PRO   DIV 1   DIV 2   DIV 3   DIV 4   DIV 5   DIV 6   DIV 7   DIV 8   DIV 9   DIV 10   DIV 11   DIV12

MILLER TIME IS TOP SKA BOAT IN SAVANNAH SALTWATER SHOOTOUT!

by Jack Holmes

Savannah, Georgia - Steve Miller, Captain of the 23’ Contender Miller Time, fished Division 4 and qualified 15th. He then came with his team to Savannah to fish the Labor Day weekend event, the Savannah Saltwater Shootout, to possibly pick up some National Championship money. His two-day aggregate of 55.89 was just behind a rookie team, Live Wire, who was fishing their first-ever tournament. As luck would have it, they won with a 57.29 aggregate. They were fishing the R6 area in 115 feet of water. Steve Miller liked the middle grounds fishing in 80 feet. Miller’s team won the Class of 23’ at Half Moon this season and earned seventh overall in the Nationals last year. Pretty impressive!

“We pre-fished the area and caught a lot of fish,” explained Miller just before accepting his honors. “We had some really big pogies which I’m sure helped. We caught our first keeper at one o’clock and the second shortly thereafter.

The Savannah Saltwater Shootout was the final event in Division 3. Because of the fuel shortage after Hurricane Katrina, tournament promoters joined the SKA when they announced that their Pro event, held at the same time on Savannah’s waterfront, was being changed to a one-day event. It also became a two-fish aggregate tournament.

Event coordinators estimated the crowd on the waterfront to be in excess of 15,000 people. There were bands, fireworks, arts and craft displays and of course the SKA front and center.

Third, fourth, fifth and sixth places were won by Pro teams who elected to fish the Shootout also. Chris Jonsson picked up third for the Side Job team fishing a Mercury powered Yellowfin. The team of Brad Richards, Otis Humphry and Zach Jonsson weighed two kings totaling 52.62 pounds, the biggest tipping the scale at 30.19.

The Carolina team of Forrest and William Taylor, David Hooks and Josh Baker earned fourth aboard the Mercury powered Yellowfin, Team Furuno / That’s My Dog. They weighed two kings totaling 51.20. Both were mid-twenties fish.

After weighing his pair of mid-twenties, Eric Davis found his Borderline Crazy team in fifth place. The team of Davis, Mike Minter and Matt Amie fish a Mercury powered Donzi.

Scott Elliott earned sixth with a 48.64 aggregate with a nice 30.05 brought to the scale. Jon Pearman, Ted Davis and David Monda made up the Use Of Proceeds team. A non-member earned seventh.

Mark Hoxie’s Irrigator was eighth with 46.67 points while Mike Jones’ ½ Lit picked up ninth with 46.67 points. Jerry Gregory’s Double J was tenth with a 46.25 aggregate.

Fish Fever, Rat Pak, Nauti Buoys, R & W Fishing Team and Mikey Likes It rounded out the top fifteen and picked up prizes for their efforts.

George Robert’s Smooth Ride earned top wahoo honors with a nice 38-pounder while the Texas team, Lured Away, walked away with the big dolphin.

Raymond, Chris, Craig and Samantha Stivender plus Bryan Lemacks took top honors in the Class of 23’ Division with 26.21 and 16.21. Fishing the 23’ Sailfish Whip Lash, the team said they concentrated their efforts fishing in 60 feet of water at Edisto Beach. Samantha was their angler.

Rhonda Morris was the Top Lady Angler while Jake Horton was the Top Junior.

A lot of fish were weighed with the biggest in the 35-pound range. Most anglers I talked to thought that the approaching front shut the big fish down especially after several forties were released during pre-fishing.

Our thanks go out to the Savannah Sports Council who helped make this event a huge success.