Spearfishing Tournament wraps up in Wrightsville Beach

June 27, 2021

WWAY News,

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Plenty of people gathered in Wrightsville Beach over the weekend for the 13th annual Spearfishing Tournament.

In total, 75 free divers and scuba fishers competed in the event. They catch fish until 5p.m. Sunday. Jud Watkins, the organizer of the event, then has all the competitors over to Wrightsville Beach Brewery to turn the caught fish into fish tacos.

“Just a fun group of friends coming together really. It’s nothing super fancy, not playing for millions of dollars. Just healthy competition and comradery,” Watkins said.

Watkins judges the competition by creating three groups of fish; inland, bottom and pelagic. The winner has the heaviest total weight in the three categories of fish, but if you ask the divers they are more interested in the fun than the prizes.

“It’s just a great thing to bring everybody together. All of our friends, everybody that loves diving here, it’s the one event a year you see all of us together,” said competition winner Chris Slog. “When you see something big, the game is on. It’s a lot of fun. Once you do shoot something, that’s when it gets challenging, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Slog was one of many divers to win some prizes on Sunday, but he did take home first place overall.

“We have amazing spear fishing in North Carolina, some of the best in the world,” said Slog.

More competition winners are listed below:

2021 WB Spearfishing Tournament Final Results:

First Place Overall: Chris Slog 91.9lbs total weight

Second Place Overall: Mark Laboccetta 80.30lbs total weight

Third Place Overall: Brian Atack 70.40lbs total weight

Anyone turning in over 50lbs, you’re a legend!

First Place Scuba: Chris Slog

Second Place Scuba: Brian Atack

First Place Freedive: Mark Laboccetta

Second Place Freedive: Justin Parr

First Place Bottom: Chris Slog

Second Place Bottom: Brian Atack

First Place Pelagic: Chris Slog

Second Place Pelagic: Mark Laboccetta

First Place Inshore (tie): Lydia Laboccetta and Justin Parr

Joe David “Stone Shot” Award: Joe Sheridan – African Pompano

Most Lionfish: Team Atack

Biggest Lobster: Hayden Crabb

Best Photo: Coleman Allen, loggerhead turtle

Sportsmanship Award: John Cheshire