You have heard of dedicated fishermen, but this one might take the championship.
Dante Soriente of West Caldwell and Beach Haven got a call from fishing buddy Curt Horensky to get his butt down the beach at Beach Haven because bunker were in, and where there are bunker, there might be striped bass.
So he goes running down, but slips on the walkway over the dunes, bangs his knee and cuts his foot. At first, he didn't notice the cut because his knee hurt so much. He got back in his car and saw blood, so he went home to take care of the wound.
He simply applied a little Crazy Glue and then proceeded to stitch it up with a needle and 2-pound braided fishing line applied with three overhand knots. He wrapped it with eight Bandaids to stop the bleeding, put a sock over his foot and headed back to the beach.
The bunker moved off, so he went searching, found them and snagged one. Hooked it up live, cast it out, and connected with a 49-pound, 6-ounce striped bass that takes the lead in the Simply Bassing 2010 tournament on Long Beach Island.
He had his lucky pink Jingle's Bait and Tackle T-shirt on that he can't go fishing without. Somehow, he lost his old shirt weighing in another fish a few days before. Margaret O'Brien gave him a new shirt, but he wanted the old one. It was located and returned, which set up the chain of events that led to the catch of Saturday.
The 26-year-old not only is dedicated, but also superstitious.
"It was great," Soriente said of the experience.
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The teams and the boat crews are all hooked up for Saturday's renewal of the Ladies Invitational Bluefish Tournament. The captain's meeting is Friday night and the awards banquet is Sunday night, so it is a pretty full weekend schedule.
This contest raised $62,500 last year to bring the total to $442,000. The money goes to the Atlantic Care Mobile Mammography fund. Tournament director Kim Kirk said the tournament enables uninsured women to take mammography tests and follow-up diagnostic tests if needed until they qualify for state and federal insurance.
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The Wendi Llewellyn Memorial Open women's surf fishing tournament Saturday is an indication of kingfish increasing. The Association of Surf Angling Clubs event was on Brigantine north beach. Susan Boehret won in total length for five kingfish beating out Jane Jeffrys, also with five. Kathy Koestel won $500 from Digital Sagger tackle for biggest fish, a 34-inch striped bass. Thirty kingfish 10 inches or more in length qualified but it was estimated that 70 other eneligible smaller fish were hooked, according to a tournament release.
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The American Legion Post 396 in Brigantine has a flounder tournament June 26. The heaviest flounder takes $500. Other divisions: total weight for three heaviest, ladies and children 12 and under single-heaviest. The entry is $60 for four anglers per boat and forms are available at the Post, 3218 W. Brigantine Ave. The captain's meeting is 7 p.m. June 25. The tournament benefits Fisher House, which helps wounded military personnel and families.
