(* Denotes a Class of 23 Team)

"Outrageous Wins Top Angler of the Year Honors!"
FOURCHON, LOUISIANA
OCTOBER 23-25, 2003
By: Jack Holmes

Fourchon, Louisiana. There were about seven or eight teams who had a shot at the 2003 Angler of the Year title but they had to beat Paul Massey, Past Angler of the Year Joe Bruce, and Mark Yokeley first. Massey's Outrageous, a 31 foot Mercury powered Yellowfin, had the best five fish aggregate going into the final stop of the five tournament Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour. The trio, plus David Fulford Jr. who fished the first four events, had 165.65 points, ten pounds better than the next competitor.

The team pre-fished and found lots of fish. "When we went out Friday morning to where we had been catching good fish but found the kings gone," explained Massey. "We scrambled but it wasn't till literally our last bait in our well went into the water late in the afternoon. That's when our 40.10 hooked up." They were fishing 35 miles from the scale. "We went back there on day two and found a lot of boats in the area but we got lucky again and put our 46.03 in the bag by 9:30." They didn't hang around long after, electing to run to the scale and sit at the dock. "Maybe we could have improved on our fish but we had one we thought just might be enough so in we came," Massey added. They won it with a seven fish aggregate of 251.78 pounds.

This is the second year for the team on the Yamaha Pro Tour and the team fishes with little financial help. "I just haven't gone after any sponsors," Massey told me. "I wanted to prove ourselves on the water first and now we've accomplished that." Massey also won the toughest Division in SKA competition, Five, this year also. I think the time is right to start a knocking on doors. Massey added, "I just want king fishermen everywhere to know that anyone can win the title, we proved that. You just need a reliable boat and a good team, to prepare early, and work real hard. It can and will happen."

There are a lot of fishermen in North Carolina who would like to see Dean Spatholt fish somewhere else. Not that they don't like Dean, he just wins a lot. Dean elected this year to turn Pro, fished as hard as he could and earned second place with 237.27 points. A major accomplishment for a first year effort. Dean fishes with his family when at home but on the road his team consists of Wade Long, David Haynes, and Russell Spatholt. They fish a 31 foot Yamaha powered Contender named Fish Meister. Dean caught a 44.82 and a 43 pounder in Louisiana to end the season. The team had the best seven fish aggregate, leading the pros going into the final event but their average five fish just wasn't quite as good as Outrageous. They made up some ground but just not enough. "Morehead City hurt us, it was our back yard and we had no fish this year," he added. "But that's fishing!" Dean and his team has certainly gained the respect for their fishing ability but even more important, for their professional maturity.

Russell Stuart had to have his arm twisted to join the pros this year. For whatever reason he felt he just wasn't up to the task or just too busy. Boy was he wrong. Third, how about that for a first time effort? Stuart who fishes on the Mercury / Donzi team may tell you otherwise but his team is as good as they get.  The Seafood Kitchen Team, made up of Stuart, Rocky Cusack, and Buddy Dingman posted a 227.81 seven fish agg. In Fourchon they caught a 35 pounder on the first day then backed it up with a great 51.64 on day two. The team has always done well in Divisional competition but now has become a powerhouse. They were the best of the Mercury / Donzi team this year.

Darren Ratley caught a 62.68 in the first Pro event in Fort Pierce on his Mercury powered Fountain, Rat Pak. He then put together a string of good fish. His team of Derrick and Chris Blanton closed to within three points of Outrageous going into the last day in Fourchon. They needed a 50 pounder but as hard as they worked and as much as the Fountain team helped, they just couldn't find the fish they needed. They ended fourth with 223.33 points. They still get an 'A' for effort and helped create a lot of excitement for the Tour. This team will win the title, they're that good!

Rounding out this year's top five was Tom Rady's Barely Legal, another member of the Mercury / Donzi team. Thanks to a 54.04 caught in Fourchon the team moved from 14th place to fifth. The team of Rady, Paul Chavis, Mark Titus, and Carl Titus ended with 219.81 points.

We'll report more on the Pro Tour in our January issue but for now congratulations to all who made this one of the best years ever. Our hats are off to all who competed.   

 

"FISH DANCER'S HUGE 104.59 TWO FISH AGGREGATE RUNS AWAY FROM FIELD IN FINAL YAMAHA PRO TOUR EVENT IN FOURCHON, LOUISIANA!"
FOURCHON, LOUISIANA
OCTOBER 23-25, 2003
By: Jack Holmes

I first saw Nancy Dunbar jumping up and down on the bow of her and husband Jeff Dunbar's Yamaha powered as Jeff pointed the Fish Dancer's bow toward the weigh in dock. It was day one of the final event on the Yamaha Pro Tour and Nancy knew the team which also included Terry Adkins had a good fish. It weighed 43.49. On day two I was sitting under the tent getting ready for day two's weigh in when "tournament base" cracked over the hand held VHF radio. The scales weren't open yet and Jeff was asking if he could tie up to the dock. Normal procedure but I could hear Nancy's hooting and a hollering in the background. I walked out to help them tie up the boat and explain the procedure. They were second in line behind Paul Massey's Outrageous. I saw what looked like a good tail sticking out of their fish bag and I told them we would slide them over in front of the scale at 2 o'clock. When they opened their fish bag I knew the tournament was theirs. The SKA's official weigh master, Bob Flocken, proclaimed to the score keeper, Deona Holmes, 61.10. A once-in-a-life time king!

Jeff caught the 43 pounder after Conrad Lau told them about a spot he had found. On day two sitting in 47 feet of water, 28 miles from tournament base, the same spot as day one, the reel screamed  -and Nancy was first to the rod, the 61 pounder had just engulfed a big hardtail. "We're so excited but I have to tell you, we'd never have gotten our 43 on day one if it wasn't for the Tool Time team. They were fighting a good fish when we hooked up. Wouldn't you know it -, it ran right for their boat. Eric stopped the boat and lifted - his motors for us at the expense of losing his fish. We both got our fish because Eric is a true sportsman," Jeff explained.

Tom Rady, Paul Chavis, and Mark and Carl Titus had a great tournament earning second with a two fish aggregate of 92.81 pounds. Fishing Rady's Mercury powered Donzi, Barely Legal, Chavis told me that the team fished in 56 feet of water on a spot that held good fish while pre-fishing. On day one the team scaled a 54.04 and backed it up on day two with a 38.77. "We had seven fish over 40 pounds, it was the best bite we've ever been on," said an excited Chavis. "We caught them all on hard tails." They were one of the few boats that found pre-fishing to their advantage but Chavis reported that it was a total Donzi team effort. "Heavenridge and Collins helped us a lot," he added. Most teams found fish, really big fish, only to find the fish gone on the first tournament fishing day. Pay close attention that big fish were caught in skinny water.

Linwood and Brad Clark have been fishing the circuit since its inception and they've won their share of events. I have always felt that they were one of the better teams on the circuit and it was just a matter of time before they would reach the pinnacle of success. I'm even more confident of that after this weekend. They fish the Thumpin, a Mercury powered Donzi with long time friend Greg Theodorakis, and finished the event in third with 91.93 pounds. "We fished the 31 block and the 45 block, both in 58 feet of water," said Linwood. On day one they caught a 38.92, nothing to write home about, but on day two Theodorakis set the hook on a 53 pounder and made sure it was in the boat." We had to have caught between 50 and 60 kings all weekend. We spent a whole evening just tying new rigs 'cause we ran out," Linwood added. "It was a spectacular weekend."

Tool Time weighed fish in Morehead City and got a check, their first on the tour this season. Now they have two. Eric and Pam Myers, Jerry and Sarah Hopkins, and Eric's dad Don are coming into their own. On day one Pam bagged a 44.95 on a hardtail but on day two, with just 15 minutes before they had to pick up and come to the scale, Eric hooked up to a 43.56 on a ribbonfish and made short work of the fight. "Fourth place feels real good," said Pam Myers. You can bet that this team is on a roll and should be real excited about their chances in the Nationals. Eric will now get his Mercury powered Donzi checked over, set the team to making rigs and spooling new line on the reels, and plan their strategy for the biggest event of the year. They've got the hot hook now!

Dave and Don Workman got a check in Morehead also and now picked up their second of the season. Now that Dave has his new Strike Zone store up and doing well, he informed me that he and his brother were ready to get down to business on the tour. With an 88.48 aggregate fifth place finish, competitors should take notice. Dave didn't win Top Angler of the Year honors three times by not knowing how to fish and Don is an accomplished angler in his own right. "We fished the 32 block in 60 feet of water," said Dave who caught both of their fish, a 43 and 45 pounder. "Both came from hardtail strikes on the surface." They fish the Strike Zone, a Mercury powered Donzi.

Dean Spatholt doesn't have as much experience as most of the other teams fishing the Gulf but the North Carolina fisherman didn't let that bother him. His Yamaha powered Contender team, Fish Meister, caught a 43 pounder on day one then backed it up with a 44.82 for a sixth place 87.82 aggregate finish.

Marcus Kennedy was expected to do well here. It's waters he's fished for years and he didn't let us down. On day one he weighed a 47.35 and backed it up with a 40.27 on day two for a seventh place 87.62 two fish total. He fishes a Yamaha powered Contender named Kwazar.

David Van Lent's In The Rough team found a 41.30 and a 45.96 to give them eighth place honors while Russell Stuart's Seafood Kitchen team scaled a 35 pounder on day one but made up ground on day two with a 51.64 to earn ninth.

Darren Carter lit up the scale with a 51.64 on day one but could only scale a 33 pounder on the second day to give his Gotcha team tenth place.

Believe it or not, most anglers agreed that fishing was better during pre-fishing. Seas were calm on day one and picked up to two to four feet on day two. Two teams reported kings that would have broken our all time record during pre-fishing. Both were landed, pictures taken, and released. We hope to have copies for our next magazine. All tolled a 61 came in, six in the fifty pound range, and more forties than you could count. Most anglers told me that you could catch enough kings in the thirty pound range to sink your boat. Wahoo, Cobia, and sailfish were also caught. It was a spectacular weekend.

Our special thanks to the Toups family, owners of the Kajun Sportsman where the tournament was held, and Chef Raymond Toups who cooked us a prime rib dinned to die for. Fourchon, Louisiana may be out of the way and yes many anglers told me that it was a very long drive but when the event was over they were asking when we were planning our next event here. Yes, it's that good!

DUNBAR'S 61 POUNDER TAKES THE SPOTLIGHT IN THE KAJUN SPORTSMAN'S KMT!

Fourchon, Louisiana.  A special non-divisional, non-points king mackerel tournament was held in conjunction with the final Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour event of the year. As the Tour events are two day aggregate it was decided that a big fish event was in order and it gave anyone a chance to compete against the pros.

Jeff Dunbar caught one of those once-in-a-lifetime fish, a 61.10, to take the $5,500 top prize. Jeff, who fishes with his wife Nancy and Terry Adkins, caught the fish on the second day of the event. "Do you know we still haven't ever caught a king in the fifties?" said Dunbar who walked away from the event winning both the Pro side and the big fish side and over $30,000. Big fish do make a big difference.

Fred Hoyt's King Quest had an outside shot at winning the Top Angler award but after bagging a small king on day one the team of Susan and Mike Kaminsky evaporated. A lot of teams would have given up but not this Evinrude powered Wellcraft team; they went right back out and gave it their all and found the second biggest king of the event, a 57.52 to earn second in the big fish tournament. For the second time in her career, Susan found a way to stick a gaff in her foot, required medical assistance when they came in, but was back at the awards proclaiming she would live.

The Clark's, Brad and Linwood, and Greg Theodorakis bagged a 53 pounder on day two to capture third place aboard the Thumpin. "We caught a lot of kings this week, wore me out," said Linwood. "We were in one of the best bites I've ever seen." Theodorakis caught the big king on a hardtail.

Darren Carter, Jason English, and Jason Carter fished the triple Mercury 300 horse powered Contender to fourth place with a 52.87 pound king. "It was a great fish," said Carter. "I just wish we'd have found another one on day two." The team still had a great weekend earning tenth in the Pro event.

Rounding out the top five was Ricky Hobb's She's All That, a Mercury powered Fountain. With Laura Hobbs, Al Fulford, and Teresa Hobbs, the team zeroed in on a 50.20 on day two. That one fish kept the She's All That in the overall top ten in the Pro ranks for the year.

Richard Stankiewicz and Bill Sandiford got a check for sixth place thanks to their 48.72 caught on day two. In fact, day two was the better day for big fish. With calm seas on the first day, when the wind turned up a notch on day two the bigger fish went to chompin'. Stankiewicz fishes a Mercury powered Donzi.

What would a tournament be without Clayton Kirby getting a check? His team on the Fountain Vengeance did just that, scaling a 47.83 on day two to earn seventh. He fishes a Mercury powered Fountain.

Chad Morris's Sea Horse team picked up eighth with a 47.57 while Don Potter's 1/2 Lit earned ninth with a 47.48. Marcus Kennedy rounded out the top ten with a 47.35.

Cecil Capp's and Earl Burbridge fish the Class of 23 in a Yamaha powered Contender named the Sea Hagg. The team has twice scored the best three fish aggregate of any class boat fishing the upper Gulf making them a top contender in any tournament they fish. This event was no exception, winning the Class of 23 division with a 42.52. They had another 40 pounder caught also.

 

"SEAFOOD KITCHEN LOCKED IN THE TOP SPOT IN PRO'S AT GOLDEN ISLES!"
ST. SIMON'S ISLAND, GA
AUGUST 21-23, 2003
By: Jack Holmes

Golden Isles, Georgia. What looked like a runaway for Team Fountain on the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour ended in Golden Isles. It's now a race among all the brands, Fountain, Yellowfin, Donzi, Contender, and Wellcraft. Even Andy Nettles fishing a new Palmetto Custom has a shot.

Russell Stuart made up ground on the leader, Rat Pak, by winning the event aboard his Donzi, Seafood Kitchen. Stuart along with Nathan Stuart, Buddy Dingman, and Rocky Cusack caught a 37.65 on day one, then backed it up with a 27.05 on the second day for a 64.70 aggregate and the event's $25,000 top prize. Stuart decided to fish the pros this season just before Fort Pierce and has to be glad he did. His team now has a five-fish aggregate of 141.41 compared to the Rat Pak's 159.48 and is third in the standings. With two tournaments left and the opportunity to put two more good fish on the scale plus improve on his drop fish they've got a great shot.

Stacy Wester, Ditto Wester, and Clay Walker who fish the Big Bad Wolf, a Yamaha powered Contender, finally started their charge. If you watch the standings over the past few years you know that this is one team that always finishes near the top. At Golden Isles the team scaled a 32.56 on day one, then backed it up with a 31.84 to earn second place in the tournament with a 64.40 agg. They won $14,000. They now have a five fish agg of 124.03 but with Morehead City and Fourchon, Louisiana still upcoming they're in the hunt.

Out To Lunch, another Yamaha powered Contender, did great in Golden Isles. Paul Hanson, Shannon Armstrong, Chris Cathy, and Justin Armstrong caught a 31.50 on day one and scaled a 31.05 on the second day for a 62.55 aggregate, good for third place honors. They now carry a five-fish aggregate of 121.78 into Morehead City and 18th place in the Pro standings. With two good drop fish, the final two events are extremely important to this team.

Andy Nettles captured fourth with a 61.66 two-fish aggregate. He fishes a 33' Palmetto Custom and, like the other teammates on Palmetto's team, also fishes for Boater's World Marine Centers. Nettles and Ben Albrecht, Mike Rumph, and David Yates bagged a 37.42 on the first day, then caught a 24.24 on day two for fourth place honors. They are in a great position with just a four-fish aggregate of 120.61 and are right behind the Out To Lunch. Their chances for Top Angler of the Year remain very strong.

Sandy Smith's Gator Bait, our second place finisher in the Pros the last two years scored a fifth place finish with a 61.46 aggregate. The big fish for the team this weekend was a 41.68 caught on day two. They had a 19.78 on the first day. Smith fished with Matt Bridgewater, Paul Dozier, and Anthony Guettler aboard a Mercury powered Yellowfin.

Sixth place fell to the Bad Latitudes with A. Franklin Burns at the helm. Teammates Mike Thomas and Jon Temple caught a 33.16 on the first day then scored a 27.45 on day two for a 60.61 agg. If this Mercury powered Wellcraft team kicks it up a notch they still have a shot at the title. This is a very good team but started off slow. They got it going now.

If there is such a thing as a hot hook, Paul Massey and his Outrageous team have it. After Massey won SKA's toughest Division (five) the team of Joe Bruce and David Fulford Jr. captured seventh this weekend with a 60.41 aggregate. They caught a 34.80 on day one, then snagged a 25.61 on day two. Their five-fish aggregate of 165.65 is the best in the division. Joe Bruce is a past Angler of the Year and knows North Carolina waters which should help this team. They fish a Mercury powered Yellowfin.

The ninth and tenth place finishers were both team Wellcraft/Wal-Mart boats.

Fred Hoyt fished with Ed Mecchella, our Top Angler of the Year and National Champion, last year and got himself a ride on the team this year. It was a good choice for Wellcraft. Hoyt put together a great team with Mike and Susan Kaminsky and Gary Stecki. The King Quest earned ninth with a two-fish aggregate of 59.91 and moved themselves to within striking distance of the top runners.

Tenth place fell to Conrad Lau on the Koolau. Lau, Bruce Woodard, Andy Seeker, and Larry Porter posted a two fish-agg of 57.67. If this team can put four good fish on the scale in the last two events they've got a shot, but they've got to be all good fish.

It might also be noted that Gary Wetherington's King of Kings just missed a payday, finishing eleventh with 57.48 points.

Our current Pro Tour leader, Darren Ratley's Rat Pak, didn't have a bad tournament, posting a two-fish agg of 48.19, but others did better and gained some ground. Smart money is still on the Team Fountain team to be there in the end. Morehead City will loom large for this great team.

There are others who have great shots, Randy Crabtree's Vamoose who won the Morehead City leg last year, Ricky and Laura Hobbs from She's All That, and Randy Nader's Exterminader. If you get the chance, go to www.fishska, click on the Yamaha Pro Tour standings page and you do the math. This is one of the closest races we've ever had and when you look at a lot of the teams with just a four-fish aggregate it's still a very, very close race.

 

The Hobbs' She's All That Connects in Georgetown Wins second leg of the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour"
GEORGETOWN, SC
JUNE 12-14, 2003
By: Jack Holmes

Georgetown, South Carolina'Stuart Ballard called me earlier in the year to ask if his dates for his Tailwalker Marine Offshore Challenge and the Yamaha Pro Tour could be changed. No one ever challenges Stuart's knowledge for fishing so I agreed. He said that this was the time the big fish would be there. He was wrong but probably by just a few days. Fishing was tough as experienced by the amount of talk the day before the event. No one had found fish. Ricky and Laura Hobbs decided to forgo the long runs either to the north or south and fish right out front on the infamous tide line. It was here the husband and wife duo found a 32.57 on day one and a 28.83 on day two for a spectacular 62.40 two day aggregate. The Mercury powered Fountain team moved up the standings from 40th place to fourth with 94.45 points. That's close to a 24 point per fish average and the way to really judge your standing in the Division. Another boat may only have a three fish aggregate but have a higher fish average. One has to be a real mathematician to keep track of these fishermen. One thing is crystal clear; you can go from the back of the field to a contender with just one good event. Ricky and Laura picked up a nice $25,000 check for their victory.

The Woithe family from Florida's west coast could only find an 11.97 on the first day. While most would find it embarrassing to weigh such a small fish, especially a pro team, on the Yamaha Professional circuit it's very important to weigh anything, regardless of size. On day two the Yamaha powered Contender team, The Reel Won, bagged a 39.16, the second largest fish caught this weekend, which gave Bob, Bruce, Bob, and Susan, a 51.13 aggregate and a second place $14,000 payday. They too moved up, from 28th place to fifth in the standings. They have a 24 and a half pound average with four fish. Remember that in that aggregate they have two good drop fish. The only honor this family has not won is Angler of the Year and National Champions, something that is within their sights now.

Darren Ratley and Derrick and Chris Blanton remain atop the leader board in the Pro standings after a strong third place finish. The Mercury Powered Fountain team, Rat Pak, caught a 23.24 on day one then bagged a 25.37 on day two for a 48.61 aggregate. They now have 132.15 points which relates to a 33 pound average. That's strong! Their closest rival is Paul Massey's Outrageous, a Mercury powered Yellowfin. The team of Joe Bruce and Mark Yokely earned an eighth place finish in this event with just one 36.51 pound king. They're now in second place on the tour with a 105.24 three fish aggregate. That's a 35 pound average, enough to give the Rat Pak just cause for concern.

Randy Crabtree began his move to the top with a fourth place 45.98 finish. It moved his Contender team, the Vamoose, into third in the standings with 96.36 points which relates to a four fish average of 24 pounds. While that puts the team of Rob Boone, Chad Branch, and Rick Henley in a not-so-great position, just add one 50-pounder to the mix and it would move their average close to 30 pounds and definitely put them in the hunt. One big fish makes all the difference when you fish at this level. The Vamoose went from 17th to third in just one event. Larry Fowler is another of those great fishermen that you want to keep your eye on. He earned fifth in this second of five events with a 44.87 aggregate. Larry and his fishing partner Radar Blake went from 31st to 9th. The Heather Renee Hydra Sports team has two nice fish and two that still could be dropped. They need to get to work but with a new ride under them; I won't be surprised if they're right there in the end.

Dave and Don Workman moved up in the standings aboard their Mercury powered Donzi, Strike Zone, but the fish that wowed the Tailwalker and Yamaha Pro Tour crowd was their 71 pound Cobia.

Sixth place fell to Russell Stuart and Rocky Cusack aboard the Seafood Kitchen with a two fish aggregate of 44.66. A first timer on the Yamaha Pro Tour, this team is making a name for themselves quickly. They are now in fifth in the standings with 94.36 points and one of those is a good drop fish. This Mercury powered Donzi team must be taken seriously!

Mark Maus, who heads up this year's Fountain team, captured seventh place in the tournament with a two-fish 38 point aggregate. The Cabela's sponsored boat; aptly named Fountain Cabela's wasn't close after the first event in Fort Pierce but has now moved into 16th place. One good event and he'll be a challenger. Fishing with Mark is Tripp Fletcher, Kim Minkis, and past National Champion Dennis Sergent, a very formidable team.

Darren Carter's Gotcha has always finished near the top on the Pro Tour. He got a paycheck in this event with a ninth place finish and holds 11th place in the standings, up from 23rd. He's on the move.

Rounding out the top ten was Randy Nader's Exterminader. Nader now holds down tenth place in the overall standings.

The third event on the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour will be held in conjunction with the Golden Isles Tournament on St. Simon Island, Georgia August 21st through 23rd. You can expect this leader board to change once again as these highly-skilled teams pursue their goal of being "Top Angler of the Year," sport fishing's most coveted title.

"Rat Pack Leads Yamaha Pro Tour Thanks to Their 83.54 Aggregate!"
FT. PIERCE, FL
APRIL 10-12, 2003
By: Ed Killer

Darren Ratley, Derrick Blanton, and Chris Blanton picked a fine time to catch the heaviest king mackerel of their tournament fishing careers. Early Saturday morning, the Myrtle Beach, SC crew pulled into a spot in 70 feet of water near Jupiter Inlet where they tossed out a live bluefish they had caught a day earlier while baitfishing.

"We didn't even get a chance to get our second bait in the water," said Derrick Blanton.

Immediately Blanton was connected to a line-peeling kingfish and, after a short fight, Ratley stuck the gaff and hauled the slab over the side of their Mercury-powered Fountain for what would be a team-record score. Rat Pak's catch weighed an awe-inspiring 62.68 pounds on the scale at the inaugural Yellowfin Kingfish Classic fished out of Fort Pierce April 12 and 13. A fleet of 171 boats signed up to compete in the Southern Kingfish Association sanctioned event that also signified the start of the SKA's five-event Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour.

As of two o'clock the Rat Pak team had only a ten-pounder in their box but needed more than that to win the first Yamaha Pro event of the year, as it is a two-day aggregate. "We really were worried but we pulled it out at the last minute," said the captain. They were back at the Fort Pierce City Marina a half hour before the deadline and elected to wait to weigh to build the excitement for the large spectator gallery. Finally, when they unzipped their fish bag, Jack Holmes, tournament announcer, peered in and exclaimed, "They've got it!" A 20.86 that gave them 83.54 points. This team went into the season ranked 31st in the country but with this great start could be national number one by year's end.

Waiting at the seawall inspecting every fish hauled off the tournament boats was Tom Rady and his Barely Legal team of Paul Chavis, and Mark and Carl Titus. They had weighed a 38.96 on day one and backed it up with a 33.70 for 72.60 points and were solidly in the lead but would settle for second and $14,000. However the points puts them in a real shot at the Top Angler of The Year honors. They fish a Mercury powered Donzi this season and were big winners in the Greater Jacksonville KMT last year.

Finishing third and collecting $10,500 was the 24th ranked team in the country, Paul Massey's Outrageous, with former Top Angler of the Year Joe Bruce, David Fulford Jr. and Mark Yockeley on board. They scaled a 34.43 on day one and a 34.30 on day two for an aggregate of 68.73. This is a great start also for the Mercury powered Yellowfin team. Like the other boats they too fished to the south.

Not to rest on past laurels, the fourth place team from last season, Crawgator, posted a 61.63 aggregate to garner fourth place honors. The team, led by Bill Butler from Venice, Louisiana, Freddie Travis, Steve Jenkins, and Michael Butler, was only 7 points out of the title last year and is fully expected to be in the hunt this season. Their performance in Fort Pierce only confirms that. They won $7,500 and fish a Yamaha powered Contender. If you thought Dean Spatholt could only catch kings in North Carolina, think again. Fishing with David Haynes and Wade Long, the Calabash, North Carolina resident bagged a 32.07 on day one then followed with a 28.95 to earn the Fish Meister team fifth place honors. Dean fishes a 31' Contender powered by Yamaha and won $5,500.

Glenn and Gary Slaughter added Gary's daughter, April, to the team, their obvious good luck charm, and bagged a two fish aggregate of 60.79 to earn sixth place honors aboard their Mercury powered Donzi, Carolina Girl. New to the pros this season is Wayne Cone's Final Approval. Wayne was a part of the Final Approval team that won the National Championship in '94 (Teamed with Dennis Sergent). Now he has his own team consisting of Jeff Parsons, Christopher Cone, Mike Hurst, and Ted Petit, all accomplished anglers. He bagged seventh with 58.74 points and is part of the Donzi team. Richard Stankiewicz and Bill Sandiford teamed on the Mercury-powered Donzi, Latitudes, to pick up eighth place with 57.42 points. It's their first year in the pros and they did a great job.

Linwood Clark and his son, Brad, really had a mediocre season last year but are already banging on the heals of the leader by finishing their Thumpin in ninth with 53.77 points. This North Carolina team should remain in the hunt. Rounding out the top ten was Jeff Dry and Don Combs on the C & H Lures Fountain with 52.73 points.

The event, which was postponed from a Friday/Saturday fish to a Saturday/Sunday fish because of high winds on Friday, saw some great fish come to the scales. While most anglers complained about catching small kings all day, none-the-less they were happy with this exciting fishery. The Yamaha Pro Tour is up and running.