Former Tar Heel hoopster is leading angler at Big Rock

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Former Tar Heel hoopster is leading angler at Big Rock

Big Rock Blue Marlin tournament 2011. Crew of the Double B lead after the first day with a catch of 652.8 pounds.

By Jeff Gravley

Jun 14, 2011

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Former UNC basketball player Travis Stephenson should go buy a lottery ticket. Then again he may have caught one on the first day of the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament out of Morehead City, NC.

Stephenson was the angler when a 652.8 pound blue marlin hit the line just after noon. In a little over an hour the crew of the boat Double B had the fish on board. "It was a text book catch, " Stephenson told WRAL.

One of the crewmen on board was boat owner Harry Smith, Jr., a classmate of Stephenson at Clayton High. "We were just a bunch of guys jumping around, hugging each other with tears in our eyes, " Stephenson said after the one-hour fight to land the fish on the boat.

A trip to the scales pushed the Double B fish to the top of the leader board after the first day of the 53rd annual Big Rock Tournament. If they remain there, the winning crew would win $524,375 in prize money.

The boat Blue Water landed a 581 pound blue marlin and is in second position after the first day.

Last year the boat Citation caught a whopping 883 pound marlin and would have won the tournament. But one of the crewmen didn't have a tournament required fishing license so they were disqualified and lost $890,000.

Does Stephenson have his fishing license? "Oh yeah, I have it! " he quickly replied. "We wouldn't let anyone on board (Monday) morning without visual proof."

Stephenson's only day to fish in the Big Rock was Monday. He had to get back to work on Tuesday as the vice-president of retail sales for Flanders Corporation.

Whether he is the winning angler of this year's Big Rock tournament, Stephenson says, "This is bucket list kind of stuff here," referring to catching his first blue marlin in a tournament like this. "If someone catches a bigger fish, this is still a top 5 event for me."

The former Clayton Comet star already has a national championship ring he earned as a senior playing basketball at North Carolina. The Tar Heels beat Michigan to win the 1993 national championship.

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RE: Former Tar Heel hoopster is leading angler at Big Rock

Congratulations, Travis!!

RE: Former Tar Heel hoopster is leading angler at Big Rock

Depends on how you measure "better." Head to head over last 4 years, no they are not. Total wins over last 4 years, yes they are.
- Posted by 4tarheels
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Typical post by a typical tarhole fan. They can't accept the present status of their crumbling athletic program so they attempt to seek comfort and security in their past...trying to hold on to those glory days and tradition when they were still cheating but just had not been caught or investigated .....yet. alittle advice: the days of Dean Smith, the four corners, Woody, blah blah blah..are over.. there's a new era now..it's called WOLFPACK NATION.
- Posted by ElvisPresleyJr

LMAO.....Being a one sport school must be tough......College World Series........GO HEELS!!!

RE: Former Tar Heel hoopster is leading angler at Big Rock

Depends on how you measure "better." Head to head over last 4 years, no they are not. Total wins over last 4 years, yes they are.
- Posted by 4tarheels
------------------------
Typical post by a typical tarhole fan. They can't accept the present status of their crumbling athletic program so they attempt to seek comfort and security in their past...trying to hold on to those glory days and tradition when they were still cheating but just had not been caught or investigated .....yet. alittle advice: the days of Dean Smith, the four corners, Woody, blah blah blah..are over.. there's a new era now..it's called WOLFPACK NATION.
- Posted by ElvisPresleyJr

"crumbling athletic program"?

What an id!ot!!

RE: Former Tar Heel hoopster is leading angler at Big Rock

Depends on how you measure "better." Head to head over last 4 years, no they are not. Total wins over last 4 years, yes they are.
- Posted by 4tarheels
------------------------
Typical post by a typical tarhole fan. They can't accept the present status of their crumbling athletic program so they attempt to seek comfort and security in their past...trying to hold on to those glory days and tradition when they were still cheating but just had not been caught or investigated .....yet. alittle advice: the days of Dean Smith, the four corners, Woody, blah blah blah..are over.. there's a new era now..it's called WOLFPACK NATION.

RE: Former Tar Heel hoopster is leading angler at Big Rock

I dont think murderfish should be considered a sport. Anything a fat guy can do successfully cant really be considered a sport can it?
- Posted by TeenDAD

Says the guy who would probably starve to death if forced to fend for himself.
- Posted by mattoneal78

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