(* Denotes a Class of 23 Team)

Rag Tag takes over West Delta Kingfish Invitational
By Phil Irby
November 9, 2001

VENICE, LOUISIANA--Venice Marina was the location for the West Delta King Fish Invitational tournament.

To try to explain how good the fishing is there I have a letter from Steve Pennaz, Executive Director of North American Fishing Club. It was written toDave, Brent, Brandon and Debbie Ballay, owners of Venice Marine. Brent tookSteve and his filming crew on a three day fishing excursion.

This is what the letter read, “In twelve years of taping "North American Outdoors" television for ESPN, we have fished some of the finest angling destinations in North America, but we have never been to a location like Venice. In three short days in July 2001, we caught all of th epopular Gulf species and several others, taping three awesome shows in the process. I have only onequestion: when can we come back? Thanks for a trip we will never forget.Sincerely, Steve Pennaz, Executive Director of North American Fishing Club.”

This is truly a fisherman's paradise and as for the tournament I can't say enough about the hospitality of Bill and Mike Butler, hosts of the tournament. The food the first day at the captains meeting was wonderful. They had it catered by Timmy and Terry Patton with Patton Caters out of New Orleans. The second night Dave Ballay boiled up 300 pounds of crabs and smoked pork and a deer he raised on his hunting camp in Lumberton, Mississippi.

Everyone was looking forward to a great two days of fishing. The first day weighted in three kings over 50 pounds. Rag-Tag, captained by Creighton Parker, brought in the biggest king of the day at 53.1 pounds. Speck Chaser captained by Rudy Hall weighed in a 51.7 pound fish, the second largest king of the day. The Doug Houston Outdoors team brought in the third largest fish of the day, weighing in at 50.2 pounds. The second day of the two-day tournament also brought in three kings over 50 pounds. Neal Foster’s Intense team brought in the largest fish of the day and the tournament weighing in at a whopping 56.6 pounds. The next largest fish of the day was brought in by the Backdraft 23' and under captained by Neal Morgan weighing in at 52.3 pounds. The third largest fish of the day and winner of the first place was Rag-Tag, captained by Creighton Parker, weighing in at 51.9 pounds. Parker and his team brought home the gold with a total aggregate weight of 105 pounds. First place prize was a 21' Contender powered by a 200 hp. Yamaha engine and a Loadmaster trailer, not bad for a divisional tournament.

The first day of fishing, Rag-Tag’s Rodney Willard was fishing a downrigger with a Better Bait ribbonfish in about 185 feet of water. They were trolling about 100 miles west of Tiger Pass when he hooked up with this 53.1 pound king. He fought him about 15 minutes before they were able to gaff him and bring him in the boat. The second day they were fishing about 35 miles southwest of Tiger Pass when Geoff Percell hooked up using a live hard tail on a down rigger about 65 feet deep in about 185 feet of water. The initial run was long the second run they were able to boat the fish in about 18 minutes. Their second fifty plus pounder was indeed enough to secure the team the win and the new Contender boat.

Second place went to the boat Intense, a 31' Contender powered by twin Yamahas and captained by Neal Foster. They were able to land a 40.6 pound king the first day. The second day they tied into a monster of a king, a 56.6
pounder. They were fishing on a rig in the West Delta about 45 miles west of Tiger Pass in about 125 feet of water. They were using a live hardtail on the downrigger about 70 feet deep.

Tim Berger was on the rod when the king hit. The rod had 50-pound test line with #8 wire and a purple King Buster skirt. When the king hit, he made a screaming run. “It was like a Chinese fire drill getting all the lines in and the boatturned around before the king spooled the reel,” Berger reported. The king ran toward the rig and turned right within 10 feet of the rig. When they finally worked him toward the boat they had him barely hooked in the roof of the mouth. Shea Foster, Neal’s daughter, was on board to receive points for JuniorAngler awards. This fish puts her in contention of winning Top Junior Angle rin Division Seven. The combined weight of both fish caught was 97.2 pounds.

Third place went to Doug Houston Outdoors team, captained by Doug Houston, with a combined weight of 90.4 pounds. The first day fish was caught on a "secret wreck" around Grand Isle. They were drifting over the wreck using a Killer Bee silver eel. David Stevens was on the rod when the king hit. The fish had come up twice and finally hit the bait. The second day they were able to land a 40.2 pound king to take third place.

 First place went to Sea Hagg captained by Cecil Capps with a total combined weight of two fish of 87.7 pounds. The first day they caught a 48.8 king on a live hard tail fishing on top 30 miles west of Tiger Pass. The second day they landed a 38.9 pound king to take first place. Second place went to Rocketman, captained by Harry Crump. The first day, junior angler Benton Crump was on the rod fishing with a live hard tail on a down rigger about 75 feet deep. H e was fishing on Block 43 off of Grand Isle when the King hit. The fish stayed down deep and kept taking line out. He was able to finally land the 49.9 pound king. The second day they were able to catch a 36.9 pound king for a combined weight of 84.4 pounds to take second place in the SKA’s small boat class.

Third place went to Predator captained by Brent Faia Jr. Angler Paul Groth was on the rod fishing close to Grand Isle area. He was using a live hard tail on a flat line in about 180 feet of water when he hooked up with a 47.2 pound king. It took about 25 minutes to land the king. The second day they were able to bring in a 37.2 pound king to finish up with aggregate weight of 84.4 pounds to take third place.

Junior Angler honors for first place went to Shea Foster on the Intense Team with a 56.6 king. Second place Junior Angler went to Benton Crump on the Rocketman Team with a 49.9 pound king. Third place Junior Angler award went to Paul Groth on the Predator Team with a 47.2 pound king.Remember for Junior and Lady Angler points, they do not have to be on the rod. To receive points they must be aboard the boat on which they are registered at the time the fish is caught.

Final Standings
(Two Day Two Fish Aggregate Score)

1. RAG-TAG...............105 pounds Contender 25/Yamaha Creighton Parker Robert Merritt Geoff Persell Rodney Willard 2. INTENSE..............97.2 Contender 31/Yamaha Neal Foster Shea Foster Robby Montgomery Tim Berger 3. DOUG HOUSTON OUTDOORS...........90.4 Cobia 27/Yamaha Doug Houston David Stevens Steve Hall Doug Sanders 4. WENDY SEA................89.8 Contender 27/Yamaha Mike Kennedy Kenny Smith Skip Thompson 5. WIZZ BANG..............89.1 Contender 31/Yamaha Mike Ward Michael Ward Bruce Davis Michael Spellmyer

6. REEL ADDICTION................87.8 Contender 27/Yamaha Gary Smith John Smith Rachel Mills David Roberts 7. SEA HAGG................87.7 Sea Craft 23/Mercury Cecil Capps, Jr. Earl Burbridge 8. SPECKULATOR..............87.4 Contender 27/Yamaha George Simon III J.J. Tabor 9. ROCKETMAN................86.8 Contender 23/Yamaha Harry Crump Judson Crump Benton Crump 10. TOP GUN.....................85.4 Donzi 35/Yamaha David Heavenridge Tom Hinson Warren Williams Rich Heavenridge

Wendy Sea Brings Home the Gold at Cypress Cove
by Phil Irby
July 27, 2001

VENICE, LA--The Fifth Annual King Mackerel Tournament at Cypress Cove Marina in Venice, Louisiana was a great success. Sonny Eirich put on another fine tournament this year. Everyone was pleased with the accommodations and the service provided. One hundred percent of the prize money was paid back to the fishermen, with 70 boats registered to fish. The prize structure was based on an 88 boat entry, but Sonny threw in the rest to make up the difference. The first day, the weather started out a little windy, laying down by midday for the rest of the tournament weekend. All but 19 boats weighed in kingfish the first day. The largest fish was also caught the first day. This tournament was an aggregate event, with prizes based on a team's largest combined weight of their fish from the first and second days. Catch-Ya-Later turned in the biggest fish, a 55.35 pounder caught by Jay Barnes. They were fishing on top with a live hardtail when the fish hit the bait. It was around 12:30 when the fish was finally landed. Day Two, they caught a 34 pound king, to finish in third place overall.

Kwazar brought in a 54.05 pound king caught by Ginger Shook. She also caught it on a live hardtail trolling with a downrigger about 80 feet down. Steve Shook said they tried all his local spots without any success but teammate Jeff McCoy saved the day by leading the bait to the fish. Steve said Jeff was talking to the water saying, "Hit the bait, hit the bait," as he was slapping the downrigger with his cap. Then all of the sudden the reel started spinning! Then Jeff said, "Be a big one, be a big one." When the fish made a strong run, they knew it was indeed a big one. Steve contributed much of their success to Jeff for his positive thinking. They were fishing towards the east of Cypress Cove about 70 or 80 miles. The second day they brought in a 33.15 pound king to finish up in fourth place overall. The third largest fish was caught on the Mike Kennedy's Wendy Sea. It weighed in at 51.85 pounds.They were using hardtails on the downriggers about 70 miles out. The fish took one strong run and Kenny Smith landed him around 2PM. Wendy Sea also brought in the largest fish on the second day, a 44.25 caught by Skip Thompson. This king was also caught on a live hardtail and was landed around noon. The fish skied on the bait as they were fishing about 75 miles east of Cypress Cove. This catch put them in first place overall to win the two day aggregate prize of $12,500. Sujac weighed in a 46.65 pound king the first day, caught around 1:30PM, which put them in fourth place after the first day. On Day Two, they caught a 43.55 to take second place overall in the tournament. Chad Anderson was the angler on their first day fish as they were slow trolling about 70 miles out in the west Delta, rig hopping and going fishless for most of the day. Then they pulled around a rig and caught three kings, all hitting lethargically. Then one make a good run, and that was their big fish. On the second day, Jody Pilcher ran east to a good spot. They camped out and waited, 10 to 15 miles out of Cypress Cove. They caught only one amberjack until the bite turned on at 1PM. They caught and released several big kings before finding another good one to bring to the scales.

In all, the weekend was enjoyed by the fishermen, as several fish over 50 pounds were weighed in, as well as numerous kings over 40.

Final Standings

1. WENDY SEA.................96.10 Contender/Yamaha Mike Kennedy Kenny Smith Skip Thompson 2. SUJAC.........................90.20 Regulator/Yamaha Hutch Thompson Jack Thompson Jody Pilcher Chad Anderson 3. CATCH YA LATER............89.35 Contender/Yamaha Robert Young Keith Rowell Jason Walker Jay Barnes 4. KWAZAR................87.20 Contender/Yamaha Steve Shook Jeff McCoy Max Williams Ginger Shook 5. * BACKDRAFT...............81.15 Aquasport/OMC Neal Morgan Jerry Morgan Andy Morgan

6. INTENSE.......................78.55 Contender/Yamaha Neal Foster Tim Berger Bill Lawler Shea Foster 7. LAST ONE........................73.45 Pursuit/Yamaha Julius Martin David Martin Larry Gangi Juan Santiago 8. KEN'S CAR TUNES................72.90 Contender/Yamaha Ken Stafford Jesse Stafford David Howell David Turner 9. BOAT STUF.............................70.45 Contender/Yamaha Jimmy Fisackerly Eric Beier Ed Hauptmann David Clasen 10. * PREDATOR..............................70.05 ProLine/Mercury Brent Faia Paul Groth Justin Faia Peter Groth

 

MARISHIE C GETS HARDCORE AT KAJUN SPORTSMAN
by Bob Childress
FOURCHON, LA

The heart of Cajun country is the best way I know to define Fourchon. It is a pleasure to visit, with good fishing, good food and good folks. For sure it's one of the better places in Louisiana to "pass a good time, yeh." Fourchon is perched on the Gulf so close to open water that the fog horns on the offshore platforms can be heard clearly on still nights.

I have never spoken to an SKA fishing team that did not love fishing these West Delta waters where 50 pound kings barely raise an eyebrow. Rolling waves and whitecaps greeted the teams of the SKA Saturday morning. All they could do was prepare for their whipping. When the scales opened that afternoon it soon became obvious that the only thing that got a whipping were the king mackerel.

The Marishie C/Hardcore team got hardcore right off the bat scoring a 43 pound smoker early in the day. They would wind up first to the scales and get a much needed chance to rest up for day two.

The Full Blown team in their Yamaha powered 23' Contender nailed a 45 deep on a downrigger. Keep in mind these are both teams in the 23' and under class fishing in rough conditions. This is a trend we will continue to see as the capabilities of these small boats are realized.

Dan Abshire on the RXcape came to the dock in his 32' Donzi producing a 45.56 that would put his wife Rhonda in the top spot for Lady Angler and earn valuable Senior points for his dad Dan Abshire, Sr. This is one great family fishing team, especially in the waters of the upper Gulf where Abshire has won both the Kingmaster 100 and National Championship tournaments.

By the end of day one it would be Middle Bay Marine on top of the field with a 48 pound kingfish. Their ears had to have been ringing with all the teams talking about how their 36' Contender was flying across those big waves in the pass that morning.

Day two dawned with a much better greeting from Mother Nature and a much better outlook from the fishing teams.

The Marishie C/Hardcore made a repeat from day one being the first to the scales with a 54 pound monster topping their score from day one and placing them in the top spot for the tournament. Caught only about 15 miles from the pass, this brought them in early and turned on the pressure, having to wait and watch the whole fleet come to the scales. This a team that was brought together because of a blown engine combining two teams. It's a perfect example of the teamwork and comaradarie to be had in the SKA.

The Pure Attitude showed up a little later in the day with their fish, a 51 pounder that would put them in second place and gain some good points for the divisional standings.

Middle Bay Marine would not better their score the first day but would remain in third place for the tournament.

The Intense fishing team scored a 46 pounder late in the day. Captain Neal Foster was able to bring his Yamaha powered Conrender to the dock in a hurry to put his daughter Shea in the top spot for Junior Angler and fourth place in the tournament. This was her first SKA tournament and from the smile on Shea's face I think Neal now has a permanent team member and a very capable Junior Angler. We should all remember that the juniors are the real future of the sport of fishing.

The West Delta would hold up it's reputation of big fish during the Kajun Sportsman. It would take a 42 pound fish to make it in the top 15, which is par for the course here.

The 23' and under class scored high as well with 40 plus pound kings to make it in the top three for their division. This was an excellent start and I hope an omen of the things and smoker kings to look forward to in Division Eight. And if you've never fished in the Gulf, you really should give it a shot because when it's on, it's unbelievable!

Photo: "Marishe C/Hardcore tops the Kajun Sportsman tournament with a 54.5 pound kingfish. Bob Childress photo."

Final Standings

1. * MARISHE C/HARDCORE.......54.50 Wellcraft/Yamaha Mark Collier Nathan Payton Jay Doole 2. * PURE ATTITUDE.......51.08 HydraSports/Evinrude Lynn Nolen Chad Deakle Trey Deakle Shawn Smith 3. MIDDLE BAY MARINE........48.09 Contender/Yamaha Mike Waller Rodney Willard Lou Garrett Jimmy Madden Spencer Johnson 4. INTENSE............46.0 Contender/Yamaha Neal Foster Robby Montgomery Tim Berger Shea Foster 5. WRINGER.................45.56 Contender/Yamaha Edd Gillespie Larry Crawley Scotty Bowden Joey Guidry	6. RXCAPE..................45.56 ProLine/Mercury Dan Abshire, Jr. Dan Abshire Sr. Ronda Abshire 7. KEN'S CAR TUNES...............44.08 Contender/Yamaha Ken Stafford Jesse Stafford David Howell David Turner Dirk Hearn 8. CATCH YA LATER............44.08 Contender/Yamaha Robert Young Jay Barnes Jason Walker Joe Dennis 9. A SALT WEAPON..............44.08 Cape Horn/Mercury David Graham Evan Cook Curtis Guilbeaux Micah White 10. OBSESSED KOONASS................44.25 Contender/Yamaha Glenn Plaisance Chris Staszak George Morszof
CLASS OF 23
* FULL BLOWN............45.94 Contender/Yamaha Jason Andrews Bryan Weeks Todd Andrews Jeff Gaddy
SKA WELLCRAFT JUNIOR ANGLER Shea Foster--Intense

 

QUIETUS TOPS COBIA/YAMAHA TOURNEY
By Sam White
October 10, 2001

BILOXI, MS--When fishing in the upper Gulf, most people think of long runs and expensive fuel bills at the end of the day. Try explaining that one to JJ Gilmore and the Quietus team, though. They fished the Cobia/Yamaha King Mackerel Tournament with high hopes, both for qualifying in Division Seven and taking home the event’s top prize of a new Yamaha-powered Cobia boat and Loadmaster trailer.

Gilmore piloted the 21-foot Cape Horn just thirty miles from the docks at the Isle of Capri Casino and Resort to find their winning 50.9 pound kingfish. It took more than a little luck once the big fish was on the line, however. “We pretty much fished one rig all day,” Gilmore reported. “We were in the fish all day long--we must have caught or released 15 kings. We had a couple in the upper thirty pound range before the fifty hit around one o’clock.” The big smoker hit a live hardtail fished at 50 feet on the downrigger in 80 feet of water.

The rough seas made for a sporting fight, though, as angler Tony Bryant battled both the fish and the six to eight foot, closely spaced Gulf swells. “We were trying to hold Tony up on the bow, and then we loosened up the drag because we knew it was a big fish,” Gilmore said. “But when we loosened the drag, we birdnested the reel! If the fish had made a run then, we would have lost her for sure. Luckily, we were able to chase her down with the boat and get a gaff in her after about 15 minutes.”

The Quietus team was one of the boats waiting to weigh in shortly after the scales opened on Saturday, and they would never relinquish their lead throughout the day. The tournament’s top prize would be theirs once the day ended, giving them their first major win of the season as well as a fifth place finish in the standings for Division Seven..

Donna Gowen teamed up with Amy McMullan to try their hand at nailing a big Gulf king, and the Contendress would return early to the dock with a good fish aboard the Yamaha-powered Contender. “This is the biggest fish I’ve caught in a tournament,” Gowen reported excitedly as they waited for the scales to open. “He might even go fifty pounds!” Amy was on the rod during the fight while Donna waited patiently with gaff in hand. The fish soon succumbed to the light but relentless pressure, offering Gowen the shot she was anticipating. “We saw how big the fish was when she came around the boat,” she said, “so I told Amy to be ready to drop the rod and help me once I gaffed it.” It took both ladies’ best efforts to haul the big smoker aboard.

At the scales the fish would fall just short of the magical fifty pound mark, tugging the scales down to 49.8 pounds--good for second place honors in the tournament. It’s been a tough season for the Contendress, but they finally earned some redemption in the season-ending Gulf event. Sandy Smith and Matt Pitman came to Biloxi looking to move up in the Pro Tour standings, and they also elected to compete in the divisional competition. A 47.2 pounder would be enough to catapult them into second place in the Pro standings, and also give them a third place finish in the Cobia/Yamaha tournament. “It was a strange fish,” Smith reported. “She skied on a short line but never pulled a foot of drag off the reel--she just stayed beneath the boat, shaking her head. I hollered at Matt to get the gaff, and we had her in the boat in two minutes.” Once they got a look at the fish, though, they realized why the fish was so lethargic.

What was once a sixty pound king would only weigh in the upper forty pound range due to some significant weight loss. “That was a declining fish, for sure.” Smith said. “She was really long but also very skinny-- a big old kingfish just about to the end of her lifespan.” Smith also credited both the seakeeping ability of his Mercury-powered Yellowfin as well as the experience of longtime teammate Matt Pitman for their success during the season. Smith set the East Coast record for three fish on the way to his win in Division Ten, while Pitman captained his own boat, the Blue Thunder, to a divisional win in D5.

This pair are tough competitors anywhere they choose to fish in the Southeast. Mark Collier, Jay Doole, and Nathan Payton have had one heck of a year aboard the Marishie C/Hardcore. They’ve won several tournaments, both overall and in the Class of 23, and the Cobia/Yamaha would simply be another feather in their collective caps. They nailed a 46.3 pound king to take home the Class of 23 prize for the event, a Yamaha-powered Buddy T skiff and Loadmaster trailer (the Quietus, also a Class of 23 boat, took home the tournament’s top prize).

The Marishie C/Hardcore team, competing from a Wellcraft 23, also topped the standings in the Class for Division Seven. Their final score was an amazing 145.3 pounds, which equates to a three fish average of 48.43 pounds! Obviously, they are neither intimidated by the larger boats, feeling that they can compete with any team on any tournament weekend. All it takes is confidence in your ability and equipment, and a bit of good luck.

The real news from Biloxi is that the Kwazar didn’t win. After another ultra-successful season in 2001, Marcus Kennedy and the boys from Mobile could only manage a fifth place finish with a 45.3 pound king. Marcus just grinned and said, “Well, we can’t win ‘em all. It’s great to see the small boat guys finding the good fish, though. As rough as it was [today] those guys deserve all the credit in the world.” As with all top competitors, Kennedy can still remember the days of fishing from a small boat in the rough conditions off the Gulf coast, I’m sure. He would miss out by just a few pounds to Neal Foster’s Intense team for the divisional win in D7 this year as well. Foster ended the season with 142.15 pounds, several pounds less than the Marishie C/Hardcore team, fishing from a 23 foot boat.

As always, Bobby Carter and his staff at the Isle of Capri went out of their way to ensure that the fishermen of the SKA had everything they needed during their weekend in Biloxi, one big reason the Isle remains a top fishing destination on the Mercury Tournament Trail. If you’ve never had a chance to sample the outstanding fishing in the upper Gulf, call Bobby and arrange a trip to Biloxi soon.

Final Standings

1. QUIETUS..................50.9 Cape Horn 21/Yamaha JJ Gilmore David Rogers Tony Bryant 2. CONTENDRESS.................49.8 Contender 27/Yamaha Donna Gowen Amy McMullan 3. GATORBAIT...................47.2 Yellowfin 31/Mercury Sandy Smith Matt Pitman 4. MARISHIE C/HARDCORE..............46.3 Wellcraft 23/Yamaha Mark Collier Nathan Payton Jay Doole 5. KWAZAR..................45.3 Contender 36/Yamaha Marcus Kennedy Steve Shook Max Williams Jeff McCoy Ginger Shook

6. FISH FEVER..............44.6 Wellcraft 32/Mercury Shawn Mecchella Jim Conway Derrick Gunderson 7. TOP PRODUCER................43.7 Contender 31/Yamaha Mike Dees Jeff Dees Sheree Dees Jenny Dees 8. TOP GUN...................42.6 Donzi/Yamaha David Heavenridge Brian Brandano Tom Hinson Warren Williams 9. CRAWGATOR.......................42.5 Contender 36/Yamaha Bill Butler Mike Butler Mitt Butler Steve Jenkins 10. JUST NATURAL.................39.3 Donzi 32/Mercury Richard Chapman John Rumbold Randall Riggs