A Fresh Start-

After a somewhat dismal economy picture in 2009, I think we all are ready to let business pick up and actually get going again. AND,....I must say, it seems to be looking exactly like that!

Over the Christmas holidays, I had four (yes, four) emails from new companies who were interested in finding their spot among the leading sponsors of Big Rock. This showed me that hope is still available to anyone who takes the chance to go out there and find it.

There are plenty of exciting new idea's with Big Rock this year including our new winner take all dolphin category. This category is geared towards the smaller boat and smaller entry level but with plenty of ways to win. For a total of $4000, you are in the guaranteed level for blue marlin, daily/weekly prizes for release, and daily/weekly prizes for all gamefish ..PLUS, a total prize pot for the dolphin-winner take all!!

So grab your friends and plan for one of the best weeks you will have in 2010 by fishing with the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament!!!

Ft. Lauderdale Bound!

The Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year as signs of economic improvement begin to appear. Housing sales are better than previous months and we believe this will trickle down to the boat market as well. After all, what good is a house without a boat? At least that's the way my coastal brain works.

I'll be headed there this week to see the show and continue my never ending quest for Big Rock sponsors. We have been extremely fortunate to have the continued support of our sponsors through this tough time and I will do my best to make it worth their while. The tournament is a "rock" (if you will) among the waves of slow economy and continues to see growth in participation and sponsors.

The Big Rock board would like to welcome Coble Trench Safety, owned by Tom Coble of Greensboro, North Carolina. Coble Trench Safety stepped up this year as Presenting Sponsor and has now committed his support for the next three years as Major Sponsor. A Carteret County homeowner and Big Rock fisherman, Tom has given his support for many years and is excited to participate as the major leading sponsor of the tournament.

All sponsors are encouraged to commit for 2010 now to save their position for the upcoming event. Thanks to everyone who has already secured their spot in the line-up!

Randy Ramsey on the Radio!

This weekend is the 21st Annual Ducks Unlimited Band the Billfish Tournament and our own, Randy Ramsey of Jarrett Bay Boatworks/Jarrett Bay Yacht Sales will be on the radio entertaining the DU participants.

Randy's knowledge of the boats and their captains along with his quick wit offer participants a link back to land as they await the billfish bite. He has been the BIG ROCK radio personality for several years and we hope he never "quits" his job!

Randy and the other 14-member board of directors volunteer their time all year long to make Big Rock a successful event. Their efforts have netted over 2 million dollars to worthy organizations so far and have built a foundation to sustain these charities for many years to come.

Yeah, ....What It's All About-

Charity.

Though much is said about the amount participant's win, charity is why this 15-member volunteer board of directors work so hard each year to make Big Rock a success.

Yesterday the board donated $91,413 to fourteen different organizations who they have defined as the "core" group of charities. This annual event, held at the Dunes Club in Atlantic Beach, is what the entire board looks forward to each year. The icing on the cake of what was a great tournament year.

Pictured here with Casey is Chuck Bryant, Director of Newport Developmental Center and his predecessor Doris Oglesby, who recently retired from the school for adult handicap students. Even though Doris is living the high life of retirement, she asked if she could attend the charity luncheon just because it has meant so much to her in the past. The Newport Developmental Center is THE core charity of the tournament since it was the first to receive the benefits of a profitable event. Doris, Chuck and all the other recipients were so very thankful for the donations Big Rock makes each year. In turn, the board thanked each of them for working with organizations that define what a real community stands for.

President Tom Bennett opened the ceremony and welcomed everyone, Gene McClendon of Hope Mission offered the prayer, and the recipients were treated to a nice lunch prior to the presentation. Casey Wagner, charity committee chairman, presented each charity their donation for 2009 saving the final RAAB Clinic check for last.

Casey, still heartbroken over the loss of his wife Keli to breast cancer last year, was filled with emotion as he explained the renaming of the ladies tournament for Keli and why the donations to the clinic were so important. Sonda Warrington, director of RAAB, offered her thanks and defined the use of funds for patient comfort and care. The Keli Wagner Lady Angler Tournament raised $23,000 during this year's one-day tournament, $7000 of which came from non-fishing teams!!

It was a great way to start the holiday weekend knowing that Big Rock has now breached the 2 million dollar mark in its support of these many worthy causes.

Just a few days ago, this was the site at the weigh station...
Wow, what fun we had!!

Another great weather week, unprecedented re-entries, and a finish that couldn't be scripted any better with two North Carolina captain's battling it out.

The 51st Annual Big Rock was a wonderful success thanks to the multitude of committed staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make each facet of the event the best it could be.

A special "shout out" to Randy Ramsey who arrived each morning with Tiffany at 6:00 am. Tiff offered to open the office for me and Randy of course, didn't want to be without her! Once the office was opened, Randy escorted Omie Tillet in at 7:00 for the morning prayer. My office was full all week with people wanting to listen to Randy and have a moment of his time. He is a very special man, a successful businessman and a committed Big Rock board member.

Mike Thompson also spent his entire week handling the funds and adjusting the purse as needed. This job alone takes a full time person. Thanks Mike!

Media Director, Bruce Paul-, Statistician-Jo Ann Taylor, Office Assistant-Barb Backman, Web/Photographer-Ronnie Boone, Weigh Station-Randy Gregory and George Lott, M/C- Rick Cowell, Streaming Video-Brian Goodwin, Bar-Lynn Ward and Thurmond Beard, and of course Web/Assistant Rowanne Robertson. All of these people and more giving an entire week through exhaustion to make the tournament as perfect as it could be.

Thanks to everyone mentioned and unmentioned for your loyal efforts to the biggest and best billfish tournament in the U.S or anywhere!!

Well....everyday I have thought of some wonderful thing I wanted to write about but of course...with facebook, twitter, and trying to actually run the tournament, I have gotten behind.

On Friday, I had excitement and such joy about the ladies tournament, on Saturday I had such incredible craziness in the office you could not think and on Sunday I had such thankfulness for volunteers, participants, sponsors, police officers, everyone that make up this entire week. Each day I could have written 10 pages on what happened here but, it just didn't work out.

The tournament is going great and we had some nice gamefish today. Releases have been good and I think most boats are excited about the first fish opportunity.

Good luck anglers!!

Artist Steve Goione has done another brilliant job with the 51st Annual Big Rock original. Wow!, are the colors vivid and beautiful!

Steve has been around for a while now, showing (and donating) for many other tournaments too. I'm sure after awhile he wonders how many different ways he can draw a marlin. He seems to find it though, each time and offer something more than you could have hoped for. Goione pieces take weeks to create and finish.

As sort of an unwritten "gentleman's rule", the first place blue marlin winner will usually buy the original art. This is their contribution to charity after being so lucky at the tournament. Last year the art brought in $22,500 for Big Rock charities and hopefully the 51st winner will want this incredible piece just as much.

The fifty-first annual program is out and looks spectacular! Tournament assistant Rowanne Robertson, did another great job laying it out and making last year come alive.

We always breathe a sigh of relief when the program goes to press and I tell everyone that it is really the hardest part of the job!

The Big Rock would like to once again thank all of our sponsors who continued to support the tournament in this difficult economic year. I would especially like to thank Presenting Sponsor, Coble Trench Safety for stepping up this year as well as Linda Rike/Ed Daughety Real Estate for continuing the Diamond level sponsorship. Platinum sponsors this year are Jarrett Bay Boatworks, Consumer's Marine/Overton's, Wachovia, Bailey's Fine Jewelry, Seegars Fence Company, Liquid Video Productions, Crown Royal and MTU/Covington Power Services.

How Many Boats Are You Going To Have?

I heard this question many times today as I delivered programs and banners to area retailers. Of course, we never know what the total is going to be since everyone usually waits until the weekend prior to the tournament to enter. I think on Friday last year prior to the week of fishing, we had 91 boats when the office closed. Forty of those had entered during that week. When it was all said and done, we ended up with 176 boats....... you just never know. In good economies and bad we have usually hovered somewhere around 180 and I don't expect this year to be any different.

If t-shirt sales are any indication, they are flying off the shelves. We are getting tons of calls everyday and slips are full for the week of the tournament with waiting lists. The tournament is certainly spending the same money on great entertainment, food, seabags, etc. and in general, the Big Rock excitement is building around town.

The weather has finally been nice and charters have been bringing back large dolphin while releasing white and blue marlin. Fuel costs are half what they were last year and everyone seems anxious to get out on the water.

All in all, I believe we will have a very good year at Big Rock. I hope that the extra tuna rollover money of $23,000 will encourage smaller boats to come join in the fun and see what they are missing!

-The Keli Wagner Lady Angler (KWLA) shirts and license plates are now available for purchase at the Big Rock office.

We have already received entries for the tournament as well as many "non-fishing" entries. The non-fishing entry, dreamed up by Sarah Strange, is proving to be one of the better ideas to come out of the Big Rock think tank in a while. There are a mulititude of people that would like to participate in this tournament in some way but have not been able to do so because of distance. This is an excellent way to be a part of giving back to this community.

-We ran a local commercial recently about Tiger Runner winning the Release level in 2008. I wonder how many people realize they can win this kind of money just by entering Level I? Information like this get's lost in the hoopla of someone winning $700,000 or more, but what a payout..... for $2500 you can win $92,000! Now that's a deal!

-The marsh outside my window is starting to turn green, so I know Spring is getting close. It is amazing how much the marsh actually changes during the year.

We have recieved our first entries from Triple A and Figment. The media is always surprised when I tell them we have 5 or 6 entries but we always get the bulk of our participant entries on the weekend before fishing. It makes planning somewhat difficult but we manage to do pretty well!

-T-shirts were delivered last week to area retailers and everyone was really excited to have their shirts for Easter weekend. Retailer feedback has been very positive.

There is a light blue that is only sold at the Big Rock office along with a dark pink in a ladies cut shirt. We always have something special here!

We had the press conference yesterday to announce the naming of the ladies tournament to The Keli Wagner Big Rock Lady Angler Tournament.

Since that press conference and email blast, we have been inundated with calls and emails with those who want t-shirts and would like to either fish or donate funds! Later, I posted the information on Facebook and we had 21 comments on the design of the shirt, etc. Everyone is so happy we are honoring Keli in this way! BTW- check out our page on Facebook, The Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament.

The items for the seabag, the shirt with Cole's marlin, etc. all look great and I love the fact that the items are all special to Keli. I feel like Keli would be proud of this but would be most content that because of her, money is being raised for the comfort and care of others.

The chosen charity for this tournament, the RAAB Cancer Clinic, offers services to so many people that they are now looking to build a new office in the near future. The donations raised from the KWLA tournament will continue to support this wonderful center.

CHARTERS ARE AVAILABLE!

Several Big Rock Landing charters are still available for the week of BIG ROCK!!! I just saw that Dancin' Outlaw is not booked...he posted information on the website at http://www.thebigrock.com, under "Message Board". Dancin' Outlaw won The Big Rock in 1999 and placed third in the 2005 tournament. All of the charters are local captains that KNOW how to fish and will take you on an expericence you will never forget! Sensation, Diamond Girl, Offshore III are waiting for your calls!

We are getting calls about dockage, hotels, etc., every day so I know we are going to have a great tournament!

STREAMING VIDEO!

Big Rock will once again offer the "armchair angler" streaming video broadcasting, live each day from the Big Rock weigh station. The streaming camera will come on at anytime during the day if a blue marlin is weighed and be on contiuously from 4-7 pm during each fishing day.

Liquid Video Productions will be hosting this exciting feature once again with crowd shots, interviews of anglers, fish weights etc. so anyone can feel part of the crowd.

-Charters- There are several charters still available for the tournament. Sensation, Diamond Girl, Bill Collector for sure. See the contact information on this site under "Charters".

It doesn't look like this right now but soon the view from the office will be full of boats waiting to weigh-in their fish!

Calls are pouring in with anglers asking questions about fishing in this year's event and we are standing by to answer them!

-Sponsorship is looking pretty good too! We just got word that Wachovia will be back with us this year as a Platinum Level sponsor. Wachovia has supported the tournament for years but also offers their generous support to many other local non-profits. This commitment to charity is just one of the reasons the Wachovia institution is a solid bank you can depend on in this community.

The Big Rock has worked long and hard for many years to create a tournament no one will want to miss being a part of ...that includes sponsors and participants! While other tournaments suffered losses last year, we did not. We certainly expect that to be the case this year as well.

More sponsors sign up for the 51st Annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament!

Two new Platinum sponsors signed up this week to support Big Rock's charitable giving. Overton's/Consumer Marine will come in as a new sponsor for 2009 and MTU will return at their Platinum level. Big Rock is proud of their support! Thank you , thank you!

-The program deadline will be March 15th so if anyone would like to sponsor the tournament this year, please contact the office at 252-247-3575.

NEW NAME FOR LADY ANGLER TOURNEY!

The lady angler tournament will be renamed this year in honor of our favorite fishing girl, Keli Wagner, who sadly passed away in October 08'.

Keli loved fishing and had fished every lady angler tournament since the beginning. She was also responsible for the charitable proceeds being donated to the local RAAB Cancer Clinic. The lady angler tournamet has raised $107,000 so far, with $61,500 of that total going to the clinic. These funds have been used to enhance the clinic with small t.v's, art, blankets and other comforts for patients receiving treatments.

The picture above is the rough sketch of the t-shirt and logo. Casey and Keli's son, Cole, offered the blue marlin sketch and we thought it would be a great idea to have his art on the shirt.

We are working on the tournament this year to make it a special event with tons of fun and goodies for all involved. A new level has been added at $250 for "Non-fishing" teams! The team can still compete in the best dressed contest, come to the event, and their entire donation will go to the RAAB clinic. It is a great way to get in on the fun and sleep in the next morning!

-Sponsors!

We are still working on our sponsorship drive and will continue for a few more weeks. Though it is going slower than usual, I believe we will finish with our fair share and be able to continue our benevolent giving. The Big Rock is committed to donating as much as possible back to the community. If you know of anyone who might have an interest in sponsoring or advertising, please have them contact me!

Just returned from the Miami Boat Show where the news was not quite as bad as expected. Yeah, there were a few tense smiles around but for the most part everyone was "cautiously optimistic".

The deal is, everyone still loves the sport, they still want to go fishing, and that will require some new stuff! Just that simple.

I talked to Dave Ferrell, Editor of Marlin Magazine, who offered up his belief that Big Rock would be "just fine". Of course, we believe that, but it was nice to hear from a seasoned marketer. It was also very nice to see so many people that know of our tournament and think so highly of it. As I said before, we will do our very best to give the participants and sponsors a tournament no one will want to miss.

Some of the best news was at Hatteras Yachts where they reported sales during the show and were talking with new and previous owners that were contemplating new purchases. Randy Ramsey with Jarrett Bay/Hatteras told me he was feeling pretty good about the show and was looking forward to the upcoming few weeks.

Though we are a little chilly, it sure is good to be back in North Carolina where they have sweet tea!

-Richard Crowe is coming along just great and continuing to venture out some. He took a longer trip this weekend and was happy to report it went well. Keep him in your prayers.

-Sensation, captained by Dale Britt, is open for Big Rock! Could you possibly get a better chance at fishing?? This well seasoned local captain will offer you one of the best weeks of your life. Check out his website at http://www.sensationsportfishing.com

Nothing to report but GOOD NEWS!! More sponsors have signed up for this year's tournament and man are we happy about that!!

Linda Rike and Ed Daughety have returned for the Diamond level sponsorship which gives them an exclusive along with their single logo on the t-shirt. Linda Rike/Ed Daughety have been supporters of Big Rock for a very long time and we are pleased they are coming back for another year. Their Diamond Level sponsorship also allows them to present the donation check to one of Big Rock's worthy charities.

DIAGEO will once again sponsor the bar featuring the upscale liquors of Crown Royal, Tanqueray Gin, Ciroc Vodka, Smirnoff Vodka, and Johnny Walker Black. Big Rock is pleased to be able to offer our participants premium products for the events!

Coastal Beverage/Miller Products will return again this year as well and we are very happy to have them in the sponsor family. This company not only sponsors the beer but gives tons of hours each year with set-up during the events. They are a real asset to the tournament.

I will continue the sponsorship drive through the end of February. The deadline for the program will be February 20th, 2009 with a couple of extra days for industry professionals that will be attending the Miami boat show.

-129….the number of days the ticker on the Big Rock website says we have to get ready!! In the cold, rainy January it doesn't seem like spring is anywhere near but take heart,…it will be here before you know it.

-The rules are online and will be mailed this week. If you don’t see your copy in the mail, please let us know and we will get it right out to you!!

-POSITIVE NEWS! The message board on the website has begun to receive interested participants who would like to join a team and fish! If you need to put together a team, this is a great way to do it. I know right now the Sensation is open…what a great captain to have leading you to the win!

-Seegars Fence Company signed up this week as a new Platinum level sponsor. You will remember their boat, Chainlink, won the tournament in 2006 with their 501.5 lb. blue marlin. Glad and proud to list them on the 2009 t-shirt!

-While other tournaments were down 25% last year, Big Rock sustained our numbers and I believe we will do the same in 2009. The board and staff have worked hard through the years to make the tournament a big success in good times AND not so good times. We intend to keep giving our best to the participants and sponsors.

As the new President emphasized service today, I was reminded of the job my volunteer board of directors, our staff and volunteers do for our community.
The Big Rock is a labor of love for the board. They diligently work each year for the success of the tournament so that it will benefit the lives of the charities and worthy organizations it supports.
I am also reminded of the many other tournaments in our area that were born from Big Rock’s success and extend their own gifts of service to our area. I am very proud to serve under that umbrella.

-The Beaufort Task Force met this morning to discuss the parking issues in downtown Beaufort. As one of the major events that take place in this town, the Big Rock is asked to serve to make recommendations for this ongoing issue. The bulk of the meeting was focused on a “mixed use” parking situation that includes satellite parking at the Gallants Channel site. The town will focus on enforcement of their decisions, i.e. parking tickets, so participants need to be aware of the changes the town intends to make. Unfortunately the Beaufort Town Docks were built without parking stipulations and both boaters and store owners will suffer in the final decisions. It does seem that the task force is made of up of mostly level headed individuals and compromise will be the prevailing theme. If you have thoughts about this issue, please send them to me at director@thebigrock.com -

"Being associated with the Big Rock and working with you and your staff is
incredible and my pleasure!"

-Steve Goione, Artist

-Artist, Steve Goione will once again offer an original piece of art for the 51st Annual Big Rock tournament. I am really happy to have Steve back! He has a wonderful personality and everyone enjoy's their time with him. He is working on new black and white editions of his art (above) and will have something in this genre during the tournament.

-The Big Rock board of directors will meet Friday, Jan. 30th for the first meeting of 2009. The meeting will consist of charity discussions, parking issues in Beaufort, sponsor updates etc. We are always working to make the tournament better. If you ever have ideas or changes you would like to see, please let me know. I mean really, this tournament is for YOU!

-Beaufort parking during the tournament has become an issue once again. A new task force has been assigned to help the Beaufort Town Council make decisions regarding this ongoing dilema. Among your allies are me and Cynthia Barber of the Barta tournament. We both promise to work hard to defend our participants.

-I had a nice conversation with Richard Crowe today. He is in great spirits, and sounds a little itchy to get back to the coast! He is continuing to do really well and very thankful for everyone's prayers and thoughts. If you would like to send him a message and keep current with his progress, you can sign up at : http://www.carepages.com/carepages/RichardCrowe/updates/1910673?client_code=dukehealth&ipc=mur

It's a New Year Already!

It is a new year already and we are busy preparing for the upcoming tournament. I have two goals this month....one to start a blog with random information I get around town that might interest our participants and sponsors, (done), and the other is to learn how to Podcast so that each of you have even more to look at on the Big Rock site!

So here is my first post, with at least once a week additions:

-New boat on the water! Jarrett Bay has just finished the new Waste Knot (love the W.K. logo in the "o")! A full 67' of beauty that Pizza will love running.

-Some exciting Blue Fin Tuna catches on and around Captain Dale Britt's Sensation. He has a great fishing report and photo's on his website http://sensationsportfishing.com/ He is once again hosting the Tag a Giant program. For a $1200 donation to the program you can participate as the angler and get up close and personal with these spectacular fish!

-Sponsor Sign Up! We have sponsor's signing up already and in this economy, you can certainly hear my sigh of relief! I am making every effort to keep all we have worked so hard for these past few years. Of note, Coble Trench Safety will once again sign on as a Diamond Sponsor, Allegiance Security is coming back in a bigger way and Costa Del Mar will be the "Official Sunglass Sponsor" for the 2009 event.

-Our beloved board member Richard Crowe was accepted for a liver transplant, is through the surgery and as of 1/6/09 is home working on getting better. He is being cared for by his wife Carol and daughter Jessica. Keep Richard and his family in your prayers.

-I will be heading to the Miami Boat Show February 11th, 2009! It is a great way to see participants and sponsors while getting up to speed on all the new equipment. Hope to see you there!

**Photo's by Scott Taylor/Jarrett Bay Boatworks