(* Denotes a Class of 23 Team)

Hurra-Kane Tops Citgo Suncoast Kingfish Classic
Sam White, Southern Kingfish Association
October 30, 2000

Indian Rocks Beach, FL— The Hurra-Kane team of Steve Humphries, Steve Kane and Jim Barber have been on a roll so far in Division Six, and they’ll be the first to tell you that it’s a great feeling. You’re leading your division, assured of a spot in the National Championships, and there are just two events left to go. So the team went hunting for a giant fish during the Citgo Suncoast Kingfish Classic, and would return with such a king aboard their Mercury-powered World Cat on the second day of the event.

When the scales finally settled on 47.94 pounds, the Hurra-Kane had not only sealed the divisional win but also moved into the “big fish of the division” lead, worth a bonus of $1,000 since all aboard are SKA Competition Members. Barber said later, “We went from slow to phenomenal today. We fished Veteran’s Reef early, but only had a few small sharks so we moved to the live bottom in 65 feet of water.”

There were a handful of other boats already working the area, but the team ran out their spread of jumbo live baits anyway, hoping to entice a strike. The clear water prompted them to lighten up on some of their terminal tackle, and the strategy paid off when their big fish smacked a flatlined bait. “We fought that fish for nearly an hour,” Barber reported. “We saw it was foul-hooked right before we gaffed it. It’s certainly the biggest kingfish I’ve ever caught, much less in a tournament. We all started hollering once it finally hit the deck!”

On the handscale, the fish bounced between 45 and 46 pounds, so the team knew they had a possible tournament winner when they headed to the scales. When asked about their recent success this season, Barber said the team doesn’t do much different from everyone else. “We just work it hard. Cover the basics and fish hard. We change baits often, and try to use the biggest bait we can find--that leads to either big fish or no fish. That’s it, just stick with it. And luck never hurts, either.”

Rick Cook’s C Hunter would also boat a fish over the magical forty pound mark during the weekend. After moving around to several locations in the morning, Cook and his team of Rich Hartman and son Zachary Cook decided to anchor up and deploy their baits beneath balloons until the major period of the lunar bite rolled around at 2:30 PM. About that time, their 43.20 nailed a blue runner fished beneath the long balloon.

“We got off the anchor and chased him for over 200 yards,” Cook said. “Then the fish came back around the anchor line and the ball! Luckily, we were able to free the line and keep chasing him down.” After a prolonged battle, the big kingfish rolled up beside the boat, where the team was able to sink home the gaff. “We hit him with a 4” gaff, and the hook didn’t go through him, so we knew it was a good fish,” Cook reported.

They cleaned up the boat and decided to fish off the beach just south of John’s Pass until it was time to weigh in. Zachary was the SKA’s top junior angler for the tournament due to his participation aboard the C Hunter. Matt Meister’s Zing Pow rounded out the top five, finishing fifth. Meister, fishing aboard a Yamaha-powered Contender, is also having a great season later in the year. The Zing Pow’s 34.96 moved the team way up in the standings with just two fish to their credit. Now they have to go into the final event at John’s Pass looking for just one more in the 25 pound range to cement their invitation to Morehead and the Nationals.

Once again, the staff of Treasure Island Charities went out of their way to put on a first class show for both the fishermen and spectators. There were literally hundreds of onlookers at Hamlin’s Landing, the site of the tournament, watching the boat procession and weigh ins. It was truly an event to remember for all involved.

Final Standings

1. HURRA KANE........................47.94 World Cat/Mercury Steve Humphries Steve Kane Jim Barber 2. HUNTER................................43.20 Baja/Yamaha Ricky Cook Rich Hartman Zachary Cook 3. Reel Bad..................................39.16 4. Just One More................................37.0 5. ZING POW................................34.96 Contender/Yamaha Matt Meister Peter Moroz Brian Meister Bobby Matzerillo Chuck Butler

6. BEACHCOMBER II.................................34.32 Sportcraft/OMCWally Olsen Jackie Wagner Ken Evers Frank Boute Don Brou 7. BUGGIN OUT.......................................32.10 Century/Yamaha Glenn Gee Ray Cemniecki Troy Williams 8. Gone Gulfin’......................................31.90 9. OSPREY..........................................31.78 HydraSports/Evinrude Keith Fredericks Kevin Fredericks John McLay 10. TEAM YELLOWFIN.....................................30.78 Yellowfin/Mercury David Van Lent Rosemary Van Lent Ray Jordan

High Intensity Wins Tarpon Springs
Sam White, Southern Kingfish Association
May 1, 2000

Tarpon Springs, FL—Mark Surette's High Intensity certainly lived up to her name this weekend in Tarpon Springs. The 33-foot Blackfin was the last boat in line to weigh fish during the 6th Annual Loadmaster Trailers Suncoast Kingfish Classic. The current leaders, Steve Montgomery's Tuscon/John's Pass Marina team, looked on as Surette, Marissa and Bill Hofacker and Doug Casey unloaded their fish. The Tuscon was in the lead throughout the weekend up to that point with a 32.48 pound king mackerel.

When the scales dipped to 36.06 pounds, the High Intensity team realized they had won the tournament's top prize of a Mercury-powered Blue Wave boat and Loadmaster aluminum trailer. Montgomery would have to settle for second. The elated captain said, I knew it was going to be close. Doug fought the fish for a little longer than we wanted to, but once he was in the boat we gave it a shot. He pushed the throttles to the pins for the entire run to the weigh in site, backing off only once the check in boat was in sight. They made it with three minutes to spare.

The highly consistent team of Will Lamneck and Rhonda Morris placed third in the tournament on Sparky's Machine, a Mercury-powered Fountain 31. They fished north of the Whistler in 45 feet of water to locate their biggest fish of the weekend, a 30.74 pounder, during the second day of fishing. Steve Humphries, Steve Kane and Jim Barber won fourth on the Hurra-Kane, a Mercury-powered WorldCat. They elected to fish 34 miles west of Clearwater, and found a consistent bite in progress during the day. Tom Markham's Jaws Too rounded out the top five for the event.

The rough seas and high winds were not especially kind to the Class of 23 during the weekend. Shawn Gucken's Yamaha-powered Aquasport, Jalapeno, won first with an 18.46 pounder, followed by Robin Dawson's Porkchop in second with an 18.14 pound kingfish. Anthony Alvarez and the Striker team placed third with an 18.04.

The Tarpon Springs event concludes the spring series of tournaments in Division Six. The next event will be the 2nd Annual Citgo Suncoast Kingfish Classic, to be held October 27-29 at Hamlin's Landing, FL. Call 727-363-0071 for more information. For a complete recap of the Loadmaster Trailers Suncoast Kingfish Classic, see the upcoming issue of Angler Magazine, the official publication of the Southern Kingfish Association.

Final Standings

1. HIGH INTENSITY.........36.06 Blackfin/Volvo Mark Surette Marisa Hofacker Doug Casey Bill Hofacker 2. TUCSONS/JOHN'S PASS MARINA............32.48 Donzi/Mercury Steve Montgomery 3. SPARKY'S MACHINE...............30.74 Fountain/Mercury Will Lamneck Rhonda Morris 4. HURRA-KANE.............28.60 WorldCat/Mercury Steve Humphries Steve Kane Jim Barber 5. JAWS TOO...................28.22 Crusader/Yanmar Tom Markham	6. REEL GATOR....................26.76 Sea Ray/Mercury Mike Smith Gary Osborn Harry Merrick 7. TREBLE DAMAGES...............26.26 Sailfish/Yamaha Eric Knellinger Mitzi Creel Brett Knellinger 8. SALT SHAKER........................25.76 9. JAWS TOO/INTREPID................................25.70 Intrepid/Mercury David Heavenridge Dan Reed John Limbrunner 10. TEAM DOGFISH..................25.10 Sea Vee/Yanmar Kris Sahr David Baynes Dan Goodin Jordan Goodin Kent Sahr
Final Standings Class of 23 1. Jalapeno..............18.46 Shawn Gucken     2. Porkchop..................18.14 Robin Dawson 3. Striker....................18.04 Anthony Alvarez
SKA WELLCRAFT JUNIOR ANGLERS 1. Brett Knellinger     2. Cody Chivas    3. Jordan Goodin

Yellowfin Dominates 9th Annual Miller Lite Suncoast Kingfish Classic
Sam White, Southern Kingfish Association
April 17, 2000

Treasure Island, FL—Usually in tournament kingfishing, ounces count. If a team boats a large king mackerel, they are one of the first to the scales in order to make sure they weigh the fish before any weight-robbing dehydration sets in. However, the Yellowfin team of Wylie Nagler, Robert Helmick, Mark Liberman and Scott Routh waited patiently just inside John’s Pass after the first day of fishing in the 9th Annual Miller Lite Suncoast Kingfish Classic. They wanted to be the last boat to weigh.

As they pulled to the dock in their new Mercury-powered Yellowfin, the crowds roared approvingly as the team pulled a monster kingfish out of their insulated fishbag. The weighmaster placed the fish on the scales, then called out, “46.38 pounds, our new leaders!” When asked about the strategy, Nagler reported that he and Helmick manufacture the new boat and wanted to wait for the crowds to build at the end of the day. Their fish went on to win the tournament, earning the team a new Mercury-powered Proline 190 and Loadmaster custom aluminum trailer. Yellowfins are limited production, semi-custom, fast fishboats. Recently introduced at the Miami Boat Show, they should quickly find favor with the fishermen of the Mercury Tournament Trail.

Jerry Gibson and Terry Williams were leading throughout the day with a 38.82 pound king boated on the Reef Raft, a Mako 227. However, they would have to settle for second place behind the Yellowfin team. On the bright side, they did win a bonus for being the top boat in the Class of 23 for the tournament. David Heavenridge and Dan Reed finished third on the Jaws Too Intrepid with a 37.32 pound king. They made the long run to the famed Middle Grounds in their search for a winner. Randy Comans and the Voyager team placed fifth behind non-members. They also ran well offshore during both days of fishing. Brenda Hanson, fishing aboard the Voyager, was also the tournament’s top Lady Angler.

Second place in the SKA’s Class of 23 fell to the Hot Fish, with Mark Aronow and Ryan Hussemann aboard. The Hot Fish is a Yamaha-powered Contender 21. Third in the small boat class went to Tom Palmer and Wayne Brown on the Pass-A-Grille, a Cobia 224 powered by a single Yamaha outboard.

For a complete recap of the tournament, check out the upcoming issue of Angler Magazine, the official publication of the Southern Kingfish Association. The next tournament in Division Six will be the 6th Annual Loadmaster Trailers Suncoast Kingfish Classic, to be held in Tarpon Springs, Florida April 28-30, 2000. For more information, contact Treasure Island Charities at 727-363-0071 or online at ticharities@juno.com.

Final Standings

1. YELLOWFIN....................46.38 Yellowfin/Mercury Wylie Nagler Robert Helmick Mark Liberman Scott Routh 2. REEF RAFT....................38.82 Mako/Johnson Jerry Gibson Terry Williams 3. JAWS TOO--INTREPID....................37.32 Intrepid/Yamaha David Heavenridge Dan Reed 4. LIL' STREGA....................36.30 5. VOYAGER....................35.28 ProLine/Mercury Randy Comans Dave Guinta Brenda Hanson Eric Lichtenberg Carlos Rice 6. LA PERLA....................33.98 Donzi/Yamaha Randy Keys Jim Hasson Katie Hasson 7. HOT FISH....................32.44 Contender/Yamaha Mark Aronow Ryan Hussemann	8. OSPREY....................31.46 HydraSports/OMC Keith Fredericks Kevin Fredericks John McLay 9. BAD CREDIT....................30.56 Sea Cat/Mariner Steven C. Carlson Steven W. Carlson 10. PASS-A-GRILLE....................30.38 Cobia/Yamaha Tom Palmer Wayne Brown 11. DESPERADO....................29.92 12. HURRA-KANE....................29.62 World Cat/Mercury Steve Humphrey Steve Kane Jim Barber 13. JAYBIRD....................28.64 14. PORKCHOP....................28.30 HydraSports/OMC Robert Dawson Alton Barasso Ric Harris 15. SALT SHAKER....................27.72
SKA WELLCRAFT JUNIOR ANGLERS 1. Katie Hasson--La Perla     2. Steve Carlson--Bad Credit     3. Morgan Kien and Stanley Garrastazu---Team Creative
SKA WELLCRAFT LADY ANGLERS 1. Brenda Hanson--Voyager     2. Katie Hasson--La Perla    3. Silvia Allen--Fish Tales

Workman's Comp II Takes Season Opener in Sarasota
Sam White, Southern Kingfish Association
April 3, 2000

Paul Swetland and the Workman's Comp II team of Steve Smith and Dale Scott felt that this would be their year to finally win an SKA tournament. Their opportunity came calling in the form of a 35.78 pound kingfish during the second day of the 6th Annual Mercury Outboards Suncoast Kingfish Classic, held March 31-April 2 in Sarasota, Florida. "We saw the fish when he skyrocketed on one of our baits fished under a pink balloon, and knew he would be a good one at any rate," Swetland reported. After a brief battle the fish was soon residing in the team's insulated fishbag for the ride to the weigh-in. The Workman's Comp II is a Yamaha-powered Regulator 26.

Bruce Woithe and Craig Martin were leading the tournament after Day One with a 35.12 pounder caught aboard The Other Won, but would have to settle for second place overall. The event's top prize of a Mercury-powered Wellcraft boat and Loadmaster trailer would go to the Workman's Comp team, who came out on top by a scant .66 of a pound. Ounces count in tournament kingfishing!

Tom Kane and the T-Kat crew came in third place behind The Other Won, scaling a 32.54 pound kingfish on the first day of competition. Kane pointed out that their larger fish hit threadfin shad that had been caught the night before, while the smaller kings were intent on eating blue runners. That's why it is important to have a wide variety of the preferred types of live bait aboard when tournament fishing.

The next tournament in Division Six on the Mercury Tournament Trail will be the 9th Annual Miller Lite Suncoast Kingfish Classic, to be held April 14-16 at Gator's On The Pass, Treasure Island Florida. For more information, contact Treasure Island Charities at (727-363-0071 or by email at ticharities@juno.com. For a complete recap of this event, be sure to check out the June issue of Angler Magazine, the official publication of the Southern Kingfish Association.

Final Standings

1. WORKMAN'S COMP II....................35.78 pounds Regulator/Yamaha Paul Swetland Steve Smith Dale Scott 2. THE OTHER WON....................35.12 Fountain/Mercury Bruce Woithe Craig Martin 3. T-KAT....................32.54 Cat Limbo/Yanmar Tom Kane Tom Hinson Bill O'Carroll Doug Thibideaux Amy Reese 4. WAR PARTY....................32.22 Venture/Yamaha Paul Lokey Pat O'Connell Larry Spencer 5. ECONOMY TACKLE FISHING TEAM....................31.22 Contender/Yamaha Mark Goodwin Dave Munda Jorge Ruiz Pete Krotec 6. No Name....................31.12	7. LOUNGE LIZARD....................30.76 8. MONEY PIT....................30.0 Robalo/ Johnson Ralph Imbriani Vinney Imbriani Tony Imbriani 9. HURRA-KANE....................29.40 World Cat/Mercury Steve Humphries Steve Kane Jim Barber 10. SeaCraft....................29.22 11. JOB SITE II....................29.08 Fountain/Mercury Mike Wansley Buck Wallen Keith Lake 12. ELVIS....................28.98 Calcutta/Mercury Sam Bucklew Bob Glazier Fernando Bueno 13. HIGH INTENSITY....................27.54 Blackfin/Volvo Mark Surette Marisa Afacker Bill Afacker Doug Casey
SKA WELLCRAFT JUNIOR ANGLERS 1. Casey Bryde....................26.76     2. Jordan Goodin................24.66    3. Brian Crisp......................23.94
SKA WELLCRAFT LADY ANGLERS 1. Mitzi Creel.........................24.40     2. Rhonda Morris.................22.70    3. Candy Kondor..................21.36