Offshore Warrior’s 41.54 Captures First Place in Canaveral Mac Attack

By Bob Flocken

Cape Canaveral, Florida - After being rescheduled from late August to Labor Day weekend because of the forecasted high winds and rough seas created by Hurricane Bill as it rumbled its way northward along the east coast, fishermen from all over Florida and as far away as Georgia assembled at the Fish Lips Restaurant in Port Canaveral for the 6th Annual Salty Marine Canaveral Mac Attack for the final 2009 event in SKA Division 8.

After winning the 2001 National Championship held in Fort Pierce his rookie SKA year, the 2003 Division 10 championship and taking home his second Fort Pierce National Championship title again in 2006, Tom Kenney has been the guy to beat when fishing in his home waters.  Along with teammate Wayne Baumker, the Offshore Warrior would capture a 41.54 pound king to take home the first place prize at this years Mac Attack event.

“Prefishing was the key to our win,” said Kenney.  “We had found some good fish earlier in the week straight out from the Fort Pierce Inlet in 65 to 70 feet of water and that’s where we caught our fish on Saturday.” Tom caught their big fish at 3pm.  He also went on to say that “Fishing had been really slow early in the week but picked up after the heavy ground swells stopped.   We caught 15 or 20 twenty pound kings and several small cobia fishing in a big concentration of rays that were feeding on plankton over the drop off.  There were also several large schools of blue runners feeding on the surface much like we see in the Gulf.”  Their tournament winner would also earn them a third place finish in Division 8.

Bluewater Promotions founder and tournament director, Terry Adkins is a charter member of the SKA, joining our organization in 1991. (Member # 00007).  Over the years Terry has finished second or third in several tournaments but has not been able to score a win that his 007 namesake would have surely done by now.  Living up to his reputation, Terry and his Yamaha powered Hydra-Sports, the Triple Threat with crewmates, Adam and Scott Routh, took home the second place award at the event.  The Triple Threat was the first boat to the Fish Lips weigh-in station as the scales opened at 3pm with their 37.01 pound king that they caught fishing over some live bottom a couple miles north of the Sea World reef.  They were also following a large school of rays until they found some structure in 95 feet. “Our big fish ate an old ribbonfish that we had refrozen several times fished down about 55 feet,” said Adkins.  “We caught several smaller kings, all fished on our downriggers.“  Terry would like to thank Bluewater Promotions, Cannon Downriggers, Raymarine Electronics and Loadmaster Trailers for all their help and support.

Boca Raton’s Rich Sujat fishing with Lorenzo Guariniello on the Lunasea, a Yamaha powered Contender sponsored by Professional Home Construction, MJM Saltwater Designs and Tile Design Enterprises, also fished thirty miles to the north of Port Canaveral on the Sea World reef.  They had caught some good fish there during earlier events and had a good idea that some decent fish would be holding along the reef.  They fished an area in 75 feet where there is a ledge that dropped straight down to 95 feet.  Rich told me that they were “covered up in kingfish all day.”  Early in the afternoon their big king ate a blue runner fished on the surface way back in their spread.  Larry had the fish to the boat in no time where Rich was able to gaff it and load it into the boat.  Their fish would tip the scales at 35.33 pounds and earn the Lunasea the third place prize.

Brett Hartley’s Yamaha powered Yellowfin boat, The Dealer, weighed a 34.29 pound fish to take home the fourth place award.  The Dealer left Ponce Inlet and ran to a spot where they had caught fish before in 100 feet of water due east of the Flagler pier.  Their big fish ate the third bait of the morning about 30 yards behind the boat as they were putting it out in their spread.  They spent the rest of the day looking for a bigger fish as they worked their way south to Canaveral.

The Reel Addiction, a Yamaha powered Sea Hunt boat skippered by Mike Senior fishing with Melissa Senior and Clayton Fridell traveled down from Saint Augustine and caught a 32.05 pound king to earn not only the event’s overall fifth place award but would also travel home with the tournament's top Class of 23’ boat bonus and Melissa would earn the title of the Mac Attack’s Top Lady Angler.  They also fished an area north of Canaveral at a number that a friend had given them where they caught several nice kings during the day.  Their big fish ate a blue runner fished on a downrigger just off the bottom in sixty feet of water.  Melissa fought the fish to the boat where Mike stuck it and loaded into their fish box.  This is Mike’s first year fishing in SKA competition and the Reel Addiction has had a great year finishing fifth overall at the Kingbuster, as well as finishing fourth in the Class standings in Division 5, fifth in Division 8 and eleventh in Division 10.  What a great year for this young rookie team.

Jim McLaughlin fished with his daughter Julia and Dennis McLaughlin on board the Triple Tail.  Julia caught a 31.63 pound king to not only take home the events sixth place prize but she would also win the Mac Attack Top Junior Angler award and finish as the second place SKA junior.

Seventh place would go to another great fishing team.  David Albritton, James Addison, and Don Lamb fished on the ProMarineUSA.com sponsored Contender, the Gatorfan.  Their 30.57 pound king would also earn them the second place class award.  Kit Whitehurst fishing with Ian Whitehurst and Ross Whitehurst on their new Mercury powered Invincible boat the Locked Up, caught a 30.04 pound fish to finish in eighth place.

The PitBoss a Yamaha powered Pathfinder with Dan Daniels and Donnie May on board, would take home the third place Class of 23 prize.  Their fish would also secure the PitBoss the Division 8 Class of 23 title.

The Division 8 Open Class title would go to Bill Wummer and his crew on Bill’s Evinrude powered Contender the Spiced Rum III.  Wummer’s 22.41 pound kingfish that they caught in Canaveral along with the 43.50 from the Frances Langford and their Saltwater Slam winning 54.65 pound fish, would give the Spiced Rum III a 120.56 point total and nearly a 34 point lead over the second place finisher, Ron Mitchell’s Bandit.  Congratulations Bill.

As always, Jim S. along with his family and crew put together a fun event.  Fish Lips is a great place to hold this event and with George Mitchell’s question and answer session, courtesy of Yamaha, made for a great captains meeting. 

Salty Marine Canaveral Mac Attack

Open Class 41.541. OFFSHORE WARRIOR Contender / Yamaha Tom Kenney Wayne Baumker 37.012. TRIPLE THREAT Hydra-Sports / Yamaha Terry Adkins Scott Routh Adam Routh 35.333. LUNASEA Contender / Yamaha Rich Sujat Lorenzo Guariniello 34.294. THE DEALER Yellowfin / Yamaha Brett Hartley 32.055. REEL ADDICTION Sea Hunt / Yamaha Mike Senior Melissa Senior Clayton Fridell 31.636. TRIPLE TAIL Fountain / Mercury Jim McLaughlin Julia McLaughlin Dennis McLaughlin 30.577. PROMARINEUSA.COM / GATORFAN Contender / Yamaha David Albritton James Addison Don Lamb 30.048. LOCKED UP Invincible / Mercury Kit Whitehurst Ian Whitehurst Ross Whitehurst

Class of 23 32.051. REEL ADDICTION Sea Hunt / Yamaha Mike Senior Melissa Senior Clayton Fridell 30.572. PROMARINEUSA.COM / GATORFAN Contender / Yamaha David Albritton James Addison Don Lamb 27.823. PIT BOSS Pathfinder / Yamaha Dan Daniels Donnie May Top Lady Angler 32.05Melissa Senior REEL ADDICTION Top Senior Angler 31.63Dennis McLaughlin TRIPLE TAIL Top Junior Angler 31.63Julia McLaughlin TRIPLE TAIL SKA Top Junior Anglers sponsored by Bethel Marine Electronics 37.011. Adam Routh TRIPLE THREAT 31.632. Julia McLaughlin TRIPLE TAIL 25.953. Ty Elliot BANDIT