The
Sport of Kings
Capt.
Dave Lear
Biloxi,
MS—Starting Wednesday, May 10, some of the best
anglers in the world will convene in the sunny seaside
port of Biloxi, MS, as the fourth annual KingMaster
100 gets underway. The quarry: the largest king mackerel
swimming in the central Gulf of Mexico. The prize:
$50,000 in cash to the top angler, with more than
$200,000 at stake overall.
"We're
booked solid for the richest small boat tournament
in America," explains tournament director Jack Holmes.
"There are no ifs, ands or buts about it. Twentieth
place will pay out $3,000, and we have anglers from
all over the Southeast and Southwest, including the
Carolinas, Michigan, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama and
Florida. And it looks like we'll have a field of more
than 120 boats."
The KingMaster 100 is strictly a kingfish event. The
tournament was created for the anglers and industry
leaders (boat, motor, trailer and tackle manufacturers)
to get together and fish in a social setting. The
KingMaster is not part of the regular Mercury Tournament
Trail or Yamaha Pro series of the Southern Kingfish
Association, but rather a separate annual event.
"We've
held the tournament every year here in Biloxi because
everything fits," Holmes says. "There are plenty of
rooms and dockage for the boats, great atmosphere
with the casinos and resorts, and superb fishing.
Biloxi is just a great place to go."
The festivities start on Wednesday with the President's
Tournament, where the top leaders in the boating/fishing
industry get a chance to soak baits and enjoy the
excitement of the highly competitive sport of kingfishing.
Thursday will be a practice day, with a concurrent
wahoo, (largest fish, winner take all) contest. The
KingMaster 100 starts Friday and concludes on Saturday,
followed by the awards breakfast early Sunday morning.
The public is invited to watch the proceedings from
the weigh scale grand stands at the Isle of Capri
Crowne Plaza Resort, the host resort for the event.
"The
kingfish off Biloxi are bigger than anywhere else
in the Gulf or East Coast," says Bobby Carter, the
executive host for the Isle of Capri, a major sponsor
and host resort. "That's because of the abundance
of bait around the offshore oil rigs. I predict it's
going to take a 60-pounder or bigger to win this thing.
But if anyone can catch 'em, these guys can. They
are some of the best saltwater fishermen I've ever
seen." Holmes echoes that sentiment.
"This
is the crème de la crème, the best in the world,"
he says. "This group can outfish anybody on any body
of water, anytime. They consistently prove it."
Stay tuned for all the thrills and excitement of high-speed
competition as the SKA and Total Sports covers the
week in its entirety, with TotalCasts, interviews,
and the bite-by- byte narrative. Total Sports…changing
the way you look at fishing.
Where
the Tropics Meet the Deep South
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
10, 2000
Biloxi,
MS—Whether you come for the fantastic fishing
the Gulf of Mexico has to offer, or you just want
to get away and relax in style, the Isle of Capri
Crowne Plaza Resort is definitely a place where the
fun never takes a break and worries take a long vacation.
The Isle of Capri Casino's award-winning hotel is
one of only seven Crowne Plaza Resorts in the nation.
The facility, which was honored with the 1995 Crowne
Plaza of the Year Award and the Newcomer of the Year
Award by the chain, is the largest hotel franchise
in Mississippi and the first to join the state in
over 20 years. The union of the Crowne Plaza Resort
and the Isle of Capri--Biloxi is the first joint venture
for the hotel chain with a casino.
The casino, which was the first gaming operation to
open in the South in 1992, consists of a 45,000-square-foot
multilevel gaming complex. There are more than 1,200
slot machines, including MegaBucks, a progressive
slot offering the state's largest jackpot starting
at $5,000,000! If table games are more to your liking,
you'll find plenty of action with 21 Blackjack, three
Craps, two Roulette, 21 Madness, and Let it Ride,
Three Card Poker, and Caribbean Stud Poker tables.
The Isle's 370-room Crowne Plaza Resort hotel features
comfortably oversized guest rooms with one king or
two queen-size beds, hair dryer, safe, coffee maker,
iron and ironing board, ceiling fan, 25-inch TV and
on-command videos. Accommodations are furnished in
a vibrant Caribbean-style decor with magnificent views
of the Gulf of Mexico and sun-drenched beaches of
the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The resort also features
a health club, heated outdoor pool, sun deck, massage
therapist, and Fantasy Isle arcade.
Hungry? The Isle of Capri features three sensational
restaurants, including Farradday's, where you can
enjoy a Certified Angus steak or fresh succulent seafood.
Calypso's Buffet offers something for every appetite,
while Tradewinds Grill provides a quick meal with
local favorites like Po Boy sandwiches. Room service
in the hotel is available 24 hours a day.
You'll find gift shops, live musical entertainment,
complimentary valet parking, and monthly headliner
entertainment at the resort, with such acts as Glen
Campbell, Crystal Gayle, The Neville Brothers, Little
Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. If that's not enough,
take advantage of all the beautiful Biloxi area has
to offer, including 26 miles of white sand beaches,
deep-sea fishing, sailing, museums, shopping and golf.
The surrounding area boasts more than 20 courses to
challenge golfers of every ability.
So come, and enjoy a restful stay at the Isle, mon.
It's the best of both worlds--the relaxing pace of
the tropics within the close proximity of the South.
You'll find it all in Biloxi!
For more information or to make reservations, call
(800) 843-4753, ext. 1, or check out the Isle of Capri
Casino Crowne Plaza Resort on the Web at www.isleofcapricasino.com.
"Research"
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
10, 2000
Biloxi,
MS—"Honest, we were out doing research!" That'll
be the story of the VIP anglers who fished in today's
Presidents' tourney of the KingMaster 100, and you
can bet they'll stick to it. Representatives from
the marine industry enjoyed a beautiful day on the
water as they experienced first-hand the thrill and
excitement of competitive kingfishing.
Alan Sorrick with Salt Water Sportsman magazine was
the first to the scales this afternoon as he and Team
Donzi christened the ice with a specimen weighing
more than 22 pounds. That fish was progressively replaced
by larger entries from Wild Turkey, Force
10/Rigrat, and Deuces Wild. But when Bob
Dardenne and the crew of Predator, the Team
Century boat, pulled up to the scales and unloaded
their fish, it seemed certain a new leader would emerge.
That proved to be the case as the hefty kingfish weighed
in at 41 1/2 pounds.
Vinny Holmes and Bob Sharp, with Penn Fishing Tackle,
offered a stiff challenge after they unloaded a king
mackerel off Loose Lucy. Holmes fought the
stubborn king for 45 minutes, but its overall weight
of 40.2 pounds was just a tad short.
"We
went everywhere," said Loose Lucy teammate
Susan Kaminsky, of Charleston, SC. "We found lots
of bait, lots of fish and we eventually made a big
circle on our way back in. It was a fun day."
Fun was the operative word, along with the opportunity
to showcase the sport and equipment involved. Competitive
kingfishing is "growing by leaps and bounds" according
to Dardenne, the sales manager for Century, and that
bodes well for his business and the others represented
on the water today.
"These
tournaments are definitely helping us sell more boats,"
he explained. "As more people get involved in the
sport and join the Southern Kingfish Association,
they trade up to bigger models. One hundred percent
of our boat sales are outboard powered fishing boats."
The VIPs will rest up tomorrow while the KingMaster
100 competitors use the day as a warm-up for the actual
event, which begins on Friday. The action concludes
on Saturday as some of the best saltwater anglers
in the country compete for a first-place cash prize
of $50,000. A large crowd of spectators is expected
both days at the host facility, Isle of Capri Casino
Crowne Plaza Resort. Stay tuned for all the action-from
the looks of the early "research," the competition
promises to be stiff.
High
Stakes
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
11, 2000
Biloxi,
MS—The KingMaster 100 is a simple tournament,
really. Catch the fattest king mackerel and you win
big prizes and big bucks. Piece of cake. The only
problem is you have to outfish hundreds of anglers
who have the same goal you do. And all those anglers
are good, or they wouldn't have been invited in the
first place.
The KingMaster 100 gets underway Friday morning as
more than 100 outboard-powered fishing machines charge
into the Gulf of Mexico in search of the biggest smoker
they can find. The conditions are expected to be ideal
with light breezes and moderate sea conditions. The
water clarity is also good and there's plenty of bait.
With the field of expert anglers all vying for the
top prizes, the dock talk centered around king mackerel
in the upper 50- to mid 60-pound range. That's what
many think it'll take to win this two-day event.
At the captains' meeting Thursday evening, SKA president
Jack Holmes made an important announcement. The angler
who catches a king mackerel topping the Mississippi
state record of 64.5 pounds will win a brand new Yukon
XL sport utility vehicle, courtesy of McConnell Automotive
of Mobile, AL. And if that whopper king should happen
to beat the existing SKA record of 66.5 pounds, another
Yukon will be awarded, along with $30,000 in cash
if the angler uses a Loadmaster Trailer. And that's
on top of the first place prize of $50,000.
Fishing begins Friday morning at 6:30 and all boats
must be back at the docks by 6 p.m.. The scales, located
at the Isle of Capri Casino Crowne Plaza Resort, open
at 6:30 and the public is invited to come and watch
the action as the fleet returns from throughout the
Gulf. Boats may travel up to 200 hundred miles roundtrip
in search of the winning king.
"We're
going to fish around the mouth of the river [Mississippi],
the delta and the main-pass rigs where I've caught
fish the last couple of years consistently," explained
Aaron Pierce of Cutoff, LA. Pierce was part of the
team that won the 1999 SKA National Championship,
also held in Biloxi. "We're going to be using live
bait. That's the key, I think, to catching a big fish."
The KingMaster 100 concludes on Saturday, and with
the kind of talent assembled in Biloxi, a photo finish
is expected, and Total Sports will be there covering
all the action.
Lucky
Streak
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
12, 2000
Biloxi,
MS—Dan Abshire is on a roll. He and his wife,
Ronda, won the 1999 SKA National Championship last
fall in Biloxi, and after bringing in a whopping 61-pound
pound king mackerel in the first day of this year's
KingMaster 100, he may never want to go home to Gulf
Breeze, FL.
Abshire and his team (minus Ronda, who is pregnant)
aboard RxCape sat at the docks for four hours
Friday afternoon waiting to weigh the big mackerel
after returning to the Isle of Capri headquarters
at noon. The fish, which ate a live blue runner, was
boated after a 45 minute fight. The scales opened
at 4 p.m., and under tourney rules, Abshire and company
had to remain aboard the Proline center console until
then. But once the official weight was announced,
the crew hugged each other while the large crowd of
on-lookers cheered.
The RxCape held off several strong challenges
as the afternoon wore on. Rick Carrie (Predator)
is currently in second place with his 56.6-pound king,
followed by Byron Blue (Gotcha, 55.0), Dave
Workman (C&H Lures, 53.9), and Neil Foster
(Intense, 49.5).
A total of 52 smoker kings were weighed on Day One
of this two-day, all invitational event. The biggest
single fish wins the grand prize of $50,000, plus
a king breaking the existing Mississippi state record
will win a Yukon SUV. If the SKA record of 66.5 pounds
is broken, another Yukon will be awarded as well.
That's the bar set for this field of highly competitive
saltwater pros.
"I'm
planning on going out there tomorrow and catching
a 68-pounder," said three-time SKA Angler of the Year
Dave Workman. "I need two Yukons to drive," he said
with a smile.
The majority of the boats ran to the east, where several
large king mackerel and wahoo have been caught over
the last couple weeks. The bite was strong mid-morning
among the plentiful schools of bait. Many of the boats
fished near the numerous gas and oil rigs scattered
throughout the middle Gulf of Mexico.
"What
a great day," said Jack Holmes. "The Mississippi record
is 64.5 pounds and it was set by Dan Abshire here
in Biloxi at the National Championship this past November
and then he pulled it off today. I think he's got
a honey hole out there somewhere and he's really doing
a number on these big fish."
Scales open at 3 p.m. on Saturday and all boats must
be back at the docks by 5 p.m. Will the streak continue
for Team RxCape? Only Lady Luck knows for sure.
The
Tale of Two Fish
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
13, 2000
Biloxi,
MS—Although there were some big fish caught
in this year's KingMaster 100 (the top 20 places feature
mackerel weighing 40 pounds or better), overall the
fishing was a little off when you consider the caliber
of anglers competing. Still, the tournament has been
very successful, especially when you consider the
tales of two different fish.
The first, obviously, is the winner, a whopping 61-pounder
caught by the reigning SKA National Champion, Dan
Abshire of Gulf Breeze, FL. Dan and his wife, Ronda,
set the Mississippi state record last November at
the Nationals with a 64.5 pound fish. Ronda was crowned
the top Lady Angler of the Year, but she is now temporarily
off the circuit due to her pregnancy. Dan's dad, Dan
Senior, took Ronda's spot in the KingMaster, the first
time the father-and-son combo have fished together
in competition. The Abshires were joined by Dan's
long-time buddy, Quint Higdon, from Pensacola, FL,
on the 34 Proline, RxCape.
Abshire and company had a game plan, but when they
found an oil rig without any other tournament boats
around it Friday morning, they decided to give it
a shot by trolling in the vicinity. When a big fish
ate the live blue runner bait, it began a blistering
run between the rig and a tied-off shrimp boat. Abshire
ran to the bow and loosened the reel drag to keep
from breaking off on the shrimper's mooring line.
His dad, Dan Senior, stowed the gear while Quint Higdon
ran the boat. When the shrimp boat surged upward on
a wave in the heavy seas, Higdon gunned the throttles,
the center console barely made it under the mooring
rope and the fishing line was cleared. When the fish
was finally subdued, RxCape raced back to the
docks and weighed in the Day One leader, and it never
relinquished the lead.
The second fish might have challenged RxCape
had it not been for a different stroke of luck. Nathan
Payton, of St. Elmo, AL, was part of the team fishing
aboard the Double J. When the Double J
hooked an estimated 60+-pounder and got it to the
boat quickly, Payton sunk the gaff. But the mackerel
was still green and it streaked away, pulling Payton
overboard with the gaff. As Payton tread water, the
fish was fought back to the boat, where it fell free
of the gaff, yet still hooked to the line. Another
surge, a broken line and the potential tournament
winner was gone.
And that's the Mississippi version of the old angling
adage: "That's why they call it fishin', not catchin'.
KingMaster
Flash Update
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
13, 2000 7:00 PM EST
Biloxi,
MS—It was déjà vu all over again for Dan Abshire
and his team Rxcape this afternoon at the Southern
Kingfish Association KingMaster 100. Abshire, the
reigning SKA National Champion, stormed in by noon
on Day One and hoisted a massive 61.0-pound slab.
Abshire was pronounced the winner of the 2000 edition
of the KingMaster 100 shortly after 6:00pm EST by
SKA President Jack Holmes.
This victory makes it two in a row for Rxcape
in SKA majors, both right here in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Abshire will collect $50,000 for his efforts. The
awards ceremony commences at 9:30am EST on Sunday
morning.
A
Masterful Performance
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
14, 2000
Biloxi,
MS—Competitive kingfishing takes a great deal
of skill and finesse. It also helps to have Lady Luck
on your side. Combine the two and you have a very
strong edge. But when you bring it all together in
a beautiful setting with casinos and smoker king mackerel,
you end up with an unbeatable combination. That's
why Biloxi, MS, is now Dan Abshire's favorite place
to fish.
Abshire, from Gulf Breeze, FL and the reigning SKA
National Champion, caught one king on Friday. He elected
not to fish on Saturday and that strategy proved effective.
His 61-pounder held on to win this year's KingMaster
100, earning the RxCape team (Abshire, Quint
Higdon, and Dan Abshire Sr.) $50,000. Abshire's fish
almost matched his state-record breaking 64.5-pound
king, which was caught during the National Championship
last fall in Biloxi.
"This
has been a great ride and I don't want it to end,"
Abshire said at Sunday's award breakfast.
Team Predator finished in second place with
a 56.6-pound king, good for $28,000. Gotcha
was third with a 55-pounder worth $19,000, followed
by C&H Lures (53.9, $11,000) and Intense
(49.5, $9,500).
A total of 112 boats fished in this invitational,
big fish event. Teams traveled from all over the Southeastern
United States to compete for cash and prizes in one
the most competitive saltwater fishing contests in
the country. Tournament headquarters for the KingMaster
100 was the Isle of Capri Casino Crowne Plaza Resort.
"Man,
can you imagine this? Seventh place and the fish was
a 49-pounder. We didn't have a lot of fish during
this tournament, but the ones we had were certainly
big," explained SKA president Jack Holmes.
The next stop on the SKA Tournament Trail is the 4th
annual Halfmoon Sportfish Club Kingfish Klash in Riceboro,
GA, 5/19-5/20. Anglers won't be returning to Biloxi
for another event until this fall. But when they do,
you can bet Dan Abshire and Team RxCape will be there.
Reflections
on a Master Tournament
Capt.
Dave Lear
May
16, 2000
Biloxi,
MS—The 2000 edition of the KingMaster 100 tournament
certainly left its mark on the history books. A field
of 112 boats with some of the best king mackerel anglers
in the nation took Biloxi and the nearby waters of
the Gulf of Mexico by storm. There weren't an overwhelming
number of kings caught, but the size of the fish was
impressive, along with the number of places paid (23).
In the end, it came down to another timely performance
by the reigning National Champion, Dan Abshire of
Gulf Breeze, FL, and his crew (Quint Higdon and Dan
Abshire Sr.). The RxCape team took home $50,000
after catching a 61-pounder mid-morning on the first
day of competition, then sat at the dock on Day Two,
awaiting the final results. As the clock ticked away,
I used the lull to chat with Sid Steverson, the new
CEO of the Southern Kingfish Association. I asked
him what he thought about the KingMaster 100.
"This
is one of our premier events," he said. "We're able
to come to such a great place as Biloxi and provide
positive public exposure for our anglers and our sponsors.
We're also able to give the anglers a nice payday
as a way of giving back to them. We invite all manufacturers
in the marine industry, along with our existing sponsors,
to this event to provide maximum exposure for both
groups. We're doing all we can to enhance this sport."
Overall, how does the KingMaster compare with the
others?
"The
participants here are among the best we have on our
tournament trail. Good fishermen and women, and good
fishing resources equals a strong leaderboard, and
that's been evident here," Steverson said.
What changes are in store for the SKA under your watch?
"In
the past there were no awards for the divisional winners,"
Steverson explained. "This year the divisional winners
will earn a free entry for the National Championship
Tournament, plus the SKA will provide three nights
hotel lodging as a way to recognize their efforts.
We're also going to award a free entry to the National
for the 23 and Under Divisional winners, and we're
looking at adding additional prizes and recognition
for those anglers in the future. I also want to help
increase the cash and prizes for lady and junior angler
categories. That will promote families fishing together
and I'm 110 percent in favor of that."
What do you think the future holds for this sport?
"Competitive
kingfishing is going to escalate to the ranks of B.A.S.S.
[freshwater bass tournament trail]. Our track record
is set and well proven. I remember a few years back
the prizes for winning an event was a couple thousand
dollars. Now the big events give away boat/motor/trailer
packages worth several times that. I also see more
and more anglers getting involved in the 23 and Under
Division as the playing field is leveled. The general
fishing public is excited about competitive kingfishing
and our sport is just going to keep getting bigger
and bigger," Steverson predicted.
