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Play’N To Win Plays For Keeps… Reels in 39.28-Pounder to Take Sapelo by Ian Warner

Captain Joe Bell and the Play’N To Win team lived up to their name Memorial Day weekend, landing a 39.28-pound kingfish in the 25th Annual Sapelo Open King Mackerel Tournament. Their score dominated the leaderboard by a good eight-pound margin over the next team, Bird Dog, who scaled a 31.14 king. Reel Wild weighed the next largest king, a 30.99-pounder to lead the Class of 23’.

Captain Joe Bell, Mike Whitt and Richie Tuten hail from Statesboro, GA, and had a good idea where to find the kings in their home state. “We made a 95-mile run to an old spot called Elton Bottom,” stated Bell. Fishing their 28’ Yamaha powered Privateer in 112 feet of water the team was catching and releasing small kings until 1:15 when the winning fish took the bait. “Our pogie out on a long flat line was hit,” reported Bell, who angled the fish in, “and 25 minutes later she was in the bag and we were on our way to the scales.” Their 39-pounder held for the day on the leaderboard, crowning Play’N To Win as Sapelo’s champion and Bell and Whitt as top Senior Anglers.

Captain Todd Malphrus, Tyler Mock, Cole Malphrus and Neal Kendrick landed a 31.14 aboard the 36’ Yamaha powered Contender Bird Dog. “We got some good info on the Elton Bottom, so we made the run,” said Malphrus. Fishing the same spot as Play’N To Win, the team had a slow start. “We had good bait but no fish until 1:30,” he continued. That’s when the team got their fist bite, and they pulled in a low 20-pounder, but their day wasn’t over. “About five minutes later our pogie in the prop wash was eaten in 120 feet of water,” reported Malphrus. Junior Angler Tyler Mock quickly reeled the king in and the team bagged it and headed to the scales. The 31-pound king would prove to be good for second place honors to take home to Ridgeland, SC, and also earned Tyler the Top Junior Angler position.

Hedge Hog earned third place on the strength of the 30.70-pound king caught late in the day. Fishing a 25’ Mercury powered Mako, Captain Ty Edwards, Justin Bjorneby and Tim Ellis hail from McDonough, GA. “We decided to stay close so we went 20 miles east to a good hard bottom spot,” recalled Edwards. The team had good bait and hooked up with five small kings throughout the day, but wasn’t satisfied. Finally at 3:30 a pogie on a flat line in 45 feet of water was hit, and Bjorneby reeled it in. “We had some time left but felt good about what we had seen on our scale,” said Edwards, and the team headed in to the official scales to earn third.

Right on their tail with a 30.43-pounder was Captain Mike Woolard of the Blue Ribbon. Woolard, Neal Anderson, Richie DeLoach and Walt Rogers ran their 28’ Mercury powered Triton 60 miles east to the Grand Banks. “We had four small fish before our big girl hit a pogie on a flat line in 120 feet of water,” recalled Woolard. Happy with their fish the team headed in to the scales to earn a fourth place victory to take home to Glennville, GA.

Fifth place went to Captain Paul Brown on the Final Fling with a 29.75-pound king mackerel.

The Midway, GA, Knot Sure team landed a 28.42-pound king aboard their 25’ Yamaha powered Contender. Captain Loy Sanders, Bob Wedincamp, Melissa Holland and Bobby Wedincamp earned sixth place for their efforts.

Captain Jerry Gregory and the Double J took seventh place. Fishing a 36’ Yamaha powered Contender, Gregory, Bob Barnett, Rusty Rogers and Scott Reynolds landed a 27.77 for the position. The Mason family landed a 26.99-pounder aboard the 25’ Mariner powered Ranger Gone Wishin’. Captain Jimmy, Mamie and Wess earned eighth place and Wess took second place Junior Angler for their kingfish.

Captain Stan Kane and Team Key Largo took ninth aboard their 25’ Yamaha powered Key Largo. Kane, Jason Christner and Lee Bennet reeled in a 26.36 for the position. Rounding out the top ten was the Posse team of Captain Dan Crowley, Travis Crowley and Chuck Kalbfleisch who pulled in a 25.76 king aboard their 31’ Mercury powered Yellowfin. Finishing up the open class Junior Angler Hunter Rodenberry landed a 23.10-pounder aboard No Mercy II to earn third place Junior Angler.

Reel Wild landed the third-largest king of the tournament to lead the Class of 23’ boats. Fishing a 23’ Yamaha powered Contender, Captain Johnny Wildes, Joey Wildes, Taite Crews, Courtney Herndon and Brock Music decided to make a 100-mile run to find their winner. “We had good bait but couldn’t find any fish,” lamented Wildes. “All I wanted was for our Lady Angler to get a fish!” he recalled. Fishing in 100 feet of water late in the day it was down to the wire. “We were out of time and started pulling line when our downrigger with a ribbonfish 45 feet down went off at 3:15,” he continued. “Courtney brought her to the gaff and we went straight to the scale.” Courtney’s last minute fish weighed-in at 30.99 pounds, and earned this Waycross, GA team top Class honors and top Lady Angler Honors.

Haulin “S” earned second place in the Class of 23’ with a 28.97-pounder aboard the 23’ Yamaha powered Regulator. Captain Scott Poppell, Scott Goodwin and Shawn Buaen had been in the area doing their research. “We had pre-fished and found some small fish, so we went to a spot 45 miles east of Sapelo,” stated Poppell. Fishing in 70 feet of water the team again found several small kings until a pogie on a long flat line was taken at 2:30. “Twenty minutes later we put her in the bag and went to the scales,” said Poppell. Their 28-pounder would hold on the leaderboard until Reel Wild’s king dropped them down a notch, earning this Savannah, GA team second for the Class.

Sea-N-Double took third place in the Class fishing a 23’ Mercury powered Pro-Line. Hailing from Mitchell, GA, Captain Jim, Tim, and Billy Mason, Ricky Williams and Brad Hooks landed a 26.78-pound king for the honors.

Sapelo Final Standings
1. PLAY’N TO WIN 39.28
Privateer/Yamaha
Joe Bell
Michael Whitt
Rich Tuten
2. BIRD DOG 31.14
Contender/Yamaha
Todd Malphrus
Cole Malphrus
Tyler Mock
Neal Kendrick
3. HEDGE HOG 30.70
Mako/Mercury
Ty Edwards
Justin Bjorneby
Tim Ellis
4. BLUE RIBBON 30.43
Triton/Mercury
Michael Woolard
Richie Deloach
Neal Anderson
Walt Rogers
5. Final Fling 29.75
6. KNOT SURE 28.42
Contender/Yamaha
Loy Sanders
Bob Wedincamp
Melissa Holland
Bobby Wedincamp
7. DOUBLE J 27.77
Contender/Yamaha
Jerry Gregory
Bob Barnett
Rusty Rogers
Scott Reynolds
8. GONE WISHIN’ 26.99
Ranger/Mariner
Jimmy Mason
Mamie Mason
Wess Mason
9. TEAM KEY LARGO 26.36
Key Largo/Yamaha
Stan Kane
Jason Christner
Lee Bennet
10. POSSE 25.76
Yellowfin/Mercury
Dan Crowley
Travis Crowley
Chuck Kalbfleisch

Class of 23”
1. REEL WILD 30.99
Contender/Yamaha
Johnny Wildes
Joey Wildes
Taite Crews
Courtney Herndon
Brock Music
2. HAULIN “S” 28.97
Regulator/Yamaha
Scott Poppell
Scott Goodwin
Shawn Buaen
3. SEA-N-DOUBLE 26.78
Pro-Line/Mercury
Jim Mason
Tim Mason
Billy Mason
Ricky Williams
Brad Hooks

Top Lady Angler
Courtney Herndon Reel Wild
Top Junior Anglers
1st Cole Malphrus Bird Dog
2nd Wess Mason Gone Wishin’
3rd Hunter Rodenberry No Mercy II