The Reel Office Captures the Number One Slot in Sneads Ferry KMT!

By Don Ewing

Snead’s Ferry, North Carolina - Jeff and Vicki Keeton and son Colin Williams, tried their hardest to qualify for the ’09 National Championship in the toughest division in the country, Division Five. They didn’t make it, but it’s not discouraging them a bit, they just moved north to try another division. After all, making the Nationals in your rookie season is a major accomplishment.

Armed with ProFinder charts and chips the Yulee, Florida family entered the Snead’s Ferry event in Division One and walked away with the number one spot, thanks to a beautiful 41.74 caught by Vicki and Colin.

“We went to the 1700 Rock,” said Jeff. “We fished there because it’s a known kingfish spot, and the water color looked good.”

Jeff also acknowledged Dan Dupree, OBX Girl / Team Calcutta, for all his help and knowledge. Jeff said, “We wouldn’t have done so well if it weren’t for him.” He also wanted to thank all the North Carolina guys they met, whom he said were very friendly and helpful.

They caught the number one fish using a double pogy rig on the surface at a little after seven in the morning. That king allowed the Keeton’s to bring home $25,000 plus Top Lady and Junior honors. Better yet, they’re in fourth place in the division with just one fish. I’d say with one more fish they can pack their bags for Biloxi.

Sam Cernugel’s Coon Dog team earned second with a 37.80.

Fishing with Chris Nealon and Jeremy Padgett, they ran sixty-five miles to an area called the Cabbage Patch. “This is an area we have fished in the past that has produced large fish for us,” explained Sam. “We were in fifty-seven feet of water and caught her on the surface at nine AM using pogy's we had caught. Jeremy did a good job fighting the king and when she came close Chris stuck her.”

Wisely, they were back at the scales when it opened at noon along with The Reel Office.

The Coon Dog team got to split over $13,000 for their fish.
Both of the top two teams fished Mercury powered Yellowfins.

Moving to fourth because the third place team were non-members, which I’ll never understand. If you’re fishing an event, why wouldn’t you want recognition for your efforts, plus the admiration of the fishing fraternity.

Ted Connor and Jeremy Rodamaker picked up fourth place scaling a 30.24.

Fishing a Mercury powered Hydra Sports named Nancy Rae, the duo went directly to the east side of Cape Lookout. “The water had cleaned up from the previous week,” Ted told me. “It’s a good thing we did because at seven-fifteen she ate a pogy on the surface off a double pogy rig. Jeremy had her to the boat in less than a half hour and I got to gaff her.”

This wasn’t Ted’s first rodeo, having fished with Bert and Margaret Ferebee in the ’99 Championship where they scaled a 48.8, plus chalking up a win in the KenCraft Tournament in Swansboro.

Their winnings should have covered all expenses this weekend with a little left over. Plus they’re in tenth place in the standings for the Division.

Capturing fifth place in the tournament was Al Fulford’s King Creecher team of Dennis McCracken, Lin Creech, and Jason McDowell.

Al, from Holden Beach, North Carolina, is a Charter Member of the SKA (since ’91 with membership number #97) and certainly has to be rated in the top ten in the country.

Al explained what took place in this event, “ We fished two miles east of Yaupon Reef. Bait was stacked up here and I’ve done well here before at this time of year.”

Al continued, “ We hooked up at noon using a blue fish we jigged up at the reef thanks to Jeff Crouch who told us they were there. The pogy’s we had were pretty small. She hit a flat line way back and Jason got to the rod. I stuck her and flipped her in the bag within fifteen minutes.” At the scale she read 28.39 on the digital readout.

Al is a member of the fifty-pound club earning his in the Nationals a few years back in Biloxi plus he has several tournament wins.

The King Creecher is a Suzuki powered Contender and Lin Creech earned Top Senior Angler honors for the event.

Moving to the Class of 23, it was won by Miles Bunn and Pat Renfro on the Yamaha powered KenCraft, Rod Hog.

“We too went to the east side of Cape Lookout Shoals,” Bunn said adding this was a real early fish. “She hit the downrigger forty feet down a little after seven. The fish acted like a shark but before we could decide what to do she was burning up the reel and had come right back at the boat. One downrigger cable was still down and of course she got wrapped. Pat, who was fighting the fish, let me unwrap the line but it ended up jumping into the front of both engine cowlings. We got it freed and within another four minutes I successfully made the gaff shot.”

The scale read 25.49 and no one else would deny the Rod Hog team their victory this day. They are now leaders in the overall standings in Class of 23.

Miles wants to thank Jones Onslow Electric, New River Marina, Power Marine Outfitters, and KenCraft Boats.

Second place in the Class fell to Ashley Jones and Randy Chase fishing Miss Teny, a Mercury powered Palmetto. They scaled a 21.58 while the Brown’s, Radford, Nick, Bobby, and Bucky earned third place with an 18.74. They fished the Blue Chips, a Yamaha powered Onslow Bay.

The Ocean Isle Fishing Center McMullan’s, Brant, Barrett, and Rube, along with Brian Aycock earned seventh overall with a 26.55 and Skip and Sandy Conklin followed them into eighth.  Their Ocean Athlete team scaled a 24.37.

The top ten ended with Logan’s Run, D. Logan and David Logan, scaling a 22.17. It’s nice to finish in the top ten but that finish gave them the bulls eye on their back. They’re now sitting on top of the Division One’s Open Class with two events left. Nice place to be if you can accept the heat.

This year’s Snead’s Ferry event saw over 190 teams duke it out, up from last year. It was a very successful event and raised money for the Snead's Ferry Rotary Club.

Congratulations to all who finished in the money!

Snead's Ferry Final Standings

Open Class 41.741. THE REEL OFFICE Yellowfin / Mercury Jeff Keeton Vicki Keeton Colin Williams 37.802. COON DOG Yellowfin / Mercury Samuel Cernugel Chris Nealon Jeremy Padgett 30.943. Southern Girl 30.244. NANCY RAE Hydra Sports / Mercury Ted Connor Jeremy Rodamaker 28.395. KING CREECHER Contender / Suzuki Al Fulford Dennis McCracken Lin Creech Jason McDowell 27.606. Release 26.557. OCEAN ISLE FISHING CENTER Yellowfin / Yamaha Brant McMullan Barrett McMullan Rube McMullan Brian Aycock 24.378. OCEAN ATHLETE Privateer / Mercury Skip Conklin Sandy Conklin 24.049. What Da 22.1710. LOGAN'S RUN Yellowfin / Yamaha D. Logan David Logan 22.0211. TRIPLE TROUBLE Triton / Mercury Phil Mitchell Phillip Mitchell Brandon Mitchell Heath King Seth King 21.9612. CatLynn 2 21.6613. SHARON LEIGH Sea Vee / Mercury Jeff Morris 21.4714. SHORE THANG Sailfish / Yamaha Patrick Shore 20.9715. G's MACHINE Fountain / Mercury Kevin Norris Gary Lankas Jordan Norris W.G. Lankas Jr. 20.4716. TIDELINE Wellcraft / Yamaha Dieter Cardwell Mike Lundy Kevin Alley 20.4017. Linda Loo 20.2818. OLE' Hydra Sports / Yamaha Eddie Cameron Michele Cameron 20.2719. MONEY SHOT Contender / Yamaha Drew Stephenson Jody Yarborough Alan Moss Clark Hales 19.6720. BIG BIRD Contender / Mercury Freddie Stancil

Class of 23 25.491. ROD HOG KenCraft / Yamaha Miles Bunn Pat Renfro 21.582. MISS TENY Palmetto / Mercury Ashley Jones Randy Chase 18.743. BLUE CHIPS Onslow Bay / Yamaha Radford Brown Nick Brown Bobby Brown Bucky Brown Top Lady Angler 41.74Vicki Keeton THE REEL OFFICE Top Senior Angler 28.39Lin Creech KING CREECHER Top Junior Angler 41.74Colin Williams THE REEL OFFICE SKA Top Junior Anglers sponsored by Tudor's Insurance Agency & Carroll Construction Inc. 41.741. Colin Williams THE REEL OFFICE 22.022. Brandon Mitchell TRIPLE TROUBLE 20.973. Jordan Norris G'S MACHINE Mercury Marine Junior Angler Scholarship Winner Colin Williams THE REEL OFFICE