Black Drum World Championship Fishing Tournament

Held each May at Bay Creek Marina in Cape Charles, this tournament reels in the anglers. Cash prizes and trophies are awarded.

Results - 4th annual Black Drum
World Championship Fishing Tournament

A 76.38-pound citation black drum landed by local Captain Fred Smith of Craddockville, VA took top honors in the 2010 Black Drum World Championship Fishing Tournament held May 14 and 15, out of Bay Creek Marina in Cape Charles, Va. Rounding out the winning Team “Farm Use” were brothers Jim Smith of Craddockville, Mark Smith of Accomac, and J.E.Smith of Atlantic.

Team “Farm Use” earned $3,000 for their efforts. The winning angler also will receive an engraved wall plaque featuring a miniature hand-painted black drum mount. In addition, the angler, team name, and fish weight will be engraved on the tournament’s perpetual trophy, a black drum sculpture prepared by Turner Sculpture of Melfa.

Exmore’s Jamie Parks claimed second place with his 67.59-pounder. Parks was fishing with Capt. Don Mills, II of Cape Charles, Greg Ethridge of Machipongo, Ken Blair of Davis Wharf, and Chad Isabelle of Cape Charles. Team “Don Mills” walked away with $2,000 for their work. Parks will receive an individual custom plaque.

The third-place fish, worth $1,000 and a plaque, was captured by Capt. E. Phillip Hickman, Jr. of Horntown. His black drum weighed in at 59.97 pounds. Fishing with Hickman aboard Team “Hokie High” was son E. Phillip Hickman, III of Horntown, Fred Holland of New Church and Ryan Powell of New Church.

A special Fire Department competition for largest fish caught by a Fire Department/EMT/Paramedic member was won by Ryan Horner of Onancock fishing with the Team “In Hot Pursuit”. The trophy will now reside for the year at the Onancock Fire Department.

The 2010 Black Drum World Championship attracted a field of 43 vessels with 182 anglers. Anglers hailed from Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. For the first time fishing was scheduled, at anglers’ requests for Friday night as well as all day Saturday with final weight-ins at 6:00 pm.

Fish entered in the tournament were subject to examination by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission’s Fisheries Management Division, which obtained biological samples for use in its Black Drum Data Collection Program. Anglers contributing to this program were awarded shirts for their participation. The VMRC examined and collected samples from 10 fish during the tournament.

Another benefactor from the tournament was the Foodbank of the Eastern Shore, which received 116 lbs. of donated drum; the fish will be distributed to families in need on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Generous sponsors contributed to the tournament’s fourth successful year: Chesapeake Level sponsors included Gowen & Associates, Ocean Cove Seafood, and J.H. West Seafood. Our Kings Creek Level sponsors included Eastern Shore News, Cherrystone Family Camping Resort, Chris ’Bait and Tackle, Northampton Lumber Company, Inc. Shore Tire and Auto sponsored the advertising posters.