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SEA ROBIN II IS TOP SKA BOAT IN CHARLESTON… …Kinsey and Crew Land 36-Pounder at Fishing for Miracles! by Ian Warner

Captain Rusty Kinsey and his Sea Robin II crew landed their biggest fish in SKA competition, a 36.07-pounder, to lead the SKA boats and take second place at the Key West Boats Fishing for Miracles KMT. While the weather was hot, hot, hot, the seas were flat and calm and over 280 boats took advantage of this well-run tournament and a chance at the $25,000 grand prize.

After having some luck fishing on Friday, Captain Rusty and Robin Kinsey, Wes Maxey and James and Richard Warner decided to head the 25’ Yamaha powered Sea Pro back to the same spot. “We had a lot of small fish from the area, so we thought we would go back on Saturday for the big one,” said Kinsey. Kinsey’s instincts paid off at 2 o’clock when a cigar on a long line was nailed trolling in 90 feet of water. The Captain quickly angled the fish in, and they soon had their 36-pounder in the box. But the team just wasn’t satisfied. “We had time left. We tried for a bigger fish but no luck, just small ones,” recalled Kinsey. While the team was edged out of the top spot by non-member Partner’s-Ship’s 39.07, Kinsey and crew still earned their best finish in a SKA event, second place overall and Top Lady Angler honors for Robin Kinsey to take home to Walterboro, SC.

Captain Kevin and Katherine O’Neale are having a great season this year, boating another winner, a 34.88-pounder, to take first place in the Class of 23’and third place overall. “We weighed a 13.82 on Friday so we knew we had our work cut out for us,” reported Kevin. “So we made a 50-mile run on Saturday and it paid off.” Trolling their 23’ Yamaha powered Sailfish, the In 2 Deep, in 65 feet of water the husband and wife team weeded through small fish throughout the morning. Then, at 11:15 a pogy on the downrigger was nailed at 21 feet, and the team hauled their 33-pounder in the boat. At the weigh-in the O’Neales learned they had just scored their best finish in an SKA event, and after this tournament are sitting in first divisionally in both the Class and the Ladies categories headed for Savannah. With nearly a ten-pound lead over second place Eren’s Addiction Too, this Charleston, SC team will be one to watch in Biloxi.

Team Winners World is the next SKA boat up landing a 32.92, narrowly edged out by non-member In Det’s 33.19, taking fifth place overall. Captain Ralph Turner, Michael Smith and Mark Heiden fish a 28’ Mercury powered Triton. “We started the first day of fishing with a good fish, so we went right back to the same spot on Saturday,” said Turner. Trolling in 90 feet of water 31 miles south of the scale their king nailed a ribbon 80 feet down in the early afternoon. Reaching the scales the team learned they had a 30-pounder and hadn’t quite beaten their Friday fish. Still, their 32.92 would hold for fifth place honors to take home to Myrtle Beach, SC, and they sit in fifth place divisionally. Sixth place went to Non-member Bimini Twist.

Captain Craig Hoover’s Blue Runner is up next, landing a 32.82-pound mack. Captain Craig, Todd and John Hoover, Alex Hayes and Billy Bryan fish a 31’ Yamaha powered Contender out of Pawleys Island, SC. The team’s 32-pounder earned Alex the Top Junior Angler position and seventh place in the tournament. They now sit in 12th place overall with one more to go. The Weather’s boat, Triple Gobble, is next in line with a 32.67. Captain Jeff and Greg Weathers fish a 31’ Mercury powered Contender out of Moncks Corner, SC, and took eighth place with that king.

The Stewarts are still fishing hard on the Black Cat, landing a 32.59 for ninth place and earning Hunter Harrelson second place Junior Angler honors. Captain Jamey, Carlette and Vernon Stewart, Buddy Wedgeworth and Hunter Harrelson fish a 35’ Mercury powered Triton out of Georgetown, SC, and are sitting in second place in Division 3 heading to Savannah. Less than five pounds would put them in the lead over Yard Boy’s 97.13 aggregate. Carlette needs four pounds to take the Lady Angler category, Vernon has a two-pound lead in the Senior category, and Hunter sits in first place with the Juniors as well so you know this boat won’t be pulling any punches at the Division’s finale come September.

Robcy rounds out the top ten with a 32.52-pound king, earning Joey and Jacob Woodward third place Junior Angler honors. Captain Wilbert and Michael Roller and Joey and Jacob fish a 34’ Yanmar powered Seavee out of Millen, GA. Non-members Salt Shaka III and Jes Right took 11th and 12th with a 32.08 and 32.02, respectively.

Captain James D. Miller, Jr.’s Miss Kellet took 13th with a 31.93-pounder. Hailing from Mt. Pleasant, SC, he fishes a 21’ Yamaha powered Contender. MSC, a 35’ Mercury powered Triton, took 14th for Captain David L. Perry out of Bluffton, AL. The Beaufort, SC team Dr. Hook took 15th with a 30.41. Captain Bernie and Marsha Vinoski fish a 31’ Yamaha powered Jupiter.

With the Division’s final tournament looming on the horizon it’s down to the brass tacks for a lot of these Division 3 teams. While Yard Boy will be doing his best to hold onto the Open Class lead, there are some great teams with good drop-fish right on his heels. In the Class of 23’ In 2 Deep is sitting pretty, but I wouldn’t put it past the Bracewells to land another good 34-pounder to mix things up. Even the Junior, Lady, and Senior categories are all very tight races. Look forward to a nail-biter come Savannah.

Fishing for Miracles Final Standings
1. Partner’s-Ship 39.07
2. SEA ROBIN II 36.07
Sea Pro/Yamaha
Rusty Kinsey
Robin Kinsey
Wes Maxey
James Warner
Richard Warner
3. IN 2 DEEP 34.88
Sailfish/Yamaha
Kevin O’Neale
Katherine O’Neale
4. In Det 33.19
5. TEAM WINNERS WORLD 32.92
Triton/Mercury
Ralph Turner
Michael Smith
Mark Heiden
6. Bimini Twist 32.84
7. BLUE RUNNER 32.82
Contender/Yamaha
Craig Hoover
John Hoover
Alex Hays
Billy Bryan
Todd Hoover
8. TRIPLE GOBBLE 32.67
Contender/Mercury
Jeff Weathers
Greg Weathers
9. BLACK CAT 32.59
Triton/Mercury
Jamey Stewart
Carlette Stewart
Vernon Stewart
Buddy Wedgeworth
Hunter Harrelson
10. ROBCY 32.52
Seavee/Yanmar
Wilbert Roller
Michael Roller
Joey Woodward
Jacob Woodward
11. Salt Shaka III 32.08
12. Jes Right 32.02
13. MISS KELLETT 31.93
Contender/Yamaha
James D. Miller, Jr.
14 MSC 31.85
Triton/Mercury
David L. Perry
15. DR. HOOK 30.41
Jupiter/Yamaha
Bernie Vinoski, Jr.
Marsha Vinoski

Class of 23’
1. IN 2 DEEP 34.88
2. In Det 33.19
3. Bimini Twist 32.84

SKA Top Lady Angler
Robin Kinsey Sea Robin II
SKA Top Junior Anglers
1st Alex Hays Blue Runner
2nd Hunter Harrelson. Black Cat
3rd Joey & Jacob Woodward. Robcy