(* Denotes a Class of 23 Team)

"GRAY RIDER TOP SKA BOAT IN GOLDEN ISLES! BEST WEIGH IN EVER WITNESSED IN SKA COMPETITION!"
ST. SIMON'S ISLAND, GA
AUGUST 21-23, 2003
By: Jack Holmes

St. Simons Island, Georgia. Two hundred and forty boats in the tournament, over a hundred and eighty boats weighed in on Friday and over a hundred and fifty on Saturday making this one of the best or the best ever held in regard to fish weighed per number of boats entered. Now stop reading and look at the Final results of the event. There was a fifty pounder, four forties, and it took a 34 pounder to make it into the top thirty. The tournament paid eight places in the Class of 23 and it took a thirty to make the board. This is unheard of for Georgia waters. So why the big change?

John Fields is an occasional fisherman and is not a member of the SKA but he wanted to do well in his hometown tournament. I usually don't write about non-members but his story has some merit about where and why the fish turned on like they did. He pre fished three days leading up to the event, from Jacksonville to the Savannah ships channel but found nothing to write home about so he went to the favorite fishing hole of Georgia fishermen, Gray's Reef. On day one fishing just south of Gray's he hooked up to the largest king ever caught in the Golden Isles Kingfish Classic, a 51.19. The weather was great, calm seas, and the cold water that plagued Division four and five fishermen all season was gone. He found a temperature break, 83 degrees, and fished it, and won the 23' Yamaha powered Contender boat complete with a Loadmaster trailer. Most of the entire field fished the same area.

Our leading SKA team, Woody Collins Gray Rider, fished there and won second place, a two fish aggregate. He caught a 31.15 on day one and went right back and got a 40.31 on day two and ended with a 71.46 agg. Woody fishes a 22-foot Grady White. He had only one fish on his side of the ledger, a 25.41 caught at the Two Way tournament, going into this event. He elected not to pay his ten-dollar form but had he done so he would have finished just outside the top ten in the Class of 23. One big fish does make a big difference.

Sandy Smith fished with Matt Bridgewater, caught a 41.68, and captured third place honors. Sandy is one of the most consistent Yamaha Pro Tour fishermen and elected to fish the Golden Isles event, which was piggybacked with the Pro tournament. Also on board were Paul Dozier and Anthony Guettler.

Philip Waters, Chris King, Tyrone Joyner, Ricky Bradley, and Walter Ray fish Division four aboard an Evinrude powered Hydra Sports named the Double Down. They were having a great season but Golden Isles capped it off with real style. On day one they caught a 40.77 to give them second place but dropped to fourth overall at days end on Saturday. They could only pair it up with a 15.63, which kept them out of the second place aggregate prize. Still when you catch a forty in Georgia waters you've done well, very well.

Sixth place went to the 4 Suns. Bill, Doug, and Harry Gressette who fished their Mercury powered Palmetto caught a 38.77 on the first day then backed it up with a 26.76 on day two. They also finished fourth in the division.

Fred Hoyt put his Wellcraft into seventh place thanks to Susan Kaminsky who skillfully angled a 38.71 next to the boat for her husband Mike to set the gaff. They too, along with Gary Stecki fish the Pro Tour under the Wal-Mart banner.

Eighth place went to the Goin Deep, a Yamaha powered Albemarle. Mike Zabarac, Dan DeYoung, and Clinton Fonseca caught their 37.64 on the first day of the event and found a 20 pounder on day two.

Ninth place fell to the winner of the Yamaha Pro Tour event, Russell Stuart who fishes the Seafood Kitchen. The team bagged a 37.65. He fishes for Mercury Outboards, Donzi powerboats, and Hi-Seas line.

Rounding out the top ten was Larry Fowler from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He fishes the Heather Renee. They caught a 37.64 and fishes for Team Hydra Sports.

That has to be the strongest top ten in the open class ever in Division Four competition.

The Class of 23 finalists did equally as well with Kyle Williams leading the pack with a 38.59 caught aboard the Broke Out. Williams, Steve Daniel, and Darrell DeLoach, caught a 28.30 on the first day but didn't give up. Hot on the props on day two the trio caught a 38.59 to give them the $5,000 top prize. The big fish would have earned the Hydra Sports team eighth in the overall event but the win in Class of 23 looks must impressive on a resume. It was a great ending to the season for the team.

Second in the class went to Johnny Wildes' Reel Wild with a 38.30, a king just a quarter of a pound off the leader. Good tight competition! Like Williams, the team only had a 19 pounder from day one but let it all hang out on day two bagging a 38.30. The team of Taite Crews and Brock Music fish a Yamaha powered Contender.

The Sea Fox, a Honda powered Sea Fox captained by William Erney, found their 35.06 good enough for third place. It was the only fish they caught over the weekend that made it to the scale. Erney fishes with Tammy Erney and Mark Gore.

Fourth place fell to the Holiday Out. Harris and Trey Hines had a good tournament bagging a 25 pounder on the first day but scored big on day two with a 34.55. They fish a Yamaha powered Contender. It was tough on the Class this season with all the cold water and the limited range of the boats. They really fished under a handicap but Golden Isles made up for some of those problems. Remember that Georgia has one of the largest classes in SKA competition.

The Shore Thing captured fifth with a 32.79 that they caught on day two after going fish less on the first day. Bo Patterson, Tommy Hurt, and Tommy Flynt fish their Hydra Sports.

Rob and Bobby Wedincamp along with Melissa Holland are going to the big show thanks to the 32.75 caught this weekend aboard the Inside Out. They backed it up with a 21 pounder on day two and placed sixth.

The Code IV caught a 31.72 to fall into the seventh slot in the Class. Joseph Toth and Steve Fabrizo was the only Cobia in the winner's circle this weekend, which certainly has to make them happy. They caught it on the first day. The final money slot went to the Double Dueces with James, Alvin, Lauren, and Michael Karwacki along with Randy and Jared Newbury. They snared a 30.09 caught on day two.

In this tournament over 60 kings were caught 30 pounds or better. Again the Golden Isles Kingfish Tournament was a huge success. Plenty of prizes for the ladies and juniors, a great meal served at the Captain's meeting, and the Yamaha powered Contender given out as first place makes this one of the premiere events on the circuit.

 

"DOUBLE DOWN BAGS A 37.25 TO WIN ST. MARYS KINGFISH CLASSIC!"
ST. MARY'S, GA
AUGUST 1-2, 2003
By: Jack Holmes

St. Marys, Georgia. Walter Ray grabbed the rod out of the Double Down's rod holder, held on as a smoker peeled off line, then skillfully brought her to the side of the boat. Phillip Waters, team Captain, Chris King, Ricky Bradley, and Tyrone Joyner didn't know it then but they had the winning king of the St. Marys Kingfish Classic and the $15,000 prize that goes with the victory. "This was a good weekend for us," said the proud Captain. "We were fishing east of the J-Buoy in 65 feet of water. It ate a long lined pogy." When asked why they picked this area to fish Waters said, "We caught one there three weeks ago in a local tournament." They also had another thirty pounder in the box. It truly was a great weekend for the Yamaha powered Ranger team.

James Herring fishing his Hard Times earned second place honors with a 35.28. Joe Bell found the third place slot at noon when a 34.04 smacked a greenback in 65 feet of water. "We were fishing close to Gray's Reef," said Bell, Captain of the Playin To Win, a Yamaha powered Privateer. Along with Bell was Mike Whitt and Richard Tuten.

Mike Mixon earned fourth for his Mix'n One and his son Hunter was the tournaments Top Junior Angler. "Mike had a hunch that we'd find some fish near the J-Buoy," said one of the team members. "The fish ate a blue runner around noon and at 12:30 it was in the boat and we were discussing our chances with this king." It read 33.75 on the scale. Obviously enough for a nice check and some prizes.

James Tuten, Hamp Danner, and Shannon Yarbrough earned fifth place honors with a 32.28 aboard the Purple Hooter. "We fished a spot at Gray's Reef all day," said Tuten, the leader of the Yamaha powered Contender team. " We caught sharks all day. We stayed in the same spot and it paid off." Fishing in 60 feet of water the Hooter team caught their king at 1:30 on a long lined cigar minnow. Hamp provided the angling skills.

Daniel Anderson, Alan Anderson, Jimmy Stanfield and Brandon Stanfield fishing the Mercury powered Donzi, Daybreak, caught a 30.51 to earn sixth place. "We found a spot at Gray's Reef to fish," said Anderson. "It's a spot that's been good to us in the past." They caught their king at 1 o'clock fishing in 63 feet of water using a live pogy.

The Tighten Up team of Randy Vien, Steve Bailey, Ruel Joyner, and Joel Solomon pushed the Yamaha powered Regulator into seventh with a nice 30.31 while the Reely Hooked team of Boyce Davis and Kevin Bowles finished eighth with the final 30 pounder weighed this Saturday.

Ninth place fell to Howard and Donna Gowan Poe and Donna's daughter Sarah who caught a 29.98 in the ships channel just fifteen minutes before the five PM boats in deadline. This gave Donna Top Lady honors knocking Mamie Mason out and dropping the Gone Wishin team to tenth with a 29.90, just .08 out of the honor. Mamie fishes with her husband Jimmy and their grandson Wes.

So after four Division Four events, and only one more chance to make the cut, what did this weekend do for the field? The Rebecca Ann continues to lead the Open Class with 98.57 points but their are several boats that with a good fish in Golden Isles can take over that lead. Marc Collins' Chase N Kings moved into the top 15 as did the Blue Ribbon as did Sanford Carter Jr.'s Knot Sure and Reggie Wood's Rockin Reel. Several boats dropped out. In the Class of 23. Johnny Wildes moved from third into the lead with 70.24 points. Boyce Davis and his Reely Hooked team moved way up. Mark Covington made the move also aboard his Hooked Up as did Steve Greer Jr.'s Reel Dawg. It just goes to show you it ain't over till it's over. This is one super, competitive Division

Terry Adkins and the St. Marys Rotary Club did a great job with this years event. There were 147 boats in the field with the payoff guaranteed with 150 boats. Terry paid the full field amount. Good food, good fun, and calm seas made the one day event a hugh success.

 

"CHASE N KINGS TAKES TOP SLOT AT TWO WAY!"
BRUNSWICK, GA
JUNE 20-21, 2003
By: John Zalud

Brunswick, Georgia-Marc Collins, his wife Karen, and his team of Jr. Baker and Scott Hudspeth came on stage to accept the Wellcraft boat for winning the Two Way Sportfishing Club's Kingfish Tournament. They were the kings and queen of the weekend.

"We ran to a few spots off Brunswick but weren't having much luck," explained Collins who runs a Yamaha powered Hydra Sport named Chase N Kings. "We worked our way to J-Reef and caught a small king. About 50 minutes later Scott was letting out a blue runner in 62 feet of water when the bait was crushed." The fight lasted 20 minutes and as it was lunchtime the team decided to make their way back to the scale. A scale reading of 38.57 sealed their fate. Karen won Top Lady honors also. This is the first fish the team has caught in the Division but with two tournaments left they should make the grade.

Rodney James ran his Contender, Overtime, while teammate Brian Rowe worked the big king from hookup to gaff. "We fished the Elton Bottom but couldn't get a thing till just after two," said the proud second place captain. "Our patience paid off. We were in 120 feet of water when our king ate a long lined pogy. We thought this was a good fish so we packed it up and headed for the scales." The fish tipped the scale at 35.59 pounds. Lee Boatright was a part of the team which now finds itself in sixth place in the Division with just a two-fish aggregate. They got a good shot at the top slot now held by the Rebecca Ann.

Mac Cleghorn was fishing an area off Sapelo in his Mercury powered ProLine, Hook-N-Up. "We found good bait first thing in the morning and ran about 30 miles off Sapelo," the fourth place captain explained. "Every fish we caught was just bigger than the one we had in the box. I usually release all the small ones but that just didn't happen this trip. Our big fish ate a blue runner on a flat line at one o'clock in 50 feet of water." With the fish being over 30 pounds the team headed for the scales. Officially it weighed 33.60.

The Bad Latitude had a good tournament earning fifth with a 33.26 and produced the Top Junior angler of the tournament, seven-year-old Emily Burns. "She fought that fish all the way to gaff," said Franklin Burns III, the proud father and captain of the boat, and admitting that he did help her a little but encouraged her a lot. "We had the fish in the boat at 8:30 but kept on fishing the rest of the day hoping for a bigger fish." With Jon Temple and Mike Thomas on board the team caught their king at the John Byrd wreck in 50 feet of water on a long lined pogy. This was the team's first fish in the Division but it was a nice one and with one more like this one could start thinking about the Championship. Stephen Scarlet found his Leave of Absence in the Class of 23's second slot and ninth in the tournament. Not a bad weekend. "Mike Maloy hooked up to our king at 1:30," said Scarlet who now has a shot at a top ten finish in the Division. "We worked the Sapelo Live Bottom where we found fish pre-fishing. We were in 58 feet of water when it ate a blue runner on a flat line and smoked our reel." The team of Dick Scarlet, Ken McCarthy, and Mike Maloy who caught the fish headed for the scale after the fish was in the bag.

Third place in the Class of 23 fell to Terry Sellers, Al Dezen, and Jason Ogden aboard the Sea Scraper. They too fished the John Byrd wreck off Sapelo and found the third place 28.52 at 2:30. Their king ate a cigar minnow right in the prop wash. The team is now in fifth place in the Division with just two fish. Destiny is now in their hands.

Ken Murray's Backlash ate up sixth place with a 32.81. This moves Murray's team into fifth place in the Division standings with a two-fish aggregate of 54.81. The Gotta Nudd'n is now third in the Division with a two-fish aggregate of 55.79 points thanks to a seventh place tournament finish. Brad Collins and his team bagged a 30.89 which certainly helps them achieve a trip to Biloxi.

Jimmy Stanfield's Daybreak rounded out the top ten with a nice 28.78. Frank Strickland's Rebecca Ann is now in command of the Division with a three-fish aggregate of 98.57 points while Pete Owens' Jet Lag is in second with a three-fish aggregate of 86.05 points. This race will go right down to the final event.

As usual, most of the anglers we talked to thought that the Two Way Sportfishing Club did an excellent job with the tournament but after a successful 17-year run with the tournament we wouldn't expect anything else. Kudos to the club!

 

"STRICKLAND'S REBECCA ANN BEST IN HALF MOON KINGFISH KLASH!"
MIDWAY, GA
MAY 30-31, 2003
By: John Zalud

Halfmoon, Georgia. After a weather-delayed first day postponement, the seas calmed to tolerable levels and 99 teams went fishing.

Frank Strickland's Rebecca Ann won the event for the second year in a row with a 37-pounder caught early in the afternoon by the Captain himself. His team of Marty Rowland and Tim Short fished 15 miles off of St. Augustine, Florida. "There was good bait and fish being caught there a few days earlier,"said Strickland sitting aboard his Yamaha powered Yellowfin. "We had caught some small fish in the morning but the big one came at 1:35 hitting a ribbonfish on the downrigger, 42 feet down." They are now in the Division lead with a two-fish aggregate of 70.7 points.

Gary Jameson, fishing aboard Bill Blount's Grady White, the Nose Fish'n, caught a 30.85 to earn the team second place honors. "We were in 100 feet of water off Sapelo where we found Spanish Mackerel busting the surface," said Blount back at the dock. "We caught several small ones to use as bait, then picked up and ran to a spot where we thought there might be some fish." No more than ten minutes after Paul Kiker deployed the baits was their fish hooked up. Immediately after landing the king, they were off to the scale. They went from obscurity in the Division right to fourth place. A big fish really helps a lot.

A 30.40 caught by Joel Solomon was good enough to get the third place check. "With no fishing on Saturday, we decided to go pre-fishing anyway," said Randy Vien, Captain of the Tighten Up. "We fished off of Savannah and found a few fish so went right back there on Sunday." Fishing in 80 feet of water, the team that included, Stephen Bailey and Ruel Joyner, enticed a king to hit a pogy on a flat line. "This was Joel's biggest fish to date," added Vien.

Todd Veal and his family once again found themselves on the leader board, this time fourth. Veal's wife Kelly bagg ed the 27.85 after Veal spent the major portion of the fishing day scouring the Atlantic for fish. "We ran everywhere," he said. "I had one spot left, the J Reef, and that's where Kelly got her fish." Veal's King ate a pogy trolled 42 feet below the surface. Kelly won Top lady honors while Rhett and Dillon shared in the Junior Angler honors. This king put Veal's Sea Ducer, a Yamaha powered Contender, into third place in the Division Four standings.

Rounding out the top five was the Jet Lag with a 27.80. Pete Owens, Darrell Thaw, Taylor Thaw, and Jason Varnadoe, went right back to the spot they fished successfully in the Sapelo tournament the week before, the Savannah Ships Channel. Darrell Thaw hooked up at 1:30 in the afternoon when their king ate a pogy trolled at 15' on the downrigger. This successful Georgia team moved into second place in the Division with 58.95 points.

The Big Easy, a Yamaha powered Contender, bagged a 21.40 thanks to Robby Steele making short order of the king. "We had found a good spot a few days earlier in 60 feet of water off of St. Simons Island," explained Tommy Strickland, the team's Captain. "We worked areas closer in but couldn't find a fish so we ended up where we needed to be." The Class of 23 winner's fish ate a pogy off the rigger at 3:45 in the afternoon. That king enabled the team, which also included Phillip Bowdle, to move into third in the Division. They also accepted eighth place in the tournament.

The Double Gobble got into the Class of 23's Division standings thanks to a 20.55, second place tournament king plus earned ninth in the event itself. Ten-year-old Elliott Phillips caught their 20.55 at the J Reef after working the Sannanah Ships Channel all morning with no luck. "After stopping at the J Reef, our first fish was a six-foot sail which we released," said the Captain, Ellis Phillips, Elliott's grandfather. "At 3:10 Elliott, who also caught the sailfish, grabbed the downrigger pole that had a double pogy rig set 35 feet down. A few minutes later t he fish was in the boat." On board was Larry Phillips and Mark Lewis who I'm sure made it easier for Elliott to strike and catch the two nice fish.

Michael Woolard's Blue Ribbon earned sixth place in the Half Moon event with a 24.25 while Mike Mixon bagged a 22.20 aboard his Mix'n One to earn seventh. The Half Moon tournament made a good call in not allowing anglers to fish on Saturday. The Georgia Division has a lot of families, ladies, and juniors who fish. We must keep their safety paramount in our minds. Tournaments are supposed to be fun. Rough weather certainly removes that element. Thank you Half Moon!

 

"STEVE SMITH'S NEVER ENOUGH RUNS AWAY WITH SAPELO'S DIVISION FOUR OPENER...WINS CLASS OF 23 ALSO!"
SHELLMAN'S BLUFF, GA
MAY 23-24, 2003
By: John Zalud

Sapelo, Georgia - Steve Smith ran his 23' Palmetto to R2 off Brunswick, exercised extreme patience, and won the Sapelo Open Tournament and the Mercury powered Sea Chaser boat complete with a Loadmaster Trailer, the event's top prize, with a 41.95 smoker. "This was the biggest king we've ever caught," said Smith after accepting accolades from tournament Director David Wallace. "We were fishing in 109 feet of water. We hadn't seen a fish all morning, then after one o'clock the big girl ate a flat lined pogy." Smith fought the fish for nearly 40 minutes then headed for the scales.

Smith now has two problems, both good. He needs deductions before the tax bill comes in on his prize boat and he is the only SKA member on the boat. Both are solved very easily. With a 42-pounder on his side of the ledger and a first place standing in the Class of 23 he should be a shoe in for the Nationals. Palmetto Custom Boats, one of the SKA's Corporate Partners certainly has to be proud of Smith and his victory!

Kevin Thomas only needed a few minutes to earn second place honors on his Yamaha powered Fountain, the Mission Addition. "We checked out of Savannah and decided to fish the channel," explained Thomas. "We had her in the boat before a lot of boats even checked out." Thomas said that the second bait in the water produced their 37.30. "We set up in 34 feet of water and the king ate a pogy on the downrigger, 15 feet down. This was the biggest one we've ever caught also," the Captain added. On the rod was J.T. Simmons, the tournament's Top Junior Angler, and helping was Steven Parker, Al Kohlberg, and Jennifer Loney. Having only another small fish, the team decided to make a slow run to the scales.

Perennial winner Frank Strickland and Marty Rowland, fishing with Georgia ace Tim Short, captured third with a 33.55. "We went to the same spot that won us two events last year," said Strickland, Captain of the Rebecca Ann, a Yamaha powered Yellowfin. "It's been awful good to us and got us third this trip." Short caught the king using a ribbonfish trolled 30 feet below the surface in about 100 feet of water at 11am. It was the only fish they saw all day.

Pete Owens's Jet Lag team chose the Savannah ships channel to find the fourth place fish, a 31.15. "History told us to go to the channel," said Owens. "We only had a small fish in the boat, and were plagued with sharks before our nice fish hit a long lined pogy, about one o'clock. We picked up as soon as it was in the boat and headed for the scale." Owens fishes with Darryl and Tony Thaw, and Jason Varnadoe.

Larry Swicegood found a 27.35 in Florida waters to round out the event's top five. His Liquid Asset, with Jarrod Holt and Michael Swicegood on board, got a good tip from some locals and as he puts it, "It paid off!" The team, fishing a Yamaha powered Contender, told us that they caught their fish at 3:00 fishing in 110 feet of water. "We used a ribbonfish trolled 30 feet down," said Swicegood, who emphasized that his Contender got him back to the scale with just minutes to spare.

Steve Pipkin, Joe Parker, Mike Fairman, and Tony Carter were very pleased with their efforts, earning sixth with a 27.30. The Bad Influence fished in 110 feet of water off St. Simons Island. Their king ate a long lined pogy.

Marty Collier placed a 26.25 on the scale to capture seventh. The Infinity team of Tommy Collier and Kyle Collins are off to a great start this season. Eighth place fell to Robert Anderson's Diamond Cutter, a Class of 23 boat. With Trevor Stafford and Will Anderson they scaled a 25.55

Wilbert Roller's Robcy team bagged a 25.50 to earn ninth while another Class of 23 boat, Johnny Wildes' Reel Wild earned tenth with a 25.05. Lynn Cline won the Top Lady award fishing on Richard Darlington's Prop Wash, which finished sixteenth in the tournament.

The Sapelo Open is produced by the Sapelo Sportfishing Club. They really know how to show some great Georgia hospitality. The free feed is some of the best groceries you'll ever eat and the event is very well run. It's the perfect season opener for Division Four and they had a record 165 boats participate this year. Great job!