Southport Magazine

Captain David Holland and the 2011 winning team from Deep End of Raeford, NC, for their 43.55 lb. King Mackerel. Courtesy photo

Southport’s U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament
October 4th-6th, 2012
Southport Marina • 606 W. West St.

Unlike fishermen’s tales, after 33 years of the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament, the story hasn’t changed. In 1979 A handful of dedicated men set out to put their small community on display—namely, the area’s vigorous fall fishing season. They were even willing to lay their own money on the line, each signing a promissory note to guarantee the prize money. Today it is one of the state’s oldest and most prestigious fishing tournaments with over $100,000 in prizes awarded annually.

“The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament is held in Southport, but this event extends beyond the city limits when it comes to community pride,” Karen Sphar, Executive Vice President of the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce, notes. “The fishing community doesn’t know boundaries—it goes where the fish are biting, and for the most part, this time of year they bite just off the Southport-Oak Island area.”

The natural landscape of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Cape Fear River channel contribute greatly to the tournament’s draw, as it attracts hundreds of hungry King Mackerel. As well, man-made reefs courtesy of the Long Bay Artificial Reef Association help to support all types of marine life.

Established in 1984 by a group of fishermen in the Holden Beach, Long Beach and Sunset Harbor areas, the organization is responsible for a multitude of reef sites, from a 184-foot vessel to four sites with 100 reef balls (designed concrete half-spheres with holes which act as new aquatic habitats) each.

Actually, the tournament and the reef association are connected by more than just great fishing. In 2002, the community lost a friend and employee of the NC Divison of Marine Fisheries, Dale Ward.

Ward was widely recognized as a forerunner in conservation, and the tournament reached out to Long Bay Artificial Reef Association to commemorate his name and his legacy. Donating $8,000 toward the project, the tournament was key in claiming Artificial Reef 455 as the Dale Ward Reef. To this day, the tournament continually enhances the conservationist’s reef while supporting the Long Bay association.

A survey conducted a few years ago determined the tournament impact’s Southport’s economy by approximately $2 million per year. The money is spread between motels, marinas, gas stations, bait and tackle shops, restaurants and markets, boat dealerships and marine equipment stores. “Boat repair places like Boat House Marine, Southport Marine Mart or Blackberry Marine are extremely busy in the weeks leading up to the tournament,” Sphar says. “There has also been a number of homes sold [thanks to] those who come to the tournament and then become second home owners.”

The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament remains both a fisherman’s dream and a spectator sport. Weigh-ins are held at Southport Marina, the layout of which allows visitors to view both the weigh-ins and the boats approaching the offloading docks. According to Sphar, this is one of the few King Mackerel tournaments in which spectators benefit from such a view. “We welcome spectators to come out and be a part of the cheer gallery,” she encourages.

Certainly folks will enjoy attending any day of the tournament, as R.A. Jeffreys Distributing will offer Anheuser-Busch refreshments each afternoon. As well, rock-country guitarist and singer Jon Morris will entertain from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 4th, and again from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, October 5th.

“The awards ceremony atmosphere is festive,” Sphar continues. “Those attending tend to be the anglers and their families. A sense of camaraderie between competitors is felt as they tell the fish stories of past and present. The excitement builds as the money given out builds to the last check, as it is given to the top anglers. Cheers erupt and the winning team’s emotion explode as it sets in that they have just won the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament.”

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

Thursday, October 4th

10 a.m.: Registration opens at Southport Marina
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Refreshments from
R.A. Jeffreys and live music from Jon Morris
7 p.m.: Captain’s Meeting
12 a.m.: Registration closes

Friday, October 5th

7 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Check-out points open and
competition begins
9 a.m.: After this hour, check-out must be made at Southport Marina with a designated official
11 a.m.: Scales open
3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Refreshments from R.A. Jeffreys
4 p.m.: Check-in point manned on Southport City Pier and South Harbor Marina’s Fuel Dock on ICW
5 p.m.: Competition ends for the day

Saturday, October 6th

7 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Check-out points open and
competition begins
9 a.m.: After this hour, check-out must be made at Southport Marina with a designated official
11 a.m.: Scales open
3 p.m.: Check-in point manned on Southport City Pier and South Harbor Marina’s Fuel Dock on ICW
3 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Shiner’s Fish Fry, $8 per plate
3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Refreshments from R.A. Jeffreys and live music from Jon Morris
4 p.m.: Competition ends for the day
4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Entertainment
7 p.m.: Awards Ceremony