The Offshore Warrior Scalps the Field in Fort Pierce

By Bob Flocken

Fort Pierce, Florida - The Offshore Warrior, a  Yamaha powered 31’ Contender skippered by Tom Kenney with Wayne Baumker and Tim Kellagher on board was fishing the South Beach area, just south of the Fort Pierce Inlet where they caught their 43.90 pound king mackerel within five miles of the inlet, to take home the top prize at this years Bluewater Promotion’s Fort Pierce Saltwater Classic held at the Fort Pierce City Marina.  “I spent several days looking for good fish prior to the tournament but could only find small fish were ever we went” said Kenney.  “We decided to stay close to home and fish the along beach in hopes of finding a good fish.”  They caught several small kings early in the day and around 11 am their big fish ate a goggle eye fishing along the beach in 26 feet of water at one of Sandy Smith’s secret spots.

Tom Kenney’s team has had a pretty good record fishing in their home waters off of Fort Pierce.  The Offshore Warrior crew took home the top prize at two of the SKA National Championship’s held in Fort Pierce.  Tom skippered the winner in 2001 and his brother-in-law captained the boat when they won again in 2006 while Tom was busy helping Ron Mitchell win the “Top Angler of the Year” title fishing the Pro’s on the Bandit boat.

Chris Workman and Kevin Weber towed their Yamaha powered 23T Contender, the Get Snookered, from Naples a crossed Alligator Alley to the east coast to pocket the tournament’s 2nd place check for the 27.82 pound king that they also caught just south of the Fort Pierce Inlet.  Chris had pre-fished from Sebastian to Jupiter on Friday but couldn’t find any sign of a big king.  However, they did see a few birds and lots of Spanish mackerel working schools of bait along the beach south of the Fort Pierce Inlet and decided that they would try fishing there on Saturday. “We caught our big fish as well as four or five smaller kings slow trolling blue runners along the beach in 15 to 20 feet of water before 8 am,” said Workman.  “We fished hard all day but didn’t see another fish after that.”  It’s been a great year so far for the Get Snookered boat, winning the Class of 23 title in Division 11, capturing the overall 1st place prize at the Gator’s Suncoast Classic, and leading the Class boats going into the last tournament in Division 6,

Third place would go home with another class boat, the Imagine That, a 23’ Yamaha powered Pathfinder skippered by Oakland Park, Florida’s William Poertner with teammate Eric Davis on board.  They also had pre-fished all the way north to the Sebastion Inlet without much luck so they decided to fish an area off of Jupiter where they had caught their 52.37 during the Francis Langford event.  “At around 7:30, our 27.45 pound fish ate a big runner fished on a downrigger way deep in 90 feet of water” said Poertner.  “We caught ten or twelve other kings during the day but couldn’t find anything bigger.”  This is the first year that this team has fished any SKA events.  “My dad and I fished several SAA events years ago and had fished Jamie’s tournaments for several years.  We were really excited when the SKA sanctioned both Pompano tournaments.”  The Imagine That finished in 5th place in the Class of 23 in Division 10 and are in 2nd place just behind the Pit Boss going into the last Division 8 tournament in Canaveral at the end of August.  A good fish there could win them the Division 8 title.

Another Class boat, The Evereddy, a 20’ Evinrude powered Angler, with Todd and Robert Eddy made the trip south from Jacksonville to fish in Fort Pierce.  They started the day fishing way north of the inlet but could only find a few bonito.  Around noon, Todd made the decision to run back to the Fort Pierce area where they had heard there were a few fish caught earlier in the day.  “We made the run south to South Beach and stopped to fish an area were we could see several pods of Spanish mackerel chasing bait,” explained Capt. Todd.   “At 1:00, the king that we weighed ate a goggle eye right behind the boat as we were letting it out.”  Their 25.85 pound fish was the only king that they would see all day and would earn the Evereddy a fourth place finish in Fort Pierce. 

The 5th place check would go Ron Mitchell’s Bandit. Also on board the Suzuki powered, Accurate Reels and Sperry shoes sponsored Contender were crew members Justin Burgreen and Salty Marine’s Donnie Testa along with Ed Elliot and his 14 year old son Ty.  The Bandit caught twenty or more kings fishing in 60 to 70 feet of water off of the Breakers Resort in Palm Beach.  Ty caught their big fish, a 24.14 pounder, around 11 o’clock after it ate a blue runner fished on the surface way back in the Bandit’s spread.  Ty, who had never fished a tournament before, would win both the Saltwater Classic and the SKA Top Junior awards.  Mitchell, who had never fished with a junior angler onboard before, was more excited than Ty about his junior anglers win.

6th place would go to the GT Marine entry a non-member boat for their 22.85 pound fish.

The final cash prize was won by the Skin Deep, a Mercury powered Invincible from Highland Beach, Florida skippered by Steve Glanz with Mike and Matthew Shramko onboard.  Mike caught their 22.67 pound 7th place winning fish around 10:30 after it attacked a gog fished on our kite in 90 feet of water just north of the Palm Beach Inlet.  “We lost a couple of bigger fish early in the day.” Mike told me.  “We had built rigs using 20 pound test wire because the water was so clear and we didn’t want to spook the fish, This was a big mistake because we lost a couple of big fish early in the day that bite through the light wire.  It didn’t take long for us to change to heavier #6 wire!” 

Terry Adkins and his Bluewater Promotions team know how to put together a first class event and the Fort Pierce Saltwater Classic is another feather in their hat.  Terry works his tail off to make sure that everyone has a great time.  The Fort Pierce Rotary Club volunteers did a great job helping with the raffle, food and weigh-in.  Hopefully they were able to raise a bunch of money to support their much needed projects.

As always, Dean and his crew at the City Marina went out of their way to make every one feel welcome.

Don’t miss the Florida – Georgia Kingfish Classic, the next Bluewater Promotion’s event to be held August 6 – 8, 2009 with a combined Division 4 and 5 weigh-in in St. Marys, Georgia.

As well as the Canaveral Mack Attack, the last Division 8 tournament, August 21 and 22 at the Fish Lips Resterant at Port Canaveral.

Fort Pierce Saltwater Classic Final Standings

Open Class 43.901. OFFSHORE WARRIOR Contender / Yamaha Tom Kenney Wayne Baumker Tim Kellagher 27.822. GET SNOOKERD Contender / Yamaha Chris Workman Kevin Weber 27.453. IMAGINE THAT Pathfinder / Yamaha William J. Poertner Eric Davis 25.854. EVEREDDY Angler / Evinrude Todd Eddy Robert Eddy 24.145. BANDIT Contender / Suzuki Ron Mitchell Justin Burgreen Donnie Testa Ed Elliot Ty Elliot 22.856. Team GT Marine 22.677. SKIN DEEP Invincible / Mercury Steve Glanz Mike Shramko Matthew Shramko Ryan Carr Jamie Ralph

Class of 23 0.001. No Class of 23 Awards Given Top Senior Angler 25.85Robert Eddy EVEREDDY Top Junior Angler 24.14Ty Elliot BANDIT SKA Top Junior Anglers sponsored by SKA & Mercury Marine 24.141. Ty Elliot BANDIT 11.192. Adam Lambeth SUNDANCE KID Mercury Marine Junior Angler Scholarship Winner Adam Lambeth SUNDANCE KID