Yeah Right Wins Florida / Georgia Saltwater Classic!

By Jack Holmes

St. Mary’s, Georgia - Usually the final event of the season in most division’s drop off considerably. Terry Adkins knew this could be a problem and he was concerned about keeping the purse up so he contacted me about the possibly of merging his Division Five and four together with the fisher-people earning points in their respected division. It worked. One hundred and forty teams showed up at Captain’s Meetings at Dave Workman’s Strike Zone  in Jacksonville on Thursday night for Division 5, and Friday night in St. Mary’s for Division 4. Two divisions, one event.

Yeah Right fished their first tournament of the season and walked away with over $17,000 for a 36.63.

Sean Henner and Drew Lewis caught the winning fish off Jacksonville at 7:15 using a ribbonfish twenty feet down. “We’ve had motor problems so this was the first event we’ve fished this year,” said Henner. “It was really a crapshoot. However, we’ve caught fish in this spot before.”

Mr. Magoo was second with a 34.01. Its Pete Harper, Buddy Webb, and Jamie Souter’s third, second place finish in the past two weeks. They finished second in the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour event in St. Simons, Georgia, plus they earned second in the St. Simons Kingfish Classic, and now second in St. Marys.

They also finished eighth in the season end Division 4 standings with just a two fish aggregate of 71.88.

“We fished Grays Reef and caught her a little after one,” said Pete. “We went to J-Reef first but nothing was happening. We saw a lot of teams catching twenties so I guess we were lucky or maybe it was that blue runner.”

Mr. Magoo is a Yamaha powered Contender and fished Division Four.

Leroy Kinlaw has not fished for the past couple of years. “I started a new catering company plus I still have my regular job,” said Leroy. “I just didn’t have the time.”

He and Mike Colee plus Randy Guy didn’t let them stop them from a great season this year. Leroy’s back!

In this event they earned third with a 33.86 fishing their Johnson powered Wellcraft, Wanda’s Diamonds. They also ended up second in the overall Class of 23 standings for the season.

“We went to Nassau Sound,” said Leroy. “Mike caught her in sixty feet of water using a blue runner on the surface at ten o’clock. Tommy Mulligan from the Wound Tight told us this was the place.”

They also reported that they had two big kings roll on their baits but didn’t hook up plus they caught two sailfish. They fish Division Five and wanted to thank Jax Utilities Construction and Avid Angler for their help.

Cayjen Con’s Charles McGarity, Lonnie Roberts, and Preston Waldrop, found their fourth place 33.77 at the Elton Bottom. “We had engine problems right from the start and spent some time getting them to run,” said Charles referring to ethanol as his problem. “We started at HH but moved. She hit a blue runner on the surface at twelve-thirty. We all teamed up to bring the fish to the boat.” 

They ended up the season with a seventh place 86.72 three fish aggregate in Class of 23 from Division Five. Good job Charles!

Cuttin Board was fifth place. The team is not competition members but retain Associate status. They caught a 33.62.

First place in Class of 23 went to David Futch, Barney Oliver, and Jay Swindell, fishing A Salt Weapon with a 30.88.

“We moved around but never found anything to weigh until three-thirty rolled around,” David told me.  “We were at G Reef and Jay caught her on the top using a blue runner.”

David and his team had a good season, also finishing seventh overall in the Class with 72.36 aggregate. They fish a Yamaha powered Contender.

Lee Southard led his Just Fishin team of Pete Buhles, Rocky Mallard, and Donald Southard to a second place Class of 23 finish. They bagged a 29.56. That fish got them to the Nationals and sixth place in the Class of 23’s Division Four. They had a 74.97 aggregate.

Cal Lang Jr., Tripp Lang, and Lisa Lang earned third place. The Lang’s scaled a 29 pound king and fish the Kingseeker, a Yamaha powered Bluewater. That fish qualified them for the trip west in November. They only had one fish on their side of the ledger going into the Classic so they did what they needed to do.

Buwanna was fifth in Class with a 27.39.

Phillip Water’s Double Down with Chris King, Ricky Bradley,  plus Tyron and Luke Joyner making up the team caught and scaled a 33.17. That fish gave them a thirteenth place overall finish in Division Four’s Open Class.

Blue Ribbon’s 32.59 seventh place finish earned them a second place finish in Division 4 for the season. Michael Woolard, Walt Rogers, Richie Deloach, and Michael Lamb all contributed to their great season.

Katastrophic was ninth with a 31.21. Ashley and Missy Thompson fish the boat and Missy was the events Top Lady Angler. They too are qualified to go to the Championship. They finished sixth in Division Four’s Open Class.

Rounding out the top ten was Dean Hinely, Bernard Blair, Brandon Blair, Christy Woodcock, and Matt Hinely, fishing the Speedgoat. They scaled a 31.14. They’ve had a great season earning second in Class of 23 and Christy is also the Division’s Top Lady Angler for the year.

The Top Junior Angler of the tournament fell to Jessica Polkey on Team Big Bobberz. This is Jessica’s first Top Junior win. The team scaled a 29.14.

The Mercury Scholarship Winner went to Dillon Maus fishing Team Simrad.

This format was a huge success. Lot’s more work for the Tournament Promoter and the SKA doing two Captain’s Meeting but after all, that’s our job. One hundred forty teams is nothing to sneeze at. Good job Terry!

Georgia / Florida Saltwater Classic Final Standings

Open Class 36.631. YEAH RIGHT Mako / Yamaha Sean Henner Drew Lewis 34.012. MR. MAGOO Contender / Yamaha Pete Harper Buddy Webb Jamie Souter 33.863. WANDA'S DIAMONDS Wellcraft / Johnson Leroy Kinlaw Mike Colee Randy Guy 33.774. CAYJEN CON Bluewater / Yamaha Charles McGarity Lonnie Roberts Preston Waldrop 33.625. Cuttin Board 33.176. DOUBLE DOWN Hydra Sports / Evinrude Chris King Ricky Bradley Phillip Waters Tyron Joyner Luke Joyner 32.597. BLUE RIBBON Regulator / Yamaha Michael Woolard Walt Rogers Richie Deloach Michael Lamb 32.538. Popeye 31.219. KATASTROPHIC Pro Kat / Yamaha Ashley Thompson Missy Thompson 31.1410. SPEEDGOAT Polar / Suzuki Dean Hinely Bernard Blair Brandon Blair Christy Woodcock Matt Hinely 30.8011. Strico 30.6712. BIG NASTY Hydra Sports / Yamaha Tommy Hunt Adam Olliff Keith Branch Stephen Brantley 29.3213. HICKORY BLUFF MARINE / OPEN BAR Contender / Yamaha Buckshot Smith Nicole Smith Jim Harris 29.1414. TEAM BIG BOBBERZ SeaChaser / Evinrude Trina Polkey Jessica Polkey Thomas Shore 27.8515. TEAM EMPIRE / REEL DAWG Contender / Yamaha Steve Greer Jr. Mark Covington Dawson Covington Sam Greer Steve Greer Sr. Michael Greer Jeff Greer

Class of 23 30.881. A SALT WEAPON Contender / Yamaha David Futch Barney Oliver Jay Swindell 29.562. JUST FISHIN McKee Craft / Suzuki Lee Southard Pete Buhles Rocky Mallard Donald Southard 29.003. KINGSEEKER Bluewater / Yamaha Cal Lang Tripp Lang Lisa Lang 27.564. Knot Wright 27.395. BUWANA Sea Quest / Suzuki Gerald Riner Neil Hall Derek Anderson Top Lady Angler 31.21Missy Thompson KATASTROPHIC Top Junior Angler 29.14Jessica Polkey TEAM BIG BOBBERZ SKA Top Junior Anglers sponsored by Hickory Bluff Marine & Subway 29.141. Jessica Polkey TEAM BIG BOBBERZ 27.852. Dawson Covington & Sam Greer TEAM EMPIRE / REEL DAWG 26.373. Shelby Griffis FISHOCITY