Barta Boys and Girls Enjoy Big Game Fishing Tournament

BARTA BOYS & GIRLS CLUB WRAP-UP

By: Jason Hawkins

One word described the 1st Annual Barta Billfish tournament in Beaufort, NC last weekend; Special. From the humble beginnings as an idea from Tred Barta and area business leaders to the Saturday night finale the Barta tournament set the standard for other venues to follow. Last weekend when the opening ceremonies began under a sweltering July sky beneath the tent in Beaufort, there was a sense of excitement in the air as tournament organizers began to see the seeds planted a year earlier begin to grow. At the time of registration on Thursday morning until later that evening, the field of 46 grew to over 100 as anglers and captains wrote themselves into registration books and history books. The entire week however did not center on the anglers and the potential of winning this prestigious freshman tournament. Instead, it was the kids of the Boys & Girls Club in Beaufort that took center stage. When Tred Barta opened ceremonies on Thursday night, he was surrounded by his dream; kids from the Boys & Girls Club and his faithful followers in artists, anglers, journal editors and a host of sponsors. Barta took the stage and thanked the anglers and donors and told the kids that this tournament is about life instead of fishing. “Love, honesty, and trust”, Barta told the kids beside him are the important things in life. Barta stated that “In this tournament success will not be measured by the biggest fish placed on the scales; instead success will be measured by the acknowledgement that you gave it your all”. The kid’s eyes grew and their faces filled with smiles as Barta spoke of the money that would be raised and that was needed here and at other clubs across the coast of North Carolina.

After speaking about the background of the tournament and the beginnings, Barta then reached into the foundation of the tournament and brought a special guest to the stage. This guest was not a loaded sponsor or a famous angler. This guest did not require an entourage of staff to lead the way. And this guest did not dock his 65ft custom sport boat in Beaufort for the weekend. Instead, Barta’s guest on the stage was 7th grader Brody Taylor-Womble Heath of Wilson, NC. Heath wrote Barta several endearing letters back in the spring about his love of fishing and life. He recalled the past few years of his life being happiest when he fished and was outdoors. Through several unfortunate experiences at such a precious age, Heath lost his most of his family support as both of his grandfathers passed away within 3 months of each other. His grandfathers were responsible for taking Heath fishing and teaching him about the same morals that Barta spoke of; Love, Honesty, and Truth. Through this empty time in his life, Heath wrote to Barta and expressed his desire to be in the tournament. Heath himself is a member of the Boys and Girls Club in Wilson and knew the importance of the club as it had such a strong impact on his life. That night as Barta was surrounded by nearly 600 anglers, guests, sponsors, and the community, Barta brought Heath onto the stage. As Barta introduced Heath he spoke to the crowd about his letter and reinforced that Heath is an example of the type of kid that the tournament is attempting to help. Barta then turned to Heath and asked him a question. Heath he said, “Do you want to fish the tournament”? Heath nodded his head and said, “Yes, sir”. Barta then said, “Heath look over your left shoulder out there at the docks at that yellow boat; is that boat big enough to take you out fishing tomorrow and Saturday”? Heath replied an ecstatic “Yes sir it is”! The boat in Heath’s eyes and the eyes of the crowd was the 57 foot Island Boatworks Delta Dawn owned by Captain Pete Manual. Manual a longtime supporter of the community donated his boat to the tournament to take a deserving child like Heath fishing. Already on the first night of the tournament, the important things Barta spoke of was beginning to take affect; Love, Honesty & Truth.

Day 1

Friday found all 103 boats out fishing with nearly perfect weather for the anglers. An overcast sky and calm seas proved the correct recipe for the anglers as nearly 25 Billfish were released resulting in almost 25% of the entries having Billfish in their spreads. The fishing was exciting as two boats were nearly successful on releasing a “Grand Slam” (White Marlin, Blue Marlin, and Sailfish), and one boat managed to release an elusive Long bill Spearfish. When the scales opened at 3:30 on the docks of Beaufort, the crowd was treated to anglers ranging from 6 years old to 60 bringing Tuna, Mackerel, Mahi, and Wahoo to the scales. In following tradition, those anglers that released their first Billfish found themselves being tossed into the water as a rite of passage in the angling fraternity. That night the town and the anglers gathered beneath the tent for a key part of the tournament, the Live and Silent Auction. Here works from Carey Chen, Larry McCarter, Guy Harvey and gifts from local sponsors including a trip aboard the Delta Dawn were auctioned off to the public. By the end of the night the only items left were not bid upon was the Captain outfit of Tred Barta and the tent above this giving crowd. The biggest winner of the evening was however the Boys & Girls Club as participants and the community reached deep in their pockets to support the club.

Day 2

Saturday found the anglers and Beaufort fishing in typical summer conditions with scattered storms, sun, and heavy rain falling both offshore and along the docks. If Friday was the day of the Billfish, then Saturday was the day the game fish would dominate. Huge Wahoo, some weighing over 40lbs were brought to the scales amongst the cheer of the crowd. Large Mahi and King’s were laid on the docks as kids and adults alike hurried to the registration table to officially enter their fish into the tournament. The afternoon rush was hectic as participants were eager to see how they would finish in this inaugural tournament. That night after a local meal of shrimp and flounder, Barta took the stage to congratulate all of the anglers on a job well done and to give each child a trophy. As Barta read the names of the winners of each division, he extended himself beyond other venues by inviting every angler from the one with the heaviest fish to the one with no fish to the stage for recognition and receipt of a trophy. Here the participants were dazzled by trophies hand crafted of Mahi, Wahoo, and Sailfish. The crowd joined Barta with each group by shouting a sturdy “Hip Hip Hooray”, much to the delight of those receiving trophies. As the night progressed and every kid received something regardless of winning or losing, the mission of the tournament showed over and over again through the eyes of Barta and each participant. Barta rejuvenated the crowd by stating that this tournament is about honesty and that by allowing kids to fish they have erased boundaries few anglers have the pride to cross.

Conclusion

With the tournament now in the recent past and next year’s plans being made there are many thoughts one might take from those three days in Beaufort. I’ll recall the packing of the sea bags at the Boys & Girls Club that Monday as a special time. There was the energy that Director Cynthia Barber had each morning and late each evening making sure each and every detail was accurately captured. There were the moments that Tred would be giving orders to everyone he could see all in an effort to get things in the proper shape. And there were the lines at registration as each participant graciously gave up the small entry fee with pride and a deep satisfaction that they helped make a difference. And there were the people that happened off the street or off the boat that remarked at how wonderful the artwork, the tournament and the atmosphere was each day. With each of these thoughts and seeing the joy of the kids and participants, I’ll take with me that small thought I had with talking to Brody Taylor-Womble Heath. Here a child that had lost his entire framework of support both in life and the outdoors; managed to keep focused on fishing and the values it teaches. This child of 12 years old, too young to experience life in such a bitter way, faced each day at the tournament with a grin upon his face and eyes that soaked up every ounce of goodness the tournament offered. At the end of the weekend when the boats left Beaufort, the tent was taken down and the participants were homeward bound, I hope that what Brody Heath experienced in this tournament will stay with us until next year. With Brody and the many participants of this year’s tournament I think that Love, Honesty, & Truth were the best catch of the day. With all of the fish caught and released last weekend, was there a larger catch at the inaugural Barta Billfish Tournament?

Barta Boys and Girls Enjoy Big Game Fishing Tournament

BARTA BOYS & GIRLS CLUB WRAP-UP

By: Jason Hawkins

One word described the 1st Annual Barta Billfish tournament in Beaufort, NC last weekend; Special. From the humble beginnings as an idea from Tred Barta and area business leaders to the Saturday night finale the Barta tournament set the standard for other venues to follow. Last weekend when the opening ceremonies began under a sweltering July sky beneath the tent in Beaufort, there was a sense of excitement in the air as tournament organizers began to see the seeds planted a year earlier begin to grow. At the time of registration on Thursday morning until later that evening, the field of 46 grew to over 100 as anglers and captains wrote themselves into registration books and history books. The entire week however did not center on the anglers and the potential of winning this prestigious freshman tournament. Instead, it was the kids of the Boys & Girls Club in Beaufort that took center stage. When Tred Barta opened ceremonies on Thursday night, he was surrounded by his dream; kids from the Boys & Girls Club and his faithful followers in artists, anglers, journal editors and a host of sponsors. Barta took the stage and thanked the anglers and donors and told the kids that this tournament is about life instead of fishing. “Love, honesty, and trust”, Barta told the kids beside him are the important things in life. Barta stated that “In this tournament success will not be measured by the biggest fish placed on the scales; instead success will be measured by the acknowledgement that you gave it your all”. The kid’s eyes grew and their faces filled with smiles as Barta spoke of the money that would be raised and that was needed here and at other clubs across the coast of North Carolina.

After speaking about the background of the tournament and the beginnings, Barta then reached into the foundation of the tournament and brought a special guest to the stage. This guest was not a loaded sponsor or a famous angler. This guest did not require an entourage of staff to lead the way. And this guest did not dock his 65ft custom sport boat in Beaufort for the weekend. Instead, Barta’s guest on the stage was 7th grader Brody Taylor-Womble Heath of Wilson, NC. Heath wrote Barta several endearing letters back in the spring about his love of fishing and life. He recalled the past few years of his life being happiest when he fished and was outdoors. Through several unfortunate experiences at such a precious age, Heath lost his most of his family support as both of his grandfathers passed away within 3 months of each other. His grandfathers were responsible for taking Heath fishing and teaching him about the same morals that Barta spoke of; Love, Honesty, and Truth. Through this empty time in his life, Heath wrote to Barta and expressed his desire to be in the tournament. Heath himself is a member of the Boys and Girls Club in Wilson and knew the importance of the club as it had such a strong impact on his life. That night as Barta was surrounded by nearly 600 anglers, guests, sponsors, and the community, Barta brought Heath onto the stage. As Barta introduced Heath he spoke to the crowd about his letter and reinforced that Heath is an example of the type of kid that the tournament is attempting to help. Barta then turned to Heath and asked him a question. Heath he said, “Do you want to fish the tournament”? Heath nodded his head and said, “Yes, sir”. Barta then said, “Heath look over your left shoulder out there at the docks at that yellow boat; is that boat big enough to take you out fishing tomorrow and Saturday”? Heath replied an ecstatic “Yes sir it is”! The boat in Heath’s eyes and the eyes of the crowd was the 57 foot Island Boatworks Delta Dawn owned by Captain Pete Manual. Manual a longtime supporter of the community donated his boat to the tournament to take a deserving child like Heath fishing. Already on the first night of the tournament, the important things Barta spoke of was beginning to take affect; Love, Honesty & Truth.

Day 1

Friday found all 103 boats out fishing with nearly perfect weather for the anglers. An overcast sky and calm seas proved the correct recipe for the anglers as nearly 25 Billfish were released resulting in almost 25% of the entries having Billfish in their spreads. The fishing was exciting as two boats were nearly successful on releasing a “Grand Slam” (White Marlin, Blue Marlin, and Sailfish), and one boat managed to release an elusive Long bill Spearfish. When the scales opened at 3:30 on the docks of Beaufort, the crowd was treated to anglers ranging from 6 years old to 60 bringing Tuna, Mackerel, Mahi, and Wahoo to the scales. In following tradition, those anglers that released their first Billfish found themselves being tossed into the water as a rite of passage in the angling fraternity. That night the town and the anglers gathered beneath the tent for a key part of the tournament, the Live and Silent Auction. Here works from Carey Chen, Larry McCarter, Guy Harvey and gifts from local sponsors including a trip aboard the Delta Dawn were auctioned off to the public. By the end of the night the only items left were not bid upon was the Captain outfit of Tred Barta and the tent above this giving crowd. The biggest winner of the evening was however the Boys & Girls Club as participants and the community reached deep in their pockets to support the club.

Day 2

Saturday found the anglers and Beaufort fishing in typical summer conditions with scattered storms, sun, and heavy rain falling both offshore and along the docks. If Friday was the day of the Billfish, then Saturday was the day the game fish would dominate. Huge Wahoo, some weighing over 40lbs were brought to the scales amongst the cheer of the crowd. Large Mahi and King’s were laid on the docks as kids and adults alike hurried to the registration table to officially enter their fish into the tournament. The afternoon rush was hectic as participants were eager to see how they would finish in this inaugural tournament. That night after a local meal of shrimp and flounder, Barta took the stage to congratulate all of the anglers on a job well done and to give each child a trophy. As Barta read the names of the winners of each division, he extended himself beyond other venues by inviting every angler from the one with the heaviest fish to the one with no fish to the stage for recognition and receipt of a trophy. Here the participants were dazzled by trophies hand crafted of Mahi, Wahoo, and Sailfish. The crowd joined Barta with each group by shouting a sturdy “Hip Hip Hooray”, much to the delight of those receiving trophies. As the night progressed and every kid received something regardless of winning or losing, the mission of the tournament showed over and over again through the eyes of Barta and each participant. Barta rejuvenated the crowd by stating that this tournament is about honesty and that by allowing kids to fish they have erased boundaries few anglers have the pride to cross.

Conclusion

With the tournament now in the recent past and next year’s plans being made there are many thoughts one might take from those three days in Beaufort. I’ll recall the packing of the sea bags at the Boys & Girls Club that Monday as a special time. There was the energy that Director Cynthia Barber had each morning and late each evening making sure each and every detail was accurately captured. There were the moments that Tred would be giving orders to everyone he could see all in an effort to get things in the proper shape. And there were the lines at registration as each participant graciously gave up the small entry fee with pride and a deep satisfaction that they helped make a difference. And there were the people that happened off the street or off the boat that remarked at how wonderful the artwork, the tournament and the atmosphere was each day. With each of these thoughts and seeing the joy of the kids and participants, I’ll take with me that small thought I had with talking to Brody Taylor-Womble Heath. Here a child that had lost his entire framework of support both in life and the outdoors; managed to keep focused on fishing and the values it teaches. This child of 12 years old, too young to experience life in such a bitter way, faced each day at the tournament with a grin upon his face and eyes that soaked up every ounce of goodness the tournament offered. At the end of the weekend when the boats left Beaufort, the tent was taken down and the participants were homeward bound, I hope that what Brody Heath experienced in this tournament will stay with us until next year. With Brody and the many participants of this year’s tournament I think that Love, Honesty, & Truth were the best catch of the day. With all of the fish caught and released last weekend, was there a larger catch at the inaugural Barta Billfish Tournament?