HOW IT STARTED
Im Steve Shadwell and this is how it started.
​
It was about 1980 when a few of my buddies said they were going surf fishing. I said what? They asked if I wanted to join them, “WE'LL REALLY ENJOY OURSELVES", they said! During those years I did do a lot of fishing however never surf fishing. I remember it was a fishing tournament sponsored by Bethany Fenwick chamber of commerce. The people I would go down with were Jack Clark, Dave Lloyd, and many others. I decided to head down and try this new thing. Well with no pun intended I was hooked. Back then the beaches were empty, it was cold, and you had to make sure you had a full tank of gas due to no gas stations being open during that 1st week of October. That first year was a hoot and the next year I decided to purchase a 1974 jeep Cherokee so that I would be able to drive on myself. This was my first four wheel drive. I decided to call my brother and talk him into going with me. During that year we stayed about 30 miles away in Millsboro Delaware so getting there by six in the morning at the Bethany National Guard armory we needed to get our butts up at 4 and stand in line to register. This is where it all started.
​
Flash forward to about 9 years later give or take a year. We have now gotten a core group of six and have found a place a lot closer to Bethany. This place slept three and was very small. There's one catch, we have six. Was it Fun, yes, but not too comfortable. We were sleeping on the floor shoulder to shoulder with no room to move, watch football and drink our favorite beverages. It was so small we would take the TV outside so all of us could sit and watch it. So it was decided that next year we would need something larger. Approximately 1994 the tournament was now being held at the Bethany Fenwick chamber of commerce located in Fenwick Island. We found a place called the sands motel right in Fenwick Island. This light Blue building was the best. We rented a suite there. Now the sands wasn't your most spectacular place, sort of a dive but nice and we did call it home and it was only blocks from registration.
​
During the year 2000 someone actually got the Idea to get a larger place? So it was off to Fenwick Island to get a more comfortable home. We found one, ocean side on the beach. We now had seven people. This place had 5 bedrooms and a bed for each. This was our home for the long weekend. Did I mention it was a long weekend; it’s now Friday all day thru Monday. Staying in Fenwick Island was the best! It happened to be right by one of our favorite towns, Ocean City, MD. Oh Yea, did we forget to mention this is supposed to be a fishing tournament! What a difference 20 years made. The beach was no longer a ghost town. Things were happening like car shows, boat races, an Oktoberfest, and yes a fishing tournament. Throughout the years somehow we managed to pick up another 5 close friends totaling twelve. The roads were now full and there were actually people there. The weekends have gotten incredibly warmer with only a few rainy days throughout the years. The next nine years we skipped around town in the same area renting different homes near the Maryland line.
​
Okay fast forward to the year 2010. With the Same core of seven and a total of twelve, someone suggested we needed a bigger place. Of course we found one. This place is located in Ocean city and slept 7 comfortable had an upstairs game room featuring a pool table, table tennis, foosball, a basketball game and pinball. There was a two car garage that fit three trucks and plenty of room for trucks to park in the driveway. The days have been extended to Wednesday thru Monday. We still have about twelve that fish and, Oh yea…the tournament, well the old Fenwick tournament we used to fish moved 30 miles north to the Henelopen State Park. This was entirely too far away for us older guys. We decided to have our own tournament.
We continue to have the tournament Saturday and Sunday. The self-sponsored tournament for Bluedogs and guests only is called the Bluedog Bowl. We do fish, most get down early Wednesday with a couple of us coming in on Thursday. After fishing each day it's hop on the Bus (ride all night for three bucks),watch Football, have a few beverages of our choice, some more football, baseball playoffs, a few more beverages listen to some music and back to the house for the night. After this “long weekend” we end it with a great breakfast Monday morning and fish a little at the inlet then head home. Of course by now you have to be wondering about how we do in these tournaments. Well, yea, we have won prizes, Rods, Reels, Flashlight, Rod Holder, Large tackle boxes and who can forget the free spools of line. The Bluedog bowl is all cash prizes including a largest trash fish prize. The big winner gets his name inscribed on the coveted Bluedog bowl trophy each year. There is rumor that our wives and girlfriends have come to the conclusion we don’t even catch fish.
2016: This brings us to a new chapter this year! I can’t believe we had to find another home because our usual renter renting out his house to yearlong tenants. What were we to do? Well, we found a place. Beach side Maryland line in Fenwick and this place is the cream of the crop. The house might be pink but the looks of the interior and the large parking Garage and area seems to be what us dogs need. Stay tuned for how the year goes.
This might not sound like fun to some but to keep this friendship together over the past thirty plus years takes a special group. I think we live for that special “long weekend” in October when once again we as friends get together not just to fish but relax, tell stories and remember each year that this is no fish tale but a time that…….
“WE’LL REALLY ENJOY OURSELVES!
Oh, I forgot to mention, I get many people wondering how we got to be called Bluedoggies. It started with me every morning before the tournament I would take my rod holder (Plastic Pipe) and yell to the Ocean BLUUUUUUUUUUUUUE………DOGGIE!
