(* Denotes a Class of 23 Team)

SHOCKWAVE GOES TWO FOR TWO AT AMERICAN RODSMITHS
By Sam White
September 12, 2001

MATAGORDA, TEXAS--Mark Lee and the Shockwave team rolled into Matagorda, Texas fresh from their win during the most recent tournament in Freeport with that unmistakable feeling of confidence that comes from finally boating a tournament winner.

Lee and company used that confidence to locate and catch a 40.4 pound kingfish during the second day of the American Rodsmiths tournament that would hold up for the win, making it two in a row for the team. “We really needed a forty pound king to take the lead for the division,” Lee reported. “So we concentrated on catching that one big fish during this tournament.”

Mark, fishing with teammates Greg, David, and Paul Horacefield and lady angler Michelle Bergeron, headed fifty miles offshore to some underwater structure in 150 feet of water. Their winner finally hit around 11:30 AM and was the only other strike they had all day.

“The first one was only about a 20 pounder, but we finally got the one we were looking for just before noon,” Mark said. “He hit a bighardtail behind a red and black duster, down about 70 feet on the downrigger.”Bergeron was the team’s designated angler, after proving herself inFreeport. “She’s got a great touch with the rod, never putting too much pressureon a big king,” commented Lee. “Michelle’s really patient, and that’s whatit takes to be a good angler.” After several good runs, the big king finally laidup beside the Yamaha-powered Contender.

At the scales, the fish would weigh 40.4 pounds, good for the guaranteed first placeprize of $10,000 and the team’s second win in as many tournaments. The Shockwave team also took the lead in the points race for Division Eight with an outstanding score of 140.5 pounds. There are now nine boats over the 100pointmark in the division, proving that the Texas fishing teams are learning how to catch the big kings off the Lone Star State. Lee and the Shockwave are sponsored by Contender, Yamaha, Texas Marine, Castaway Rods, Tops and Towers, McClain Trailers and fishingenet.com among many others.

One thing that surprised me this year is the number of teams running the newest of boats in Texas. There were several new Contenders, including a new 36-footer, a new Wellcraft 35, a SeaCraft 32 and many others. One of the hottest new boats on the circuit is the Yellowfin 31 captained by John Thomas Dusek. Fishing with Craig Williams, Pat Varga and Jason Brannon, Dusek put the Yellowfin into the runner up spot in Matagorda.

This is the second tournament that he’s finished in second place as well, much to the delight of Yellowfin president Wylie Nagler. “Our day started pretty slow,” Dusek reported. “It had been an early bite but we waited out until around noon before the big fish hit.” He said the fish came as part of a triple header for the team, fishing some 55 miles offshore in 130 feet of water over submerged structure. “The first two pulled the hooks, but we were able to get the third one in the boat,” Dusek said. “All three were good fish.” Jason Brannon was on the rod for their weigh fish, putting very little pressure on the nice king. It worked out well for the team, as the fish was barely hooked with a single hook.

Ten minutes later the 39.9 pound kingfish was safely aboard the Yamaha-poweredYellowfin. The team decided to fish a bit longer in hopes of boating a larger fish, but one never materialized so they headed to port, happy to have a good fish aboard nonetheless. They stand in nineteenth place in the division, needing one more good king in the last tournament in order to qualify in the top fifteen.

The Gardner team aboard the Category Five made the board in third place, as well as winning yet another SKA Top Junior Angler award for young Hayden Gardner. Ironically, Michelle Bergeron, the talented lady angler on the
Shockwave, is John Gardner’s sister in law. The team also headed well offshore on Day Two, making a sixty mile run to the structures in 150 feet of water. “It wasn’t anything like yesterday,” John Gardner said. “We went 110
miles yesterday to fish in 300 feet of water, but came up short, so we had to change the game plan today.” The team reported a strong early bite in progress but unfortunately there were no sizable fish in the school. The team
waited out the bite for two hours until their biggest fish of the weekend struck a hardtail down 70 feet on one of their Cannon downriggers.

They boated the fish and ran hard for the scales in order to make the Day Two cutoff with time to spare. Theirs would weigh 39 pounds even, moving them into third for the tournament as well as third in the divisional standings.
The Category Five competed in the SKA Nationals last year, and the boys from Texas are looking forward to yet another trip to the big show at the end of this season.

Jose Reyes, Jr. captained the new Contender 36, Papotanic, into fourth place overall. The team had some minor mechanical problems with the new boat, electing to head for the scales a bit early on Day Two with one engine jammed into forward gear. They made it to the scales under their own power, however, and offloaded their 38.4 pound kingfish after a few quick photos. Jim Ottinger led the Anderson Marine team to fifth place overall. Ottinger,
Gerald Ludwig, Patrick Simons and Jay Huitt also headed well offshore in their 25-foot Parker to nail down a 36.7 pound king.

The staff of American Rodsmiths went out of their way to ensure all who participated in this year’s event had a great time. They paid back 100% of the entry fees, as well as giving away rods to each team that placed in the money. This is a great event, one that looks to grow even bigger for next season.

Final Standings
(Two Day Two Fish Aggregate Score)

1. SHOCKWAVE.............40.4 Contender/Yamaha Mark Lee Greg Horacefield David Horacefield Paul Horacefield Michelle Bergeron 2. YELLOWFIN...............39.9 Yellowfin/Yamaha John Thomas Dusek Craig Williams Pat Varga Jason Brannon 3. CATEGORY FIVE...........39.0 Contender/Yamaha John Gardner Gary Gardner Hayden Gardner Jack Gardner Brad Gardner 4. PAPOTANIC..............38.4 Contender/Yamaha Jose Reyes, Jr. Ruben Olivares Nathan Reagan Aaron Reagan Mark Bledsoe 5. ANDERSON MARINE............36.7 Parker/Evinrude Jim Ottinger Gerald Ludwig Patrick Simons Jay Huitt

6. TNT SPECIAL...............34.7 Contender/Yamaha Mark Machala Darrell Hingle Jason Lange Charlie Armstrong 7. Bad Boy.........................32.9 8. EASY COME, EASY GO.............32.0 Edgewater/Yamaha James Howell Casey Cundieff Marc Foster Bill Howell 9. BIGBITE........................30.5 Contender/Johnson Glenn Cook Greg Cruthirds Jamie Flannigan 10. REEL SCREAMER.................30.0 Century/Yamaha Larry White Mark Zapalac Jerry Gattis Paul Reid Colby Reid CLASS OF 23 REEL EFFISHN’T...................28.5 Key West/Yamaha Steve Bannister Keith Diehl

 

Category 5 Storms Port Aransas!
By Bob Childress
September 12, 2001

PORT ARANSAS, TEXAS--With just a few days to rest up from the American Rodsmiths tournament in Matagorda, the teams of the SKA descended on Port Aransas for the last stop in Division Eight for the 2001 Mercury Tournament
Trail in Texas.

Mother Nature gave them an extra day by greeting them with a small craft advisory on Friday. The tournament committee deemed the conditions unfishable, and a lay day was declared with fishing days moved to Saturday and Sunday. A favorable forecast called for the winds and seas to calm during the next few days.

Saturday dawned with the teams ready to go at the early morning check out. With seas running about 4 to 6 feet, they would all earn their fish for the day. Some planned to make long runs, while others would find good fish much closer to home. The Yamaha-powered Contender, Category 5, scored the top fish of the first day and the tournament with a 46.15 pound smoker.

Captain JohnGardner and the Gardner family (brothers Gary, Brad and Jack, and Junior Angler Hayden) have secured their spot at the 2001 National Championship in Fort Pierce, Florida with the win. “We ran about 60 miles in really sloppy
six-foot seas,” John Gardner reported. “We were the only boat on the spot in 300 feet of gin clear water.” The team’s first pass yielded only a big amberjack, but the next pass over the numbers paid off. Their biggest king nailed a jumbo hardtail fished forty feet down on one of their Cannon downriggers. “We had caught bait the day before and penned them up overnight so we could be on the bite first thing,” John said, “and that seemed to make the difference for us.”

The team released about 10 more fish ranging from 10 to 30 pounds, missing their chance at a monster fish that dumped 400 yards of line before spitting the hooks right alongside the boat. Once the offshore bite slowed, they elected to fish out the remainder of the day at the jetties where they released another pair of fish in the mid-thirty pound range. Interestingly, all their good fish came on the downriggers, proof that you must be able to deploy live baits well below the surface in order to be successful in tournament king mackerel fishing. After numerous top five finishes in divisional competition, it was only a matter of time before this team found themselves in the winner’s circle.

Captain Chris McSwain and the Going The Distance team nailed a 43.75 about 7:30 in the morning on a live blue runner, after a short run to their spot. This was the first fish to hit and their best of the day to earn second place for the tournament. McSwain is campaigning a triple Mercury-powered ProLine this season, but he wisely elected to not run over a good concentration of fish that were found relatively close to the tournament site at Island Moorings Marina.

For the number three spot in the tournament, McMain Attraction made an excellent second day effort, bringing a 40.25 pounder to the scales. This fish will also garner them some excellent points in the divisional race. Todd McMain and his team ran well to the southeast to find their winner aboard the Mercury-powered ProLine. This team has competed in two SKA National Championships so far, and they have the experience to do well again in this year’s Championship tournament.

Glenn Cook and his crew on the 25' Contender Bigbite earned the number four spot with a 39.3 pound fish caught Saturday on a live blue runner, fishing on the tideline just off the Port A jetties.

Captain Mark Lee aboard yet another Yamaha-powered Contender, Shockwave, rounded out the top five with a 32.45 pound fish. Lee also elected to fish the jetties, boating their fish nearly inside the twin points of rock that protect the port’s inlet. Hats off to this team, as it looks like they will be divisional champs. They have consistent all summer and have really earned their top spot. Michelle Bergeron, the newest member of the Shockwave team, was top lady angler for the tournament. She also topped the Lady Angler standings for the division. The team wound up the Division Eight schedule with an outstanding score of 140.5 pounds for first place. Incredibly, it took over 100 points to make the top 15 in the Overall class, which is very respectable fishing anywhere in the SKA’s fourteen divisions.

Hayden Gardner on Category 5 was the SKA’s first place Junior Angler with Colby Reid on Real Screamer and Allen Rosser aboard Family Attraction bringing in second and third place honors. Gardner also repeated as the top Junior Angler for Division Eight.

With most divisions about to wrap up, all eyes are on the divisional standings to see who made it . Good luck to all those who made the cut, Cheri and I will see you all in Fort Pierce later this season. Preparations are already being made for next year, so get ready. Two thousand and two will be the best year yet in Texas!

Final Standings
(Two Day Two Fish Aggregate Score)

1. CATEGORY 5...............46.15 Contender 25/Yamaha John Gardner Gary Gardner Brad Gardner Hayden Gardner Jack Gardner 2. GOING THE DISTANCE..............43.75 ProLine 34/Mercury Chris McSwain Paul Roe Steve Meyer Joe Orlando 3. MCMAIN ATTRACTION................40.25 ProLine 27/Mercury Todd McMain Doug Brookshire Tom Maydian Kirk Dippel 4. BIGBITE...............39.30 Contender 25/Johnson Glenn Cook Jamie Flanigan David Harris 5. SHOCKWAVE............32.45 Contender 27/Yamaha Mark Lee Greg Horacefield David Horacefield Paul Horacefield Michelle Bergeron

6. PAPOTANIC.............32.05 Contender 36/Yamaha Jose Reyes, Jr. Bill Russell Nathan Reagan Mark Bledsoe Reuben Olivares Aaron Reagan 7. COMATOSE...............31.75 Mako 25/Johnson Ray Brace Phil Armstrong Dennis Johnson Scott Yuill 8. OUTRAGE 20.................31.5 Boston Whaler 20/Johnson Mike Hartman Dennis Harding 9. FISHER OF MEN...................28.80 Wellcraft 20/Evinrude Kevin Jamison Steve McSwain Katy Jamison Steve Wisneski 10. MISBEHAVIN.......................28.25 Marlin 35/Yamaha Mike Dittlinger Lloyd Thornton Deon Dittlinger Jessica Dittlinger Kim Dittlinger

 

SHOCKWAVE BEATS THE HEAT
By Bob Childress
August 15, 2001

GALVESTON, TEXAS--Hot weather prevailed in Galveston this weekend with heat indexes soaring in the triple digits. With just enough wind to make a rough ride to the fishing grounds, the teams fluffed up the bean bag chairs and got ready for the long ride to the fish.

Mark Lee and his Shockwave team, fishing a Yamaha-powered Contender, brought in the big boy for the tournament with a 48.5 pounder, caught far to the east of Galveston on a live hard tail. This was a second day effort with the captain absent because of work obligations. Mark's co-captain Greg Horacefield ran the boat and nailed the winner. After his crew came through like this, Mark said, "Heck, I should just let them fish without him, but it's just hard on the nerves waiting at the scales like this!" Michelle Bergeron, a new Lady Angler to Division Eight, got top honors for her efforts aboard Shockwave. She showed her stuff, bringing in a 44 pound smoker to the gaff herself. Lee praised their new angler, saying she has an excellent touch with big kings on the line.

Steve Cole brought in the number two fish aboard the Maverick, another Yamaha-powered Contender. His fish would pull the scales to 43.6 pounds for another top finish for this team. This makes three mid forty pound fish in as many tournaments, with two events to go in Division Eight. He can still be beaten, but it will take two good fish. Cole and teammate David Kennedy have been very consistent in Division Eight every year since its' inception, winning numerous tournaments on their way to back to back divisional wins. Bringing in the number three fish was Category 5 with a 38.8 pound kingfish. This is one of the top SKA family teams, co-captained by brothers John and Gary Gardner. Hayden Gardner also won the top Junior Angler prize and $100 for his efforts aboard Category 5. They say dynamite comes in small packages. This is the case with Hayden who is always there, come thick or thin. He is a true team member, right down to his size extra small team shirt he proudly wears at all the weigh-ins.

Number four in the tournament was the Bigbite, captained by Glenn Cook. Their fish would weigh 36.8, caught after a long, hard run and just a little fishing. This fish should give the team an excellent shot at a National Championship bid to Fort Pierce come November. It should also be noted that Contender Boats won the top four places in this tournament, proving that this boatbuilder has come on strong in Texas where long, rough runs to the fish are the norm rather than the exception.

Mike Dittlinger led the Misbehavin team to a fifth place finish. They boated a 36.1 pound kingfish aboard their Yamaha-powered Marlin 350. This is another top Texas family team, with Mike, Deon, Kim and Jessica Dittliger fishing as crew, assisted by friends Lloyd Thornton and Lou Forristal. They have also fished in the SKA's National Championship, and are looking forward to having another shot at the title later this season.

The Johnny B., captained by John Benkenstein, Jr. topped the small boat division and placed seventh in the event with a 35.3 caught while fishing the Benkensteins' home waters off Freeport. This family team has three generations of Benkensteins aboard. They are also building three generations of memories and have qualified for the SKA's prestigious National Championship in the past two years. Watch for them to be standouts in this year's Class of 23 Championship division.

The points race is still very much up for grabs with two events left in Division Eight. Steve Cole is in first, but one good fish could change that. Just be there when Lady Luck smiles on you, because "You just never know."

 

COLE COMES BACK IN FREEPORT
By Bob Childress
August 6, 2001

FREEPORT, TX--Captain Steve Cole topped the field with a 44.35 king in the second stop of the SKA's Division Eight trail during the Ocean Master Kingfish Classic. All anglers found tough fishing in the first SKA event in Freeport, Texas. The big fish that were so abundant during the Teakwood Tournament just four short weeks ago got a case of lockjaw. More than likely this was due to the opening of shrimping season and the by-catch from the shrimp boats creating a buffet of small baitfish for the big predators. Captain John Dusek and Team Yellowfin captured the number two spot with a 36.95 lb. fish. The fish was small by Texas standards, but proof of the slow fishing conditions. Captain Brice Fuselier nailed the third place fish, a 34.25 aboard the Bounty Hunter. This team sits in the number 10 spot in the Division Eight standings. Another good fish will secure the team a spot in Fort Pierce for the National Championship.

The number four fish was brought in by Board of Trustees member Chris McSwain in his Mercury powered triple engine Donzi. This fish pulled the scales down to 34.15 pounds, a mere 1/10 of a pound behind third. In fifth place it was Terry Haynes and Team Riptide scoring a 33.15. This was their first day fish, the team being denied a chance to better it on the second day because of mechanical problems. You can bet he will be ready to roll in Galveston in two weeks..

Junior Angler for the tournament was Christopher Dugue aboard Team Skeezer captained by Tony Dugue III. On the Lady Angler front, it was Deanna Hebert aboard the Stormy with a 28.85. This was a close race with just over half a pound separating the top three places. Jill Miller and Op's Boat secured some good points for the Lady Angler division with a 28.40 and second place. This is one of our small boat teams that has been with the SKA since the start up of the Texas Division. With two trips to the National Championships under their belts this team knows about consistency..

In the Division Eight points race Maverick is in the lead with 90.45. With three tournaments still left in Division Eight the race is still very much up for grabs. Consistency is the key. You don't have to catch a huge fish at every tournament, just a good fish at each event. You will be surprised at how far you can go. It may get you all the way to Fort Pierce, Florida come November. Just hang in there and never say never because one day it will be you on the cover with that $10,000 smile. Or it could be a $60,000 smile, you just never know..

Final Standings

1. SHOCKWAVE...........48.5 Contender/Yamaha Greg Horacefield David Horacefield Paul Horacefield Michelle Bergeron 2. MAVERICK...............43.6 Contender/Yamaha Steve Cole David Kennedy 3. CATEGORY 5.............38.8 Contender/Yamaha John Gardner Gary Gardner Hayden Gardner Brad Gardner Jack Gardner 4. BIGBITE..................36.8 Contender/Johnson Glenn Cook Greg Cruthirds Jamie Flannigan 5. MISBEHAVIN..................36.1 Marlin/Yamaha Mike Dittlinger Lloyd Thornton Deon Dittlinger Lou Forristal Kim Dittlinger Jessica Dittlinger

6. TOOTH AND NAIL.............35.4 Mako/Yamaha Leaf Potter Carl Potter Paul Kelly Eric Summers Doug Riggins 7. * JOHNNY B................35.3 Aquasport/Johnson John Benkenstein, Sr John Benkenstein Thomas Benkenstein 8. LURED AWAY................33.5 Contender/Yamaha Albert Urazel Gary Talley Paul Kovi Chris Maracaurelle 9. REEL SCREAMER..............31.6 Century/Yamaha Larry White Mark Zapalac Jerry Gattis Paul Reid Colby Reid 10. * FISHER OF MEN............30.5 Wellcraft/Evinrude Kevin Jamison Steve Wisneski Steve McSwain

 

EASY COME, EASY GO TOPS SKA RECORD IN TEXAS
Bob Childress, Regional Manager
TIKI ISLAND, TX
July 8, 2001

Division Eight kicked off with a big bang at Teakwood Marina in Galveston for the season opener. Captain James Howell on his Yamaha powered EdgeWater Easy Come, Easy Go topped the field with a 58.6 pound super-smoker to win the tournament, breaking the SKA State Record in the process. Not only did he bring home a Yamaha-powered Contender 23, the SKA and Yamaha added in another $40,000 courtesy of SCA Promotions for breaking the SKA record. Not a bad day of fishing in my book. We hope to award the team their check during one of the upcoming Texas SKA events.

The Easy Come, Easy Go Team consists of Captain James Howell, Casey Cundieff and Marc Foster. This is a team that's new to the SKA Mercury Tournament Trail, just a few of the many new faces that were seen during the tournament. It was great to see so many new teams, many of them being family affairs. The SKA is growing in leaps and bounds in Texas, and I am looking to see some excellent competition in the future.

When asked about the monster fish, Captain Howell said he had no idea it was a king. It just pulled straight down. "I thought it was another amberjack till it rolled up by the boat. Then all I could say was get the gaff!"

Back at the weigh in after the fish was on the scales and the weight was recorded, I realized what had just happened. I walked up to James standing there by the fish and asked him, "Do you know what you did?". He looked at me. I never cracked a smile. You could see the color leave his face because he thought he had done something wrong. When I told him he had just broken the SKA Record and what he was in for, he almost went into shock. It clearly took a little while for it to sink in.

Captain Mark Lee on his Yamaha powered Contender, Shockwave, brought in a strong second place fish weighing 51.6 pounds. In the past this fish usually would have been an easy winner in the Texas division but Mark would have to settle for second this time. He has been a strong competitor in the region since the SKA's inception here just a couple short seasons ago.

Chris Machacek on the Force 10 was very confident with his 47.1 pound fish that put him in first place at the close of day one. Because of the 100 mile run and the good fish already on the board, Chris elected not to fish on day two. He would watch his 47 pounder fall to third place when it was all over. Chris competes from a Mercury-powered Trophy 25, and is also an SKA tournament veteran, having fished in two National Championships so far.

Leaf Potter on the Tooth & Nail nailed a 46.5 to put him in fourth place for the tournament. Heather, his Lady Angler is out of commission with a future Junior Angler due to arrive any day. We wish them the best of luck with their new team member.

Steve Cole's Maverick, divisional champ for two years running, got into the top five with a 46.1 that ate a big hardtail on top. He also had Lady Angler Krissy Wiggins on board. She received top Lady Angler honors for her efforts that produced a 38.2 pound king. Hayden Gardner grabbed the top Junior Angler spot in the tournament, fishing with his dad and three uncles aboard the Category 5, adding another 43 points to his Junior standings. Hayden was the Top Junior Angler for Division Eight last year, and his sights are set on repeating that feat this season.

It was a truly record breaking weekend at Teakwood and just a start to the good times to come in Division Eight.

Final Standings

1. EASY COME EASY GO........58.6 EdgeWater/Yamaha James Howell Casey Cundieff Marc Foster 2. SHOCKWAVE....................51.6 Contender/Yamaha Mark Lee Greg Horacefield Paul Horacefield David Horacefield 3. FORCE 10.......................47.1 Trophy/Mercury Chris Machacek Ray Smith 4. TOOTH AND NAIL............46.5 Mako/Yamaha Leaf Potter Carl Potter Paul Kelly Eric Summers 5. MAVERICK.......................46.1 Contender/Yamaha Steve Cole David Kennedy Krissy Wiggins

6. GOING THE DISTANCE.......45.8 ProLine/Mercury Chris McSwain Kevin Stevens Steve Myers Paul Roe Joe Orlando 7. T-N-T SPECIAL................43.6 Contender/Yamaha Mark Machala Darrell Hingle Jason Lange Charlie Armstrong 8. CATEGORY 5...................43.3 Contender/Yamaha John Gardner Gary Gardner Hayden Gardner Brad Gardner Jack Gardner 9. TEXAS CONTENDER.........41.8 Contender/Yamaha Brett Donnahoe Brian Gaudin Kyle Rodgers 10. * BOUNTY HUNTER..............41.7 Angler/Johnson Darren Taylor Avery Wallace Susan Taylor