the record for the largest disqualified for commercial license.
 
He is currently in the Mid-Atlantic Rockfish Shootout 2012(   http://www.midatlanticrockfishshootout.com/   ).
 
It is the largest east coast rockfish tournament. Nice pay if you win in the tournament. He is on the Fishing Fever, which is in first place on day two. Tomorrow is the final. The second place team is not competing tomorrow. It isn't cheap to enter. The fish that are turned in during the competition are given to the food bank after weigh in.
 
   BTW, you can see that disqualified stripper at Poppa's Pub in VA Beach.

[McAvoy]

I might go to Poppa's Pub now. Haven't been in there for a few years now.

[Medium Rare]

They won the competition for their class!

Poppa's is  right down the road from Alvin's. His neighbor is also a good friend (we were on the same ship back in the mid 80's).

I'm havin' rockfish tomorrow for dinner.