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By LARRY BLUE
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 18, 2001
There was no men's division in the Old Salt's 13th Annual Ladies Tournament on Saturday. Men could ride along, bait hooks, take fish off the hook, even use the gaff. But men could not touch a rod. This year's master angler award went to Penny Ruilova, with a grouper (15.34), trout (1.16) and sheepshead (1.26). Her three-fish weight beat two anglers able to catch three of the six species in the tournament for master angler.
Kirsten Wagner fished near the Misner Bridge and caught first-place trout (4.04) and first-place Spanish mackerel (3.60). Both were caught using whitebait.
Pip Heavenridge found the first-place king mackerel (22.52) near the Blackthorn. Using hardtails for bait, she also caught a variety of amberjack, grouper and Spanish mackerel.
Biggest flounder (3.24) came from the Clearwater Bridge and was caught by Jill Foraker drifting a small pinfish for bait. She also caught a number of snook and redfish.
Nina Manee took sheepshead first place for the 11th year in a row. Her fish (5.88) was caught from beneath the Skyway bridge using a fiddler crab. The crowd at the weigh-in hushed as Fran Galati lifted her massive gag grouper (38.86) to the scales. Fishing 52 miles offshore, using live pinfish for bait, Galati was holding on for all she was worth to keep the fish headed toward the boat. "My arm was killing me, but it went pretty good after I got the tip of the rod up," Galati said.
There were 68 fish weighed in for 127 anglers. Proceeds went to the Suncoast Children's Dream Fund.
- To report tournament information, contact Larry Blue at (727) 397-3773 or email CaptLBlue@aol.com.