CityView Magazine

8 | May/June 2015 publisher's note E very June at Morehead City, NC the annual Big Rock Marlin fishing tourna- ment is held. It is one of the largest marlin tournaments in the United States and people come from all over the country to try to win it. For the past 14 years the top prize money has been $1,000,000. My experience with this great event was in 1994 and it involved my late son, Bob. In late May of that year, several friends went to a concert in Raleigh. During dinner before the event Dan Kinlaw asked me if I would like to buy an interest in a boat that was fishing in the Big Rock. I asked why I should get in on it (the cost was not cheap) and I had never been marlin fishing before. He told me the captain of the boat was Watson Caviness and he had won every other marlin tournament, but not this one. I knew of Watson's fishing and boating expertise, so I thought it was worth the risk. Also, another reason I decided to get in was my lifelong friend Crawford MacKethan was involved and he is one of the tightest people I know with money. If Crawford was involved, I had to do it. My wife and her best friend thought I was crazy and let me know their opinion in so many words. But I was now committed. At that time in my life I was a poker player (I have not played in 15 years) and had won a large sum of money that week, so I used those winnings to fund my way into the deal. When June came along and it was time for the tournament, they gave me a schedule of the days I could be on the boat. I wasn't able to attend, so my son Bob who had the summer off from Chapel Hill and was working in Wilmington, entered the tournament in my place. He had marlin fished in the past. However, Bob got the date confused and went on the wrong day, but the men welcomed him with open arms. ey le the dock at 4:30 in the morning on Watson's dad's boat, Salty Fare. ey went about 100 miles out to sea. e way the fish schedule worked is each person had a 30 minute segment to sit in the fishing chair. Bob was not on that schedule because technically it was not my day to fish. When it came around for Kinlaw's next time in the chair, he let Bob take his place. As soon as Bob sat in the chair, he hooked up a big marlin. He fought the fish for hours before they were able to bring it into the boat. Bob was 19 at the time and in great physical shape, which was important to conquer the huge fish. He was worn out aer the catch…a 649 pound blue marlin. Of course, they had no idea what the fish weighed way out in the Gulf Stream, but they all knew it was a big one and could possibly put them in first place. When they got back to Big Rock headquarters, it was in first place and they won the tournament. e Big Rock, which is not a rock at all, is a series of ledges, peaks and plateaus that covers an area about eight to 10 miles long by one mile in width in the Gulf Stream. Small fish gather on the reefs and are great feeding grounds for the big marlins. ere- fore all the boats go to reefs to find their big catch. Even in 1994 a lot of technology was used and Watson was a master of it. While the Big Rock remained an underwater secret for much of the nation's history, it's now considered the major event for marlin fishing on the East Coast. In 1994, the first place prize money was $250,000 and I had a 10 percent share and Bob Waren's name is in the record books forever at Big Rock due to some providential circumstances and the kindness of my good friend Dan Kinlaw. By the way, several weeks later we were with the friend that criticized my entering the contest and she asked her husband why he didn't ever get in on things like that. We all laughed because she had forgotten how she chastised me weeks earlier for taking that gamble. e winnings paid for Bob's next year at Chapel Hill plus all his fraternity expenses and he bought a nice mountain bicycle that I still use today and the Big Rock goes on again this June. presents... May 14-31 May 1-2 June 6 Festival Park Buy online at www.cfrt.org or call 910-323-4233 A Fish Story Auto. Home. Life. Retirement. They all matter, so wrap them all in a blanket of Nationwide® protection. We put members first, because we don't have shareholders. SM Join the Nation® that knows what's important. Combine your policies and save up to 25% Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, the Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, the Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual company. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle Join the Nation, What's precious to you is precious to us and We put members first because we don't have shareholders are Nationwide N and Eagle Join the Nation, What's precious to you is precious to us and We put members first because we don't have shareholders are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO 8/14) service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO.2 (8/14) service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO.2 (8/14) worthw@nationwide.com Phone: (910)488-5056 WALKER WORTH AGENCY Walker Y Worth, III What's precious to you is precious to us. SM Auto. Home. Life. Retirement. They all matter, so wrap them all in a blanket of Nationwide ® protection. We put members first, because we don't have shareholders. SM Join the Nation ® that knows what's important. Combine your policies and save up to 25% Walker Y Worth, III WALKER WORTH AGENCY Phone: (910)488-5056 worthw@nationwide.com Not all Nationwide affiliated companies are mutual companies and not all Nationwide members are insured by a mutual affiffiliated company. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle Join the Nation, What's precious to you is precious to us and We put members fifirst because we don't have shareholders are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. © 2014 Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. NPR-0718AO.2 (8/14)

• Cover