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PLAYIN HOOKY TAKES FIRST WIN WITH A 45-POUNDER… Rides Home in New Chevy Colorado Z71 with Ten Grand! by Ian Warner

Captain Sam Roach picked a great tournament to score his first SKA win, the St. Mary’s Kingfish Classic, and found himself with two sets of keys July 2nd after weighing his 45-pounder. Second place fell to Conrad Lau on the Koolau with a 41.55 while third went to Jim Karwacki on the Double Deuces with a 40.92. Over 170 boats took advantage of this extremely well run tournament presented by Blue Water Promotions, Inc. with its guaranteed top three spots of over $66,000 in cash and prizes.

After landing a pair of points-fish in Divisions 4 and 5 and then reeling in the 11th place 29.88 in Fernandina team Playin Hooky was ready to scale a big king, and they came to St. Mary’s with a plan. “We got some good information on a spot, the Captain’s House, and made the 52-mile run south,” said Captain Sam Roach. Fishing their 26’ Yamaha powered Triton in about 40 feet of water the team had several small kings hook up throughout the day and released them all. Finally at 1:45 a double pogy rig on a downrigger set at 30 feet went off. Lillie Roach worked the king while Tommy Roach and Ray Nipper quickly cleared the lines. “We put the big girl in the bag and went right to the scale,” smiled Sam. The weighmaster’s verdict: 45.00 pounds, the biggest king Roach and his team have weighed in a SKA event. The smoker would hold on the leaderboard throughout the day, securing Playin Hooky its first win in the SKA as well as earning Tommy Lee Roach Top Junior Angler and Lillie Roach Top Lady Angler positions. Roach was awarded $10,000 cash and a brand new Chevy Colorado Z71 Extended Cab to take home to Jacksonville, FL.

Koolau nailed the first king caught on their new 35’ Evinrude powered Wellcraft to take second place. Captain Conrad and Chelsea Lau and Richard Campany hail from Neptune Beach, FL, and headed south Saturday to find the big king. “We ran to St. Augustine with no plan,” reported Conrad. “I always liked fishing Spanish pods, and we’d seen a bunch of them in the area,” he continued. The team stuck with their spot until 2 o’clock without any kings. Then, at 2:10 fishing in 40 feet of water, a ribbonfish with a pearl baby duster on a long line went off. Chelsea quickly brought the king to the boat, and the team would learn that their king tipped the scales at 41.55 pounds. Chelsea earned second place Junior Angler and the team took home a new Mercury 225 HP OptiMax valued at $12,950 and a check for $8,000 for their second place finish.

Double Deuces rounds out the top three with the last 40-plus-pounder and the biggest king caught in competition by Captain Jim Karwacki and his crew, a 40.92. “We’d pre-fished Cabretta Bottom with some mid-20’s fish,” reported Karwacki, “so we made the 35-mile run northeast again.” Captain Jim and Michael Karwacki, Randy Newbury and Edward Bacon had an early bite at 9:30, their king taking a pogy on a medium flat line in 50 feet of water. Junior Angler Michael skillfully maneuvered the king to the boat, and the team had their 40-pounder on board quickly. Double Deuces earned a Raymarine electronics package worth $4,350 and a check for $6,000 to take home to Darien, GA.

Reel Quick, Captain Jerry and Jeremy Carter and Jim Thomas, had the next spot with a 39.53. The team made the trip to Georgia early to do their homework. “We pre-fished close to St. Mary’s and found a few fish 25 miles south with a lot of lair,” reported Jerry. “We caught a few dinks on and off,” he continued, but the team couldn’t find the smoker they knew they needed. Then, at 3:00 trolling in 60 feet of water a big pogy on a long flat line was snatched. Jerry drew the king to the boat, got her in the box, and headed the 32’ Mercury powered Donzi straight for the scales. Their 39-pounder would earn the Jacksonville, FL team fourth overall and a check for $4,350.

“We had our spot! We went to the Grand Banks,” confided Captain Scott Poppell accounting for the Hauling “S” team’s fifth place kingfish. Poppell, Shawn Boaen and Scott Goodwin headed the 23’ Yamaha powered Regulator 60 miles north to fish the Banks in 45 feet of water. Their only fish for the day would hit a pogy on top, and Boaen reeled in the 31.53-pounder, earning honors to take home to Savannah, GA, and a check worth $3,480. More importantly, this 31-pounder places Haulin “S” in first in the Class of 23’ with a five pound lead over second place Reel Wild. However, Reel Wild has a good 17-pound drop fish, so you know it will be a nail-biter for these two teams at the Division’s final in Golden Isles.

The Howell boat, Hammer Time, earned sixth place with a 31.35. Captain Randy, Dustin and Devin Howell fish a 31’ Yamaha powered Contender out of Waycross, GA. Next in line is Posse, fresh from their win with a 42.64 in Fernandina, pulling down a 30.53-pounder for seventh. Captain Dan, Travis and Tom Taylor and Chuck Kalbflesich fish a 31’ Mercury powered Yellowfin out of Ponte Vedra, FL.

Eighth place fell to the Dog Daze team with a 30.50-pound king. Captain Griffin Lewis, Jerry Wagner and Billy Bashlor fish a 31’ Mercury powered Sea Craft out of Richmond Hill, GA, and they maneuvered themselves into 20th place in the Open Class with this fish, so you know they’ll be working hard not to get bumped down in Golden Isles. Non-member Lucky took ninth with a 30.29.

The Brunswick, GA team Kick Back rounds out the top ten with a 29.08. Fishing a 30’ Evinrude powered Hydra-Sport, Captain Mike and Chris Hasty and Rusty Mosher are now positioned in ninth heading to the Division’s final tournament.

Kenny Crawford and the Crawfish team earned 11th place with a 27.58-pound king. This places Crawford and company in third divisionally trailing 10 pounds behind leader Play’N To Win. Taking 12th was Outrageous with a 26.67 for Captain Paul Massey and his crew. Rusty Kennedy’s High Hook took 13th on the strength of a 25.40-pounder. Bad Company and Captain Lewis Rogers slide into 14th with a 24.85. Fred Peet’s Wishful Thinking rounds out the top 15, reeling in a 23.93.

The Rebecca Ann hit the 16th spot for Captain Frank Strickland and crew by gaffing a 23.68-pound mack. Non-members Whiskey Men and Hunker Down took 16th and 17th with a 23.58 and 23.57, respectively. Next up is Captain Derick Meadows on the Reel Runner, landing a 23.08 for 19th. Doys O’Steen’s Knot Stress’N rounds out the top 20, snaring a 22.74 to place the team in the money.

Top Honors for the Class of 23’ fell to Captain Kevin Parker and the Salt Shaker. Parker and crew found the weather on the whole good, but were confounded by the on and off thunderstorms. “We ran about 21 miles north to a spot we had pre-fished,” reported Parker. The team had no fish with the day winding down, but finally at 2:40 trolling the 23’ Mercury powered Wellcraft in 35 feet of water their winner nailed a pogy on a long line. This places Salt Shaker just in the top 15 in the Class boats; Golden Isles will be the test to see if this team can qualify for Biloxi.

Last Call landed their biggest fish in a SKA event, a 25.54 for second place in the Class. Captain Luther Thomas, Sissy Drawdy and Quinn Gurnsey were also hindered by the weather making the 28-mile trek south. “We were in and out of the rain all day,” lamented Thomas. It didn’t slow this team down, though, and after weeding through a few dinks they had their 25-pounder nail a double pogy rig on a long line while trolling in 48 feet of water. Last Call quickly headed the 21’ Johnson powered Sea Boss to the scales and the rest is history. Third place in the Class fell to non-member The Hooker with a 24.99.

With Division 4’s final tournament at Golden Isles on the horizon these anglers are far from finished. Play’N To Win has a commanding nine-point lead in the Open Class, but the top three boats all have a similar low-20’s drop fish, so you know it’s going to be a tight one. Haulin “S” needs to land a descent smoker or Reel Wild is going to sneak a 25-pounder in to steal the Class of 23’. Tommy Roach looks like he has the Junior category all sealed up with only two fish weighed, but you never know. No matter what happens, Golden Isles will be the place to watch the Division finale this July.

St. Mary’s Final Standings
1. PLAYIN HOOKY 45.00
Triton/Yamaha
Sam Roach
Lillie Roach
Tommy Roach
Raymond Nipper
2. KOOLAU 41.55
Wellcraft/Evinrude
Conrad Lau
Richard Campany
Chelsea Lau
3. DOUBLE DEUCES 40.92
Aquasport/Bombardier
James Karwacki
Michael Karwacki
Randy Newbury
Edward Bacon
4. REEL QUICK 39.53
Donzi/Mercury
Jerry Carter
Jeremy Carter
Jim Thomas
5. HAULIN “S” 31.53
Regulator/Yamaha
Scott Poppell
Scott Goodwin
Shawn Boaen
6. HAMMER TIME 31.35
Contender/Yamaha
Randy Howell
Dustin Howell
Devin Howell
7. POSSE 30.53
Yellowfin/Mercury
Dan Crowley
Travis Crowley
Tom Taylor
Chuck Kalbflesich
Lucas Crowley
8. DOG DAZE 30.50
Sea Craft/Mercury
Griffin Lewis
Jerry Wagner
Billy Bashlor
9. Lucky 30.29
10. KICK BACK 29.08
Hydra-Sport/Evinrude
Mike Hasty
Chris Hasty
Rusty Mosher
11. CRAWFISH 27.58
Contender/Yamaha
Kenny Crawford
Bill Bazemore
Chris Bazemore
Bill Walsh
12. OUTRAGEOUS 26.67
Yellowfin/Mercury
Paul Massey
Grady Clark
Emily Clark
13. HIGH HOOK 25.40
Contender/Yamaha
Rusty Kennedy
Lee Kennedy
Carey Stewart
Tony Blanda
Mike McGraw
14. BAD COMPANY 24.85
Fountain/Yamaha
Lewis Rogers
John Rogers
Nick Shrook
15. WISHFUL THINKING 23.93
Yellowfin/Yamaha
Fred Peet
16. REBECCA ANN 23.68
Yellowfin/Yamaha
Frank Strickland
Marty Roland
Tim Short
17. Whiskey Men 23.58
18. Hunker Down 23.57
19. REEL RUNNER 23.08
Sea Chaser/Suzuki
Derick Meadows
Ray Rondeau
Mark Gerald
20. KNOT STRESS’N 22.74
Donzi/Mercury
Doys O’Steen
Owen O’Steen
Brad Yeomans

Class of 23’
1. SALT SHAKER 26.54
Wellcraft/Mercury
W. K. Parker
2. LAST CALL 25.54
Sea Boss/Johnson
Luther Thomas
Sissy Drawdy
Quinn Gurnsey
3. The Hooker 24.99

Top Lady Angler
Lillie Roach Playin Hooky

Top Junior Anglers
1st Tommy Roach Playin Hooky
2nd Chelsea Lau Koolau
3rd Michael Karwacki Double Deuces