Vegas has Janie Peese is the odds on favorite for the Queen of the Bay fishing tourney.
Janie Pease, of Cheriton, has been deemed by the Vegas bookies as the leading contender for the legendary Lady Mary Boleyn Tiara at this year’s running of the Cape Charles Queen of the Bay (QOB) Pier Fishing Tournament being held June 27th – June 30th at the Town Pier. Pease brings tremendous experience into the 2018 tourney from her 2016 quest in which she captained a very large and competitive team, the “Arc Angels”, composed of anglers from the Eastern Shore Community Services Board (ESCSB) Vocational Center.
The Lady Mary Boleyn Tiara is awarded to the top female angler of the tournament and Pease has vowed to return this year with a vengeance. In 2016, as the captain of her large team, she didn’t realize that she was eligible to fish until the last day. In 2016 she still managed a respectable 2nd place finish in the Black Sea Bass Lady Division and also managed to bring home some hardware. Pease has been rumored to be tuning her game in advance of the tourney, aided and coached by some good “ole Eastern Shore salts” who have been advising her on tackle, baits, and tactics for the fishing chess match to come late June.
The Eastern Shore is fielding another strong contender by the name of Jasmine Evans, who will be fishing for the pride of the Broadwater Academy and the Eastern Shore Marlin Club, the tourneys top “Tarpon Sponsor”. Evans is considered a dark horse with concerns by the bookies that her acquired offshore big game fishing techniques will foul her up where pier tactics are required at QOB.
The 2016 Queen of the Bay, Sharon “Sharkslayer” Martin of Williamsburg will be casting a large shadow on the contenders. Coached by her husband in 2016, Sharkslayer took home the tiara in addition to $350 in prize money.
A midwestern threat is looming from Missouri in the likes of Jessica Vanacek, who pulled off a stunning victory at the 2017 running of the QOB held on the Western Shore of the Bay. Fishing with her father Frank, she is expected to return and defend the “western” crown at the 2nd stage of the tournament series at Ingram Bay in August.
Natalie “Holly” Wood of Mechanicsville, who took 9th overall in 2016, is a top leading young lady and and the best hope for the Richmond contingents.
Northern Virginia has offered up two experienced young lady tournament anglers from Herndon, sisters Carmin and Faith Brown, who will be coached by their brothers, Robbie, William, and Ben. The two young ladies will have their work cut out for them as they transition from trolling to bottom fishing from a pier.
The Northern Neck has offered one of their best bottom fishing lady anglers, Rachael Clarke of White Stone, who will be equipped with propulsion based devices to launch her rigs into the deeper channel waters adjacent to the pier. She has grown up on Tabbs Creek, and has a firm grip on the nuances of the tide and feeding habits of Chesapeake Bay fishery.
This year’s tourney will be providing a $1,450 cash purse, trophies, and ~$1,000 of in-kind prizes from sponsors in four major divisions (Open, Lady, Special Angler, Youth) along with 4 minor divisions (Military Calcutta, Sharks, and Rays). The tournament will also be awarding a 1st place team trophy.
In our next installments, we’ll look at the leading overall contenders and other sponsors, followed by top Special Anglers contenders, and then the top Youth Anglers contenders.
Registration and rules for the tourney can be found at http://fishdispatch.com/2018-cape-charles-qob.html
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