T1: Carteret County   T2: Raleigh   T3: Atlantic Beach   T4: Drum Inlet   T5: Teach's Lair
(* Denotes a Class of 23 Team)

"Carolina Contender Tops Field at CCSA Tournament"

July 15-17, 2004
by Barrett McMullan

Brant, Barrett and Rube McMullan have been fishing king mackerel tournaments in North Carolina and all over the southeast for more than two decades.  They have become known as one of the most consistent teams that always seem to find its way into the top ten on any given weekend.  However, it was that top position that eluded the Carolina Contender team for the 100+ events fished in the past 15 years, but all that changed this weekend in the Carteret County King Mackerel Tournament. 

Believe it or not, I can trace the beginnings of this victory all the way back to the first part of April during the Masters golf tournament.  In the past couple years we had somewhat comically labeled ourselves as the Phil Mickelson of tournament fishing teams after fishing so many events with decent success but no number one finishes.  When Mickelson won the Masters we all said this would be our year to break thru, recalled Barrett. 

Brant decided early in the week that he wanted to fish the Carteret tournament just for the reason of getting out of town and looking at some new water, said Barrett.  Brant and Barrett are both charter boat captains fishing daily out of Ocean Isle Beach, NC as part of Capt. Brant's Fishing Adventures.  I was a bit skeptical at first about joining the mission because I hadn't heard any good reports from up in that area and didn't think we really had a good game plan.  We were planning on running up to Ocracoke and fish in the inlet where there was a good bite a couple of years ago but no fish at all last year and none this year either.  The Carolina Contender crew caught decent sized bait at Harker's Island tournament morning day one and headed out of Barton's inlet and across Cape Lookout Shoals.  Barrett recalled, our good fishing buddy had caught bait early and made it up north to the inlet way ahead of us and reported no action whatsoever.  With this report our original plan was thrown out the window as we scrambled for a new direction.  The team opted to go ahead and drop the baits in the water just on the east side of the shoals in about 40 feet while they came up with a new plan.  After about 15 minutes of fishing Brant decided it was time to go and each of the lines was reeled in.  Barrett released one of the pogies off a rig and began putting up the gear for the run while Brant reeled in the last line.  It was then that the day changed for the Carolina Contender when out of the corner of his eye Brant saw a mid thirties fish sky about 10 feet out of the water on the bait Barrett had released.  Brant said, It was awesome.  The fish looked like the SKA logo in mid air.  I knew then we had better hang it out there for a while longer.  They fished for another hour with no action before the silence was dramatically broken.  The medium single pogy was destroyed when a monster king mackerel made a big swirl about 20 yards behind the boat.  I have been fortunate enough to catch a few 40 and 50lbers over my fishing career, but I'm telling you right now, I have never heard or seen a fish run like that ever, remembered Barrett.  The fish took off a legitimate 350 yards of 20lb pink suffix line off a Shimano Speedmaster reel in the blink of an eye.  Brant cleared the lines, Barrett took position behind the Star rod, and Rube was on the wheel.  Rube said, I knew this had to be the man when I looked down at the RPM gauge and saw we were chasing the fish at 2000 rpm's with three motors and he was still taking line.  The boat finally was able to chase down the fish, which remained on the surface.  The fish made one pass under the boat before Brant took a shot with the gaff.  A lot of tournament fishermen excel in certain skills required in king mackerel fishing, but I will put my brother Brant up against anyone out there in a gaffing contest.  Brant put the 12-foot gaff straight down in the water all the way to the first grip before he made contact with the slab.  The fish was dragged out of the water and over the rail when the celebrating began.  It was a short fish at 53" but extremely fat with a 23" girth which would end up pushing the scales down to 43.5lbs at the weigh-in at Sea Water Marine.  The 43.5 took the day one lead and would not be relinquished for the remainder of the event.  The Ocean Isle Fishing Center (www.oifishingcenter.com) sponsored 36' Contender powered with triple Yamahas got its first big tournament win and took home nearly a 15k pay day for their efforts.   

2^nd place in the event and also top placing 23 and under boat was the notorious Mister Stanman team fishing a Yamaha powered 23' Regulator.  Stan Jurinski suffered a heart attack March 24^th of this year and then underwent a triple by-pass surgery.  Being the true die hard tournament competitor and fishing enthusiast, his number one goal coming out of the surgery was to be physically ready for the CCSA event.  He had his physical therapist prepare him to be able to throw a cast net and meet all physical challenges that tournament fishing requires by late June.  Stan met his goal, and along with teammates Charles McClure, who also is a charter boat captain out of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center, Dr. Ed Watkins of Columbus, IN and Kevin Hill of Lagrange, NC the Mister Stanman team was back on the circuit and back on the leader board.  Stan made the call to fish out of his home waters and check out of the Swansboro checkout.  Before leaving he had a couple mysterious sandbar mishaps that at one time or another get us all.  Fortunately his Keep Alive Oxygen Infuser System made it possible for every single one of his pogies to stay alive despite the sand in the livewell.  After the rough start the team fished a couple spots off of Topsail Island in 75 feet of water with no success.  It was getting late in the day and Stan informed the crew the next stop was Christmas rock off of New River.  Charles steered the boat right over the structure and the screen lit up.  Soon after amidst dark clouds, thunder and lightning the middle single naked pogy lit up.  Like the 1^st place fish, Stan reported this fish absolutely burned it down.  Concerned about cudas and the time, Stan had Charles run to the fish at 1800 rpm's as he aggressively angled the fish within gaffing range.  In 8 minutes the fish was to the side of the boat and Charles sealed the deal.  It was now 3:20pm and the gear was thrown in the boat, the fish on ice and they were off to the scales.  They made it with 30 minutes to spare in time to scale their impressive 39.45 lb smoker and secure 2^nd place.  Stan is part of the Yamaha factory team, and the pro staff for Shimano, Gamakatsu, and American Fishing Wire.  He also operates a popular fishing website at www.captainstanman.com. 

New daddy for a second time and long-time tournament fisherman Al Morris on the Sea Draggin captured 4^th in the event and was the third placing SKA boat with a 36.40 lb smoker.  Al and brother-in-law Brent Bunn were one of the few teams to get a good fish on day two.  After fishing in perfect conditions on day one around the Drum Inlet area with no success, Al and Brent didn't lose faith in their game plan.  On day two thunderstorms and 15-20 kt winds greeted those fishermen who chose to brave the conditions for a tough day of tournament fishing.  The Sea Draggin' team caught big Harkers Island pogies in the morning and made the decision to give it another shot on the east side of Cape Lookout near Drum Inlet.  By running close to the beach on the way up Al was able to avoid some of the heavy seas but eventually their was no hiding from the east side winds.  At 8:30 am the first baits hit the water about a mile offshore in 50 feet of water.  One hour and forty-five minutes later the Sea Draggin team was rewarded for their effort in the extreme conditions.  A single pogy on the downrigger began to smoke it down as the rod was passed to Al and Brent took his place on the wheel.  The fish made three big runs before she came up to the surface where they got a good look at her.  Brent buried the steel in the side of the slab and the 36.4 lb stud was put on ice and headed for the scales.  The Sea Draggin' team is always a force to be reckoned with in the North Carolina divisions and they are off to a great start again this year.  www.seadragn.com 

Top SKA lady angler was tournament-fishing veteran Michelle Cameron along with her husband Eddie Cameron on the Ole.  They caught their 27.05 lb fish around the 30/30 area on day one.  Frankie Jones on the Miss Teny, a 23 Palmetto, was the events top Jr. Angler.  Frankie and team found their 27.65lber in front of the sea wall in the Beaufort turning basin first thing in the morning on day two.  The CCSA tournament was the first event in the recently re-aligned division two.  Next up is the Raleigh Sportfishing Club tournament.  

Shae Lewis and Eddie Cameron host the Boater's World CCSA event and this year's field included 116 boats.  The captain's meeting included a big cookout, which was held at the Boater's World on Atlantic Beach.  The tournament staff and sponsors are optimistic about the future of this event with plans to offer more chances to win and continue to offer a fishermen friendly event where both large and small boats can compete for big money.

 

Team Concept Gets First Win at Raleigh Club Event

July 30 - August 1, 2004
by Barrett McMullan

When the wind blows east, the fish bite the least. This couldn't have been truer in the case of the 2004 Raleigh Saltwater Sportfishing Club king mackerel tournament. With the weather and fishing conditions vying for which could be more harsh, catching a king mackerel of any size became the challenge at hand. Though there weren't many fish brought to the scales someone had to win and on this weekend it wasn't until the last hour of the competition that the winner would be decided.

Blake Justice of Grahm, NC is in his second year of tournament fishing as a representative for Concept boats. Last year he fished a 27' Concept and decided this year he would upgrade to a 32'. With his new boat on order and his home Division Two going into the second event, Blake called upon friend Richard Forbis to use his 26' Mako. Blake, Richard and fishing partner Arthur Hall teamed up this weekend to continue their second campaign at qualifying for Nationals. Having already posted a 19.2 in the first event Team Concept was in need of weighing a nice fish in order to get into qualifying position. That objective plus much more was achieved in the Raleigh tournament when Blake and team pulled up to the scales with a still warm 40.7lb stud kingfish that would give the team their first big win and thrust them into the number one position in Division 2.

Team Concept started their day at Calico Jack's Marina on Harker's Island where they loaded up on bait first thing in the morning. Blake made the call to first try an offshore hole in 70 feet of water called the Northwest hole. As predicted the ocean was rough with a stiff east wind greeting the team once they cleared the protection of land. The crew fished in the rough conditions until noon finding nothing but amberjacks and sharks. After seeing their bait was nearly on life support Team Concept decided to head back in and visit the bait barge for some fresh pogies and then finish up the afternoon in the Beaufort Ship Channel. About 4:30 pm the downrigger with a slow trolled ribbonfish began to creak out a few paces of line. It was retrieved to find a one- to two-pound bluefish had taken hold of the mangled ribbonfish. Thinking quickly, Blake grabbed an empty rig and quickly turned the bluefish around and began to use it as bait. At 5:15 pm with just 45 minutes remaining until the scales would be closed it happened. The team had drifted right into the mouth of the ship channel almost behind Shackleford Banks when the bluefish on the long line was nailed. Beaufort Ship Channel water traffic on Saturdays is a nightmare and this was no exception. While Blake angled the fish, Arthur and Richard did what they could to maneuver the boat around the jet skiers and charter boats while the fish was still pealing line off the reel. Eventually the boat was placed right on top of the fish and Blake made short work of the up the down portion of the battle. After two passes underneath the boat, just enough to get everyone's knees knocking, Arthur made a successful shot with the gaff and put the hog in the boat. The fish was onboard by 5:30 and they immediately took off for the scales. Arriving with just a few minutes to spare, the celebration commenced when the crew read 40.70 lbs on the scales good enough for their first big tournament win.

Jeff Hoffman's Spectacular team found themselves sitting in first place from the time the scales opened right up until about five minutes left to weigh when Team Concept broke their hearts. Rudy Jenkins and Brian Robbins accompanied Jeff this weekend for their first tournament fishing experience aboard Jeff's 24' Yamaha powered Grady White. Tournament morning started for the crew with a frustrating search for pogies. For two hours they threw the cast net behind Harker's Island and only were able to come up with 14 baits. Jeff decided that would be good enough to start with and if need be they would come back for more later. This would not be the case as the Spectacular team went to work early on their big fish. Jeff's plan was to head offshore to the Northwest places, but because of the rough seas he opted to hang inshore around the Beaufort Ship Channel. They dropped the baits in around the second set of markers on the way out of the channel at 8:15 am and at 8:30 the big girl came to pick up breakfast. Trolling in the dirty water, the big king ate a double pogy rig from the prop wash. The fish smoked it down forcing the crew to act fast and start the chase. Brian Robbins was the rod man while Jeff and Rudy secured the cockpit and handled the boat. At 20 minutes into the fight the fish showed itself for the first time. Another 15 minutes of battle ensued while the smoker circled below. Finally the fish was worked close enough for Jeff to sink the gaff and put the 40.55 lb stud in the box. The team fished until noon and then ran into the weigh-in where they waited for the scales to open at 2:00 pm. Unfortunately the fish would be knocked out of first place with just minutes to go in the event, but nevertheless Jeff and crew were ecstatic with their first ever money fish since they began tournament fishing in 98'. Jeff also mentioned the great sportsmanship shown by the tournament winners Team Concept when they realized they had knocked the Spectacular team out of first. 

Rounding out the top three for a first, second and third place SKA clean sweep were the Sanders brothers on the Reel Screamer. The combination of the poor fishing up north to this point in the year, the hard east wind and the excellent fishing down off North Myrtle Beach in the previous few tournaments this summer, Chip and Chad Sanders made the decision to fish 140 miles away from the scales at an area of live bottom about 15 miles off of North Myrtle called the Jungle. On tournament morning the Reel Screamer headed out of the Cape Fear River and down the beach where pogies were located quickly off of Oak Island. After loading up on live bait the first spot the team would try was the Shark Hole. There was no action to be found at this first stop for two hours, which then lead them to another area of live bottom a few miles away called the Fingers. Again, the result was the same-no fish. Finally they decided to go for it all and finish up the day way to south at the Jungle. It wasn't long until the risky move paid off. Knowing that any fish they could catch regardless of size would put them in the money because of the bad conditions, Chip and Chad felt good about the decision to move to the Jungle when they heard a few fish had already been caught earlier in the morning. They worked the offshore side of the Jungle and 30 minutes after arriving they got their first and only strike of the day. At 12:30 pm the medium line took off and Chip manned the rod. After a short battle Chad took up gaffing duties and the 30.75 pounder was in the boat. With a nice fish in the boat the brothers decided it was time for the hard work and started their 140-mile journey back to the scales. This type of run under these conditions would lead most to believe the Reel Screamer is a 35 foot + triple engine 70 mph boat. Not hardly, the Reel Screamer not only won third place in the tournament, but was also the tournament's top 23 and under placing team. The Reel Screamer is a 23' Kencraft powered by twin 225 Mercury Opti Max engines. Chip and Chad are looking forward to returning to Biloxi for Nationals where last year they caught a 57lb hog. Quantum, Sea Guar Fluorocarbon, Mercury, and Webb's Fiberglass support the Reel Screamer team.

The top SKA junior angler and the only SKA jr. to weigh a fish in the event was Will Bridges fishing aboard the Sandra Dee. Will weighed a 20.70lb kingfish that would earn the team a ninth place finish. There were no registered SKA lady anglers that weighed a fish in this event, which means Michelle Cameron is still holding down the top spot for the ladies in Division Two.

Through two events in Division Two Team Concept is leading the points race with 59.9. However the standings are likely to change dramatically with the next three events taking place during the world famous Fall Carolina kingfish bite. Traditionally large numbers of big kings have been brought to the scales in the upcoming events, which include Atlantic Beach, Drum Inlet, and Teach's Lair.

Tournament director Michael Wells and staff of the Raleigh Saltwater Sportfishing Club put on this year's event in the interest of raising funds the fishing club. Despite the weather forecast of doom and despair 105 boats entered and 22 fish were weighed. Twenty-third through 30th place were not filled and the prize monies for those places have been donated the tournament's other benefactor the Take A Kid Fishing Foundation.

 

"Sea Striker Team Leads SKA Contingent at Atlantic Beach with a 40.5"

September 9-12, 2004
by Barrett McMullan

Rich with tradition, the 2004 Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament did not disappoint. The largest kingfish tournament in North Carolina attracted over 400 fishing teams from throughout the Carolinas and farther each hoping to take home the big cash prize and prestige that comes with being the ABKMT champion. Though that status eluded each of the SKA fishing teams, they still made a strong showing in one of the most competitive events on the trail. Leading the way for all SKA teams was Adrian Holler's Sea Striker team who captured a 40.5 lb slab and finished fourth in the event.

Adrian Holler, a student at N.C. State, teamed up with buddies Jon Nobles from Georgia and Guy "Porky" Herring to fish the Atlantic Beach tournament aboard Adrian's 36' triple Yamaha powered Contender. Tournament morning began for the crew by catching bait around the Atlantic Beach bridge lights in the dark at 5:00 am. The pogies were of decent size and several small bluefish were mixed. For the majority of the two weeks preceding this event the weather had been nearly unfishable. Because of this Adrian and most of the tournament field really had no up-to-date information on where the fish were holding. The crew made the decision before check-out that they would head up to the Drum Inlet area and fish the 4-mile rock due to the fact this is the last place they heard of any fish coming from as well as this is typically a decent spot during this event every year. For the first couple hours of fishing in the morning there was very little action for any boats fishing the area. Just as the discussion commenced on whether they ought to head offshore to Chicken rock the first bite of the day came. A few minutes later a ten pounder was brought to the boat. The lines were quickly re-deployed and the action continued. This time the fish had a little more backbone, and after a short battle a 25 pounder was put in the boat. Seeing the pattern that was developing, the crew hurried to get a spread of baits back out. The ribbonfish that was intended for the downrigger had been let out about 25 feet from the back of the boat as Jon had wrapped the line around his hand preparing for the downrigger clip. Just then a freight train of a fish came roaring through the spread and snatched the line off of Jon's hand and disappeared in the opposite direction with the ribbonfish and a mouth full of hooks. Guy took control of the rod, which was bent hard as line continued to peel off the reel and Adrian and Jon cleared the deck and began pursuing the smoker. After a 40-minute bout Guy was able to angle the fish close enough for Jon to sink the gaff and drag the stud kingfish over the side. Following time for the necessary celebrations the crew packed up the gear and iced the fish and headed back across Cape Lookout Shoals for the scales. Around 12:30 pm the Sea Striker team proudly scaled their 40.5 pounder, which at the time was holding onto second place but would eventually settle into fourth place at tournament's end. Catching a 40 pound fish in any tournament is exciting, but doing it in this prestigious event with a shot at victory is enough for anyone to get the kingfish tournament fever for good. Adrian reported that he hadn't really considered trying to qualify for Nationals before this event, but after this fish the fire is burning hot and now it's Biloxi or bust. With two events remaining in division two the Sea Striker team is in good position to grab one of the 15 qualifying spots for the class of 24' and over boats.

Following just two ounces behind the Sea Striker was the Rock Candi team composed of Terry Wells, Rock Wells, Steve Wells and Phillip Brock. They too found their stud kingfish at the 4-mile rock off of Drum Inlet. However, the sequence of events that took place leading up to the capture of the 40.3 pounder were completely different. Tournament morning day one found the Rock Candi crew less Rock, who had to stay behind because of duties on the football field at Chapel Hill where he plays tight end for the Tar Heels. Terry, brother Steve and Phillip Brock of the Judy Bee fishing team headed south in the waterway out of Moorehead looking for pogies. An hour and half later near Swansboro pogies, good sized pogies, were located and it was back to the north headed for Drum Inlet. The crew opted to fish the first couple of hours closer to shore near the mouth of Drum but found no takers. Next, they headed north to fish the tideline at Ocracoke where the conditions looked great but again no action. Finally they made the call to finish out the day at the 4-mile rock off Drum where several nice fish had already been caught and 20 boats remained in the area. At 2:00 pm they arrived to the spot and at 3:00 pm the big bite came. The fish ate a single pogy trolled on the long top line and blistered the reel. Terry reported this as one of the toughest king mackerels he's ever seen. Three times the fish was angled to the boat and each time the fish would burn off another 150 yards of line. After the first run less than half a spool was left on the Trinidad 30 Terry had in his hands. Finally after the screaming runs and an up and down battle the fish was inched just close enough for Phillip to make a connection with the gaff. With the fish secured on ice Terry put the 31' Contender into the wind and headed for the scales. The stubborn kingfish would end up pushing down 40.3 lbs on the scales and bring home a fifth place finish for the Rock Candi and also second place honors among SKA participants.

The third highest finishing SKA team was Burt and Margaret Ferebee's Sure Catch. They also are the top SKA boat from the 23' and under class in their 23' Mercury powered Contender and Margaret was the SKA's top lady angler as well. Burt and Margaret have been fishing tournaments for 15 years and enjoy the 23' and under class boats because according to Margaret, "they are just easier to handle with only the two of them." The first mission on tournament morning like the majority of the other boats was to catch bait. They had tried to pen bait the night before but they did not hold up well. At 9:30 am Burt decided to give up the bait hunt with only eight baits in the well. The first stop of the day would be the East rock on the east side of the Cape Lookout Shoals. With no action at this first stop Burt and Margaret picked up and began to run discussing where they would head next. Margaret voted for Chicken Rock and a few minutes into the run Burt vetoed the decision and decided to try the 1700 rock north. 40 minutes after splashing the first baits the magic happened. A mossy back kingfish skied just behind the boat on a single pogy being trolled on the surface. Burt saw the fish and new it was a good one as Margaret took her place behind the rod. The fish acted very strange and erratic. It would run hard in one direction slam on the breaks and head off in the opposite direction dragging Margaret from the bow to the stern of the boat several times. Less than ten minutes passed when Burt got a shot with the gaff. Fortunately he succeeded because just as he gaffed the fish they could see what was causing the strange behavior of the fish. A monster barracuda was shadowing every move that kingfish made and preparing itself for an attack on the prize kingfish. The solid 34.1 lb mack has thrust the Second Catch team into fifth place in the 23' and under class for Division Two, and out of obscurity and back into the running for a qualifying position.

Jim Harrison's Reelality Fountain boat, which fishes nearly every weekend in either divisional competition on the Mercury tour, the Pro division on the Yamaha tour, or the ASA Striper Trail had the SKA's top junior angler aboard this weekend. Cas Dickerson earned the top junior angler spot for his work in the 31.05 lb kingfish that was taken last minute at the East rock on day one. Margaret Ferebee was the top SKA lady angler with her 34.1 pounder caught on the Sure Catch.

Chip and Chad Sanders added a quality 29 lb kingfish to their class of 23' and under leading point total, which is now at 76.4 lbs with three fish on the board. Brant and Barrett McMullan also reclaimed the 24' and over divisional points lead from Team Concept with a 23 pounder for a two fish aggregate of 66.85 lbs. A lot of position shuffling is expected in the next two events as we enter into Fall fishing in the Carolinas, which typically means big fish and plenty of them.

The 2004 Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament presented by Yamaha and Contender was a thriving success. After a sub-par turn out last year due to inclement weather this year was right back on track as it regained its title as largest kingfish tournament in the Carolinas with more than 400 entrants. Eddie and Michelle Cameron along with Shae Lewis and the rest of the tournament staff are all seasoned tournament fishing veterans and tournament operators and it shows. They work extremely hard to put on a fishermen-friendly event complete with great prizes, rules, entertainment, and atmosphere. For those who missed the pork chop cookout Friday evening provided by Murphy-Brown inc. you won't forgive yourself after you see what you missed next year. In addition to providing a great competitive forum for king mackerel tournament fishing, this event is put on in the interest of raising funds for the Atlantic Beach fire department and the Carteret County Sportfishing Association Reef Program. A special thanks goes out to all the tournament sponsors including Boater's World, Yamaha, Contender, Murphy-Brown, SeaTow, Smithfield and all the tournament participants for a job well done.

Final Standings

1.   Hat Trick                   57.30 2.   Abi-J                          43.00 3.   Sandra Jean           41.70 4.   SEA STRIKER 2             40.50       Contender ... Yamaha       Adrian Holler 5.   ROCK CANDI           40.30       Contender ... Yamaha       Terry Wells       Rock Wells       Steve Wells       Phillip Brock 6.   Oooh Baby Baby         37.05 7.   Gone Fishin                  34.95 8.   Replica                          34.70 9.   SECOND CATCH        34.10       Contender .... Mercury       Burt Ferebee       Margaret Ferebee 10. RUMP SHAKER             31.75       Fountain ... Mercury       Ben Strickland       Donnie Butts       Cameron Strickland 11. Beach Hooker                 31.30

12. REELALITY                      31.05       Fountain .... Mercury       Jim Harrison       Cas Dickerson 13. WET-N-WILD                    30.70       Palmetto ... Yamaha       Tony Ross       Alan Vester 14. Double Down                    30.30 15. Precision Marine               30.10 16. Tireless II                            29.80 17. REEL SCREAMER           29.65       KenCraft ... Mercury       Chip Sanders       Hunter Sanders 18. SILVERADO                        29.60       Fountain ... Mercury       Dennis Barbour       Randy Gainey       Bruce Martin 19. Much 2 Reel                        29.50 20. THE RIGHT ONE BABY    29.50       Contender ... Yamaha       Todd Matthews       Garland Sewell       Jim Davis       Barry Matthews       Brad Sewell

 

"Al Morris's Sea Draggin' Stays Hot at Drum Inlet"

October 8-9, 2004
by Barrett McMullan

Final Standings

1.   SEA DRAG'N   37.52       Privateer ... Mercury       Al Morris Jr.       Al Morris Sr.       Brent Bunn 2.   SEA STRIKER II     30.92       Contender ... Yamaha       Adrian Holler       Guy Herring       Walter Banks 3.   SECOND CHANZE      30.56       Contender ... Yamaha       John Lewis       Jeff Feuling 4.   CAROLINA CONTENDER 29.80       Contender ... Yamaha       Brant McMullan       Rube McMullan 5.   HIT 'N RUN   29.12       KenCraft ... Evinrude       Mike Landreth       Brent Gaskins

6.   DEAL KING    28.50       Donzi .... Mercury       Tim Newton       Jim Inman       Nick Newton 7.   GRACE  27.60       ProSports ... Honda       James Hammonds       John Albright       Gary Dees 8.   SHARON LEIGH 27.10       Contender ... Yamaha       Jeff Morris       Brooks Schomp       Parker Dudley 9.   CHAIN SMOKER 25.90       Privateer ... Mercury       Joey Whitesell       Bob Whitesell       Stuart Dudley 10. FRIDAY'S COMIN'    25.30       Albemarle ... Volvo       Roy Howell

TOP JUNIOR ANGLER:  Nick Newton .... Deal king

 

"OBX Girl's 45.70 Dominates Teach's Lair"

Oct. 21-23, 2004
by Barrett McMullan

Some might call the conditions experienced at the 2004 Teach's Lair King Mackerel Shootout insurmountable. For Capt. Jim Dupree and crew aboard the OBX Girl it was just another beautiful day off the coast of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Each tournament team awoke Saturday morning to howling northerly winds blowing 25 knots or thereabouts, and temperatures in the 40's. While most were probably thinking how good the bed felt that morning the die hard tournament teams began strapping on the foul weather gear to give one last focused effort for the culminating event in division two. At the end of the day when the prop wash had settled one team in particular had overcome the obstacles Mother Ocean presented and proved their skills and dedication in the art of king mackerel tournament fishing. Jim Dupree, son Dan Dupree and Sam Anderson of the OBX Girl team returned to the scales Saturday evening with big smiles and a big fish knowing they would be the 2004 Teach's Lair King Mackerel Shootout champions.

Tournament morning arrived and the search for live bait began for the OBX Girl team. Departing from Hatteras Inlet the team first ran north into the hook just on the south side of the treacherous Cape Hatteras shoals hoping to find large schools of fat back menhaden. Bait was scarce to the north, which in addition to a phone call from fishing friends on the Proud Mary and the Reel Greedy, sent the OBX Girl team back to the south some 20 miles to Ocracoke inlet where finally bait was located and the fishing day could begin. The previous day's Pro division event that also was being held from Teach's Lair yielded an impressive leaderboard with numerous fish in the 30 and 40 range, which for the most part due to the heavy winds all were caught just outside of Hatteras inlet up and down the beach. The wind was blowing hard which would normally be a problem for fishing most areas but because it was out of the north and off the land, the conditions out to three miles were perfect with seas less than two feet. Jim was aware of the bite that had occurred the day before so he and his crew made the decision to hang it out at Hatteras inlet all day and hope the bite turns on like it did on Friday. Unfortunately for most of the fleet that classic Hatteras bite never did turn on Saturday, but for Jim, Dan and Sam they only needed one bite to accomplish what they had come for. Jim reported that they would start off on the north side of the inlet just offshore of the pack of Pro boats and make long drifts all the way to the south side of the inlet. Around 12:30 pm on the third drift amidst good marks of bait, a 2 1/2 lb bluefish trolled in the prop wash was engulfed by a hungry king mackerel. Dan, a highly decorated junior angler, expertly played his role as he took on angling duties. Heading offshore, the initial run peeled 250 yards of line off the Trinidad reel. The fish then put on the breaks and headed in the opposite direction downwind towards the rest of the fleet. Dan carefully worked the fish closer until the crew got a glimpse of the short but extremely fat Hatteras kingfish. Just as the fish made its first appearance a nearly six foot Hammerhead shark was spotted lurking below the surface under the boat. Fearing the Hammerhead might be thinking of having a 40 + lb king mackerel snack Dan backed off the drag and let the fish swim off freely with no pressure to escape the pursuing Hammerhead. Once the kingfish stopped Dan resumed angling the fish back to the boat where the stubborn mossy back was resistant to come to the surface. Finally the fish presented Jim with an opportunity and he took it gaffing the fish near the head and hauling her over the side. High fives and phone calls to friends and wives followed as the crew knew they had at least a top five fish on board. For the next couple hours the OBX Girl team fished near the sea buoy stalling long enough for Jim and Sam's wives to drive down from Buxton to see them weigh their prize catch. Around 4:00 pm the 31' Contender powered by Yamaha rolled up to the scales where Dan pulled out their day's work for pictures and the moment of the truth. 45.70 lbs was the call, which immediately thrust the OBX Girl team into a first place position that would not be challenged for the remainder of the event. Jim and crew have been fishing the harsh conditions off the Outer Banks for years and would like to thank the Contender/Yamaha combination and Power Marine for providing a product that has enabled them to compete successfully week in and week out. 

Randall and father George Edens on the Reel Greedy had an exceptional event that was capped off with the news that they had squeaked out the division two win on the strength of their second place finish at Teach's Lair. Friday afternoon Randall and George left out of Moorehead City and made the track north to Hatteras where they would leave from tournament morning. Several large schools of pogies were spotted just north of Ocracoke inlet on the way to Hatteras, which helped in deciding where to fish the next day. Randall knew about the bite that had taken place at the Hatteras inlet, but he also knew he didn't really want to fish in the crowd that was anticipated for day two. With this in mind and the fact the bait was located back to the south Randall and George made the call to fish the spot that was closest to the bait which was Ocracoke inlet. Using a local trick to catch bait, the Reel Greedy team put out a sink net and collected enough pogies to fish for the entire day. Six other boats were already fishing the inlet area when they arrived at 9:30am. The first drift brought one small kingfish and then the drought set in. For the next 4 1/2 hours the Reel Greedy team worked the inlet area and offshore about a mile on the tideline with no action at all. Around 2:00pm Randall decided to move back inshore near the sea buoy and was pleasantly surprised by the improvement in the water clarity and the good bait marks that were now apparent. The tide was on the rise and so were the fish as the first action of the afternoon came when a 20 lb kingfish smoked a single pogy. With only a short time left to fish the double pogy in the prop wash hooked on #4 trebles and #4 wire became extremely nervous as they passed the moving boat. As soon as the boat's speed was increased to tighten the line the double was nailed at 3:30pm. Randall grabbed the rod as the fish made a long and fast run. George got the boat on top of the fish and within ten minutes Randall had her ready for a gaff shot. By 4:00pm the Reel Greedy was off and running north to the scales at Teach's Lair with stud kingfish. The eventual second place fish would go 39.69lbs, which would be enough to bring the Reel Greedy team a prestigious division two championship by less than half a pound. The Edens family has been one of the top teams in North Carolina for many years and now has a well-earned divisional championship to show for their efforts. The team would like to thank Contender/Yamaha, East Coast Sports, Suffix line, Maui Jim sunglasses and Power Marine for their continued support.

Rounding out the top three was Team May-Craft. The following is their story according to team captain John Wilkins. "Team May-Craft, Capt. John Wilkins and crew Ken Wilkins, Jonathan Wilkins and Doug Wilkins, left Beaufort at 5:00am to search for menhaden at Harkers Island.  The bait was difficult to capture in the cold 25 to 30 mph North wind. We finally left and headed toward Drum Inlet at approximately 9am. We knew that most of the fleet would be fishing in and around Hatteras, so we chose to fish a spot where we would have a good chance to be alone. We reached the Cape Lookout shoals and we faced a combination of an agitated washing machine-like shallow slough and the opening scene from Hawaii Five -O! We successfully navigated the slough and proceeded north to Drum. The water was rough but beautifully blue and warm when we reached the inlet and there were no other boats in sight. Since the wind was so strong we decided to drift from the artificial reef to a popular spot known as the 4-mile rock. After losing a mid thirties fish that skied three times in the prop wash, our frustrated team was rewarded with a screaming long line right on top of the 4 mile numbers at about 1:30 pm. Ken manned the rod, Doug navigated the boat in challenging conditions while Jonathan and John cleared the lines. It is one thing to angle and land a large king mackerel, but it is especially difficult in a strong, cold North wind and 5- to 6-foot seas. Our team worked well together and John was able to gaff the fish and swing her aboard with a well-placed shot. After a short celebration, we made preparations to make the long hard trip north to Teach's Lair and the scales. We were pleased when the scales read 38.00! With little time to enjoy our catch, we had to make the 80-mile trip to Beaufort before dark. Thanks to May-Craft and Mercury we made it safely to Beaufort Harbor just before dark with plenty of fuel to spare. May-Craft and Mercury have consistently proven to be a fantastic combination for our Team for many years. I certainly would not have embarked on such a treacherous journey without complete confidence in our equipment. One thing is for sure we truly EARNED this fish!"

Dan Dupree of the OBX Girl won yet another top junior angler award for his part in the tournament victory for his team. Brody Brown on the Miss La II also had a nice fish at 31.58 lbs and came in second among junior anglers. Paula Wells weighed a 28.39 pounder on the Mercury powered Donzi Latitudes and was one of only two ladies that posted fish in the event.

The division two race lived up to the pre-season hype as one of the most competitive on the circuit. The Carolina Contender team jumped out to an early season lead with a 43 lb fish at Carteret County, but that lead was taken away in the final moments of the season by the hard charging Reel Greedy and Sea Striker teams. The Reel Greedy team ended the year with just over 97 lbs for three fish and took the division title. In second place was the new and improved Sea Striker team who finished the season with 96.83 lbs anchored by a 40 pounder caught at Atlantic Beach. Through five tournaments in the division and three fish being counted per boat, it took less than one half pound to separate the top three.

The 23' and under division was nearly as tight except that the division was decided in the fourth event rather than the final one. Chip and Chad Saunders of the Reel Screamer team just edged out the Mister Stanman team for the division crown with 78.72 lbs. The top lady angler from the division was Sherry Littleton fishing aboard a 20' Bayliner Unbelievable. Dan Dupree's 45.70 in the final event pushed him into the top spot in the division for junior anglers passing by Will Bridges of the Sandra Dee who had a great year also.

Though the weather was definitely less than perfect, the 2004 Teach's Lair King Mackerel Shootout produced several impressive fish. The bite this year was not the classic Hatteras bite that has become routine for this event in years past, but nevertheless a good time was had by all who got the late fall Hatteras experience. Nowhere on the coast is king mackerel fishing made more challenging than off Hatteras in the fall, but there is also no other place that can be as rewarding when the right conditions present themselves in this storied location.

FINAL STANDINGS:

1.   OBX GIRL     45.70       Contender ... Yamaha       Jim DuPree Jr.       Dan Dupree 2.   REEL GREEDY  39.69       Contender ... Yamaha       Randall Edens       George Edens 3.   TEAM MAY CRAFT     38.00       MayCraft ... Mercury       John Wilkins       Jonathan Wilkins       Ken Wilkins 4.   HOT GRITS    34.03       Donzi ... Mercury       Andrew Hinton III       David Stallings       Ned Grady       Mike Schulte 5.   MISS LA II   31.58       Fountain ... Mercury       Robby Brown       Bob Brown       Brody Brown       Dewayne Fox       David Jones

6.   GATOR BAIT   29.60       Yellowfin ... Mercury       Sandy Smith       Anthony Guettler       Todd Hendrickson       Matt Pitman 7.   LATITUDES    28.39       Donzi ... Mecury       Richard Stankiewicz       Jack Wells       Paula Wells       Jesse Norton       Frank Blousey 8.   SEA STRIKER II     25.41       Contender ... Yamaha       Adrian Holler       Guy Herring       Walter Banks 9.   N.C. SPORTSMAN     24.30       Donzi ... Mercury       Brian Bracey       mike Webb       Ty Conti 10. ROCK CANDI    24.21       Contender ... Yamaha       Terry Wells       Rock Wells

TOP JUNIOR ANGLER:  Dan Dupree ... OBX Girl