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JET LAG TAKES OFF AT TWO-WAY …Race for Division 4 Tightens Up! by Ian Warner

Captain Pete Owens and the Jet Lag crew earned their first win in a SKA event at the Two-Way Sport Fishing Club’s 19th Annual Wellcraft Kingfish Tournament in Brunswick, GA June 18. Owens and his team pulled in a 34.48 to take top honors and the $18,000 Wellcraft boat, Evinrude motor, and Loadmaster trailer package. The team beat second place boat Got Your Spot by over a pound and Reel Wild pulled down third with a 31.45.

“We had good bait and a plan,” started Owens, “so we went to a spot just north of Gray’s Reef.” Captain Owens, his visiting nephew 12-year-old Joe Parker, Will and Josh Owens, Taylor Thaw and Randy Guy fished the spot most of the day and caught a few little kings, but not the big mack they knew they needed. Finally at 1:45 a pogy on a long flat line was smashed while trolling in 61 feet of water. Here’s where the plan comes into action: the out-of-town ringer. “My nephew Joe grabbed the rod,” smiled Owens, “and 25 minutes later he brought the fish to the gaff and we were on the way.” The team headed their 31’ Yamaha powered Contender back to the scales to earn their first place boat package to take home to St. Simons Island, GA, and earn Josh and Will the Top SKA Junior Angler award. In addition, this 34-pounder positions the team in second place divisionally with a better drop-fish than first place’s Tie-One-On.

A non-member boat, Got Your Spot, took second with a 33.30. Next in line was Captain Johnny Wildes of the Reel Wild. Fishing with brother Joey, Taite Crews and Courtney Herndon, Captain Wildes headed his 23’ Yamaha powered Contender 70 miles south of Two-Way to troll right off the beach. “We had a plan from a few weeks ago and went right back to it,” reported Wildes. The team had an uneventful day until 12:45 when Courtney yelled, “Fish on!” “Joey gaffed the big girl and we went right to the scale,” said Wildes. Reel Wild’s only fish for the day would turn out to be a good one, a 31.45 pound mack good for third place, a $2,500 check and Top Lady Angler honors to take home to Waycross, GA. This is going to be a rough team to beat in the Class of 23’, they are sitting in first place with a five pound lead, have the only two 30-plus pound fish in the class, and have a good 16-pound drop-fish. Another non-member boat, Reel Time, secured fourth with a 30.57.

Captain Bear Croft, Rick Dopson and Tim Horgan of Bear Caught came to Brunswick in time to do their homework. “We had pre-fished the area,” said Croft, who hails from Fernandina, FL, “so we made an 85-mile run southwest of Two-Way.” The team had managed to catch and release eight kings as the day wore on, but no smokers. “We were trolling in 120 feet of water at 2:35 with not much time left when our scaled sardine on a long flat line went off to the races.” Croft made short work of the king and the team turned the 31’ Suzuki powered Yellowfin back towards the scales. The 29.36-pounder they weighed would prove to be good for fifth place and a $1,500 check.

Code IV and Captain Joe Toth took sixth with a 28.16-pounder aboard his 27’ Yamaha powered Cobia. Next in line was the Murray’s boat, Back Lash, with a 27.60. Captain Ken, Cliff and Tiffany Murray, and Scott Donovan fish a 26’ Yamaha powered Mako out of Brunswick, and are sitting in fourth place in the division heading to St. Mary’s.

While they couldn’t match the 39.28-pound mack they landed in Sapelo, Playin’ To Win still got a good 27.34-pounder to take eighth. Captain Joe Bell, Michael Whitt and Richie Tuten hail from Statesboro, GA, and fish a 28’ Yamaha powered Privateer. This fish places them in eighth overall in the division with only two fish weighed so far. With two tournaments left this team has a real shot at taking Division 4.

Goin’ Deep, a 31’ Yamaha powered Contender, took ninth with a 27.21-pounder. Captain Mike Zabarac, Al Bradshaw, Clarissa Zabarac, Gene Ashley and Kelley Clements fish out of Midway, GA, and are sitting in sixth place divisionally after this fish. Hooked Up rounds out the top ten with a 26.20. Captain Mark and Dawson Covington, Dooley and Shannon Miller, and Chris Ray fish a 23’ Evinrude powered McKee Craft out of St. Simons Island, GA. Their 26-pounder was good to earn the second place Junior Angler spot for Dawson Covington.

Captain Rusty Kennedy guided his Yamaha powered Contender High Hook to victory with a 26.09-pounder for 11th place. Next in line was Captain Jay Bright on the Spare Parts with a 25.88 for 12th. Livin Right landed a 25.88-pound mack for 13th.

Barbara Ann pulled in a 28.46 for 14th position, earning Captain John W. Adcox, Jr. a check to take home to Jacksonville, FL. Rounding out the top 15 was Over Time and Captain Rodney James with a 24.84-pounder.

Local team Plumb Fun took top honors in the Class of 23’ with a 30.21-pounder. Captain Mike Crabtree, Michael P. Crabtree and Arthur Sanders are fishing their first year in the SKA. “We thought we would give it a shot,” smiled Crabtree. After their first win you know that they are going to be back for more. “We know the area so we went to Gray’s Reef where we had a few small fish we released,” said Crabtree. The clock was ticking, and finally at 3:05 while trolling in 62 feet of water a pogy in the prop wash was hit. “We had no time to spare. We got her to the boat as fast as possible and went to the scales,” recalled Crabtree. First year in the SKA, first tournament win, first check for two grand. Congratulations, guys.

Second place in the Class of 23’ went to Captain Tony Hinson and the T-Nail crew from Pooler, GA. “Being familiar with the area we took a shot at the J buoy which was a good 48-mile run for us,” stated Hinson. Trolling in 62 feet of water the team got a good bite at 10:00 on a blue runner on the downrigger set at 32 feet. “We put her in the bag with some good thoughts and continued to fish,” recalled Hinson. The team caught and released eight other kings, but couldn’t top their 10 o’clock fish. At the scales the mack weighed in at 27.23, good for second in the Class and a check for $1,500. Hinson and his crew are sitting pretty in fourth place for class boats. Third place went to Captain Mitchell Hinely and the Optimism crew with a 26.42.

Two-Way Final Standings
1. JET LAG 34.48
Contender/Yamaha
Pete Owens
Randy Guy
Josh Owens
Will Owens
Taylor Thaw
2. Got Your Spot 33.30
3. REEL WILD 31.45
Contender/Yamaha
Johnny Wildes
Joey Wildes
Taite Crews
Courtney Herndon
4. Reel Time 30.57
5. BEAR CAUGHT 29.36
Yellowfin/Suzuki
Bear Croft
Rick Dopson
Tim Horgan
6. CODE IV 28.16
Cobia/Yamaha
Joe Toth
7. BACK LASH 27.60
Mako/Yamaha
Ken Murray
Cliff Murray
Tiffany Murray
Scott Donovan
8. PLAYIN’ TO WIN 27.34
Privateer/Yamaha
Joe Bell
Michael Whitt
Richie Tuten
9. GOIN’ DEEP 27.21
Contender/Yamaha
Mike Zabarac
Al Bradshaw
Clarissa Zabarac
Gene Ashley
Kelley Clements
10. HOOKED UP 26.20
McKee Craft/Evinrude
Mark Covington
Dooley Miller
Shannon Miller
Dawson Covington
Chris Ray
11. HIGH HOOK 26.09
Contender/Yamaha
Rusty Kennedy
Lee Kennedy
Carey Stewart
Mike McGraw
Tony Blanda
12. SPARE PARTS 25.88
Mako/Mercury
Jay Bright
Chip Bright
Russ Johnson
13. Livin Right 25.88
14. BARBARA ANN 28.46
Wellcraft/Yamaha
John W. Adcox, Jr.
Barbara Ann Adcox
Dana Michelle Scott
15. OVER TIME 24.84
Contender/Yamaha
Rodney James
Lee Boatright
John James
Brian Rowe

Class of 23’
1. PLUMB FUN 30.21
Pro Sport/Yamaha
Mike Crabtree
Michael P. Crabtree
Arthur Sanders
2. T-NAIL 27.23
Contender/Yamaha
Tony Hinson
Joella Hinson
James Garrett
Larry Garrett, Jr.
3. Optimism 26.42

Top Lady Angler
Courtney Herndon Reel Wild
Top Junior Anglers
1st Josh & Will Owens Jet Lag
2nd Dawson Covington Hooked Up
3rd Rhett & Dillon Veal Sea Ducer