PORT MANSFIELD — The numbers were up, the weather was great and the fishing was spectacular.

Indeed, the Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament was back in top form.

About 285 anglers signed up and made their way to the Willacy County coast this weekend for the 38th annual event, which was deemed a success by tournament officials.

“We had a lot of people calling us asking when they could come down,” said Terry Neal with the Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event. “We had some wind (Friday) but (Saturday) was a much better day.

“Everybody caught a lot of fish and everybody’s happy this year.”

The tournament had been in somewhat of a slump the past couple of years because of bad weather.

After Hurricane Dolly wiped out the 2008 event, the threat of tropical weather canceled offshore fishing last year and the anglers stayed away.

But with Mother Nature’s cooperation, the fishing that’s made Port Mansfield famous was on full display this time around.

“It’s been an outstanding tournament,”Air max shoes  longtime PMFT weighmaster and local outdoor expert Richard Moore said. “The bay fishing was very good and offshore fishing was very good. We’ve had a lot of red snapper, good trout and a big story was that people were catching flounder again.”

There was plenty of buzz Saturday at the Port Mansfield Chamber Pavilion, and among the highlights was a beautiful dorado caught by Ryan Pemelton of McAllen.

Aboard the Trouble Maker, Pemelton caught the dorado, often referred to as a dolphin, earlier Saturday morning.

“It put up a pretty good fight and made about 3 or 4 big jumps,” Pemelton said, adding that the struggle lasted about 10 to 15 minutes.

Some unofficial leaders Saturday included Marsh Steussy, who held the top two spots in men’s bay trout division. He reeled in an 8-pound, 2-ounce trout as well as a 7-pound, 3-ounce catch.

In the men’s bay redfish category, Mario Garcia led with an 8-pound, 4-ounce red. Dallas Munroe’s 7-pound, 9-ounce catch was in second.

There were plenty of flounder brought in, and Ernesto Hinojosa led with a 5-pound, 3-ounce flounder. He led by a hair over David Rowland (5-pounds, 2-ounces).

Over on the women’s side, Rhonda Kennedy (6-pound, 4-ounce) and Hillary Gillin (6-pound, 1-ounce) held the top two spots in the bay trout category.

In bay redfish, Tabitha Vasquez led (8 pounds, 2 ounces) and Sue Nelson (8 pounds) was in second.

Donna Rowland (4 pounds, 4 ounces) was the frontrunner in the flounder category with Stacy MacMillen (3 pounds, 10 ounces) in second.

The junior division brought in some great fish as well.

In the trout category, Zach Oelsen’s 6-pound, 2-ounce catch was in first and Hayden Williams (5 pounds, 11 ounces) was in second.

The roles were reversed in the redfish group. Williams led there with his 7-pound, 11-ounce haul, while Oelsen was in second with a 7-pound, 8-ounce red.

Gordo Garza had the top two spots in flounder (4 pounds, 15 ounces and 3 pounds, 6 ounces).

Offshore totals were still being filled in, but early results listed Chris Quin with a 300-point white marlin and Perry Newby reeling in a 300 point sailfish.

Buddy Gale (20 pounds, 1 ounce) led in blackfin tuna while Murray Meggison had his 14-pound, 1-ounce wahoo in first.

It wasn’t all adults as Neal said 75 kids tried their luck in the piggy perch division.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Liz Nagel of DeWitt shot a four-under 68 to take a three-stroke lead in the first round of stroke play at the Michigan Women's Amateur on Monday.

Carley Saint-Onge of Marquette and Jacqueline Setas of East Lansing are tied for second place after each shot 71 at Forest Akers West in East Lansing.

The final stroke-play round will take place today, after which the field will be cut to 32 for match play.

Match play rounds will run Wednesday through Friday and culminate with the championship final on Friday afternoon.

GYMNASTICS: The 2012 Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions, featuring the U.S. team's top performers from the London Games, will visit the Palace at 7:30 p.m.buy nike free Nov. 3. Tickets as low as $25 will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday.

ROWING: University of Michigan's Chrissy Holm won a gold medal Sunday as a member of the U.S. team at the 2012 World Under-23 Rowing Championships. The U.S. women's eight crew topped runner-up Germany with its winning time of 6:25.92.

SOCCER: The Michigan Bucks will host the Real Colorado Foxes in Game 1 of a doubleheader at 6 p.m. Saturday at Ultimate Soccer Arenas in Pontiac. Thunder Bay Chill will face FC London in the second game at 8. Tickets purchased before Saturday are $6. On game day, prices rise to $10 for adults and $7 for youths. (Each ticket includes two games on Saturday or one on Sunday.) Children ages 5 and younger are admitted for free. For more information, go to www.buckssoccer.com.

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More Details: In-state talent

What: Michigan Women's Amateur.

When: Through Friday.

Where: Forest Akers, East Lansing.

Format: 36-hole stroke play, followed by 32 players in match play.

2011 champion: Christine Meier.

 
EAST LANSING -- Emmie Pietila's last-minute change of plans turned into a Michigan Women's Amateur championship.

The 18-year-old from Brighton was planning to play in a Junior PGA Championship qualifier in Kentucky this week, but transportation issues landed her in the tournament at Forest Akers West Golf Course.

"It's funny, because when I won the GAM Championship (last year), it's the same thing," Pietila said of the Golf Association of Michigan Championship. "I almost didn't play because of another event, but something came up and I ended up playing and won it. It's crazy how that worked out the same."

Pietila defeated Natalie Brehm of Mt. Pleasant, 2 and 1. air max 2011 shoes It was the fifth match in three days for both women after Monday and Tuesday's stroke-play qualifying rounds. For Brehm, it was her third Michigan Women's Amateur final in four years. She was runner-up in 2009 and champion in 2010.

Pietila and her father, Aaron, were teary-eyed when she clinched by halving No. 17.

"This event is so stressful, especially with all the days, and you come down to the last match and tell yourself I don't want to lose this one," Pietila said. "All of that (emotion) comes into one day, especially the last three holes."

Brehm, who played at Michigan State, had to come from 4-down in her morning match to reach her third final, where she won the first hole but lost the second to make the match all square. Pietila won the fourth hole and never trailed again -- but never led by more than two.

Both almost eagled from 150 yards on No. 6. Brehm knocked it to within a foot, and Pietila answered to within 2 feet. They birdied to halve the hole.

"Making it this far was such an accomplishment," Brehm said. "However, I fell a little short ... but Emmie played great. She made more putts and hit more greens than I did, so she deserves to win. Whenever I thought I had an opening, she'd come back with a great up and down.

"It was just a great match. To make it to the finals is a big accomplishment, and hopefully I can get back here next year. I'd like to win this again some time."

 
The Pittsburgh Pirates have needed a right-handed power corner outfielder for some time. Especially after the way the Bucs' bats went silent in the series against the Cubs, the situation was getting pretty desperate as the trade deadline approached. But tonight, they might just have found what they are looking for.

We have beenspeculating and writingwhere and how the Bucs might find such an outfielder. Would it be Hunter Pence, Corey Hart or Carlos Quentin?

As MLB.com reports, on the first pitch of his first major-league at-bat, Starling Marte homered to deep leftfield offthe Houston Astros' starting pitcher, Dallas Keuchel. Cheap Nike Air MaxMarte became the 110th player to do so in his first at-bat. The last player to do this was Brett Pill of the San Francisco Giants last September.

Marte joins a list that includes Carlos Lee, Bill White, Jermaine Dye and Will Clark. All four of these players hit more than 200 home runs in their major-league careers.

He was just called up from AAA Indianapolis, where he had been hitting .286 with 62 RBI and 12 home runs. In 99 games there, he also had 21 doubles, 13 triples and 21 stolen bases.In 2010, he won a AAbatting title while playing for Altoona.

One at-bat does not make a career. One game does not win the NL pennant for the Pirates.

But wouldn't it be ironic if the batter the Pirates were looking for was in their organization all along?