Outdoors

Daily fishing report

By RICK FRAZIER
Published June 26, 2005

TREASURE ISLAND - Jean Gifford topped 153 other women to win the master angler award in the Old Salt Fishing Foundation Ladies Inshore/Offshore Fishing Tournament on Saturday. Gifford was the first to weigh five out of the eight species eligible, and she won $500 cash and $200 in prizes. Gifford's bag included Spanish mackerel, flounder, speckled trout, sheepshead and snapper.

Eight other females won $500 for winning their divisions.

Shelby Bachnic, 6, caught a 2.3-pound speckled trout on whitebait to take the trout division. She attends Bay Vista Fundamental School.

Nina Manee used fiddler crabs in the Pithlachascotee River to catch a 4.56-pound sheepshead. Manee was a little secretive about her spot, but gave it up with her husband's prodding.

In the snapper division, Donna Miller weighed an 8.7-pound American red snapper.

Liz Sorensen fished 47 miles offshore and caught a 29-pound king mackerel on a flat-lined sardine. Sorensen is donating her winnings back to the Old Salt Foundation.

Rose Sopak used shrimp to catch her 2.12-pound flounder. Sopak fished around the Pier in St. Petersburg to catch her winner.

Laura Quinto caught a 19.82-pound gag grouper in 150 feet using live pinfish. It was the only fish Quinto caught during the tourney.

Jill Foraker used a bee-liner to catch her 24-pound amberjack in 160 feet.

Fishing the Pinellas Point area, Kirsten Wagner caught a 3.88-pound Spanish mackerel with a whitebait.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

[Last modified June 26, 2005, 00:35:07]