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

CALIENTE BRINGS THE HEAT TO DIVISION 6… ...Lands a 54.97 in Clearwater to Set New Record! by Ian Warner

Rough, rough, and rough. That was the only way the 117 boats at the Boater’s World Tournament of Champions in Clearwater described the conditions at Saturday’s weigh-in. With 15 to 20 mph winds and three- to five-foot chop the boats were having a tough time of it. However, despite the less than ideal conditions, a Class of 23’ boat took first place overall again and set a new Division 6 record. These class boats are really fishing hard this year.

Team Caliente was hungry for a win after placing 25th at this tournament last year, and was the first boat ready to check out from John’s Pass early Saturday morning. First out and first in, the team was moored near the check-in dock before noon. You know it was a long wait for this team, but finally at 3 pm the scales opened and the fish bag was hefted onto the dock and to the scales. Immediately all knew that this was a contending fish. Announcer Jack Holmes asked the team how big they thought the fish was. Their response, 37-pounds, but “we couldn’t even get the fish out of the bag,” said weighmaster Bob Flocken, “we had to bend the tail and pry her out.” The three hour wait was certainly worth it for Caliente, as the scales topped out at 54.97-pounds, beating last year’s big fish at Clearwater by over ten-pounds.

Their fourth year fishing the trail, Captain Stan Asensio, Shawn Swingle, and Ricardo Asensio from Orlando decided to fish just south of John’s Pass in their Johnson powered Hydra-Sports boat. Trolling ribbonfish on downriggers in 80- to 90-feet of water and big blue runners on the surface, their smoker hit a runner early in the morning. It wasn’t an easy fight for this team, as the big king just wouldn’t show itself until the end of the battle. “We thought it was a shark or a grouper,” said Stan, “instead of making a long run she just ran down deep and kept trying to keep in the shadow of the boat. We almost ran into a tanker trying to land her.” After a 30-minute fight the king finally surfaced and they gaffed it in one shot.

The team was certainly glad that they landed the fish early, a nice added bonus to their record-setting king. “We were getting bounced around like lotto balls,” smiled Swingle. The beating was worth it though, as Caliente headed home with a 23’ Contender powered by Yamaha motors on a new Loadmaster trailer.

Making the long journey from Hilton Head, SC was definitely worth it for Fishin Addition, as they landed a 45.55-pound mossback to take second. Captain Charles Getsinger, wife Sheri, and her father Ted Frederick had no trouble finding bait and were soon fishing a spot near Don Caesar’s between Pass-A-Grille and Blind Pass on Saturday. “It’s a local spot where anglers have been fishing for years,” reported Charles. The team wasn’t quite as troubled by the weather as others, “we like to fish close to shore,” said Charles, and at 1 pm their big king hit a long line blue runner in 25-feet of water. It was a wily fish, taking the team over 35-minutes to land, all the while doing their best to avoid being entangled with the crab pots scattered in the area. “It was a hard fighting fish that just didn’t want to give up,” he said. They finally landed the big king, headed the Mercury powered Palmetto back to the scales, and earned a second place victory and Sheri top Lady Angler position. Fishin Addition is part of the Boater’s World team that the event is named after.

Captain Tom Petrizzi, Scott Ewald, and John Reeves aboard the Rodbender landed a 36.20-pound king to take third. The team checked out of Clearwater on Saturday in their Mercury powered Ranger and headed due west to a spot that this local team had fished before. “Conditions were rough, we were just trying to hang on,’ said Petrizzi. Trolling live mackerel 40-feet deep on their downriggers their winner hit early and the team finished up the fight quickly. “Division 6 is one of the hardest divisions, I think,’ said Petrizzi, a seven year veteran of the SKA. “The competition is so good and there are so many places to fish that can give up the good one. It’s just being in that place at the right time.” Rodbender was certainly in the right place at the right time, and has a solid victory to take home to New Port Richie.

Another consistent team, Hook’er, beat their fifth place finish in Treasure Island by landing a 35.05-pounder to take fourth. Angler Debbie Crisp landed a 20-pounder Saturday “and it was brutal out there,” she reported. The team went back out Sunday and found conditions easier, but the fishing rougher. “We had only one bite, but it happened to be a good one, thank goodness,” she smiled. This St. Petersburg team was fishing their Yamaha powered Calcutta at Egmont Hole in 60- to 70-feet of water when the big king took a speckled trout on a surface line. “The team effort was huge, we have a great team and a great captain.” While Debbie had an easy time angling the fish, the team didn’t realize how close they were to tragedy until the end of the battle. “When we gaffed him and we threw him on the deck the hook fell out right there,” she reported, “we feel doubly blessed.”

Captain Jay Mastry of the Jay Bird rounds out the top five. With Katie Carr, John “BJ” Young, Debora Gell, and Glenn Carr this team landed fish both days, a 29.12 on Saturday and then topped it with a 32.95-pound king Sunday. Fishing a Mercury powered Calcutta at Egmont Hole in 75-feet of water on Sunday their winner hit a ladyfish on a downrigger at a depth of 50-feet. “It wasn’t a bad fight, he gave up finally, circled around the boat, and did the death circle. We got a shot, and nailed him in the tail,” reported Mastry. The team’s efforts were good for a fifth place finish to take home to St. Petersburg.

Redeye landed a 32.72-pounder on Saturday, and at the end of day one Captain Chris Wiggins II and Chris Wiggins were in fourth place. Fishing a Mercury powered Intrepid, they were unable to land a fish on Sunday and were knocked down to sixth.

Captain Jeff Smith and John Gillespie landed a 29.99-pound king on Saturday aboard Overslept. The fish was good to earn the Glasstream/Mercury team seventh place.

Marshall Law beat their 23.20 from Treasure Island with a 29.80-pounder aboard their Yamaha powered Contender. Captain Kevin Grissinger, Perry Warner, and Michael Platt earned eighth place.

Buggin Out reeled in a 29.75-pound mackerel aboard their Yamaha powered Contender to take ninth place. Captain Glenn Gee, Ray Ciemniecki, Aaron Bishop, and Scott Toedman caught their winner on Sunday.

Penny Wise landed a 29.42-pound king in their Yamaha powered Contender to round out the top ten. Ken Dellane, Rainier Pichardo, Robert Papolos, and Brian Brandano have a good victory to take home to St. Pete Beach.

Captain Joe Maisano of the In-Sta-Gator landed a 29.25-pound mossback for 11th place and Captain AJ McLauchlin III took 12th with a 29.15-pounder aboard Blue Runner on Top. The 13th spot went to Captain David VanLent of In The Rough with a 28.60-pound king, and 14th was earned by Captain Dave Travis of the Ocean Waves team for a 28.46-pounder. Economy Tackle and Captain Mark Goodwin earned 15th for a 26.15-pound king.

Bad Habit’s Tom Teffenhart landed a 24.89-pounder for 16th, and Captain Scott Alvarez aboard the La Ventaja secured 17th with a 24.62-pound king. Erich Lichtenberger on the Top Dog reeled in a 24.35-pound mossback for 18th, and Tom Goodwin steered The Major’s Mistress into 19th with a 23.96-pound king. Finally, Blue Odyssea earned 20th place with Captain James Wood’s 23.93-pounder.

Top Junior Angler for the tournament was Richard Weatherby aboard Miss Conception. The team landed a 23.34-pounder to take fifth in Class of 23’. David John Mistretta was the second place Junior Angler with a 21.15-pound king caught aboard Jaws Too. Third place Junior Angler was Cody McRanie aboard C.R.A.P. Happens, who landed an 18.88-pound kingfish.

Their second first place victory this year, Constant Chaos gaffed a 30.29-pounder aboard their Yamaha powered Caravelle to lead the Class of 23’. This consistent team of Captain Danny Clark, Travis Maxwell, and Casey Bryde from St. Petersburg lead both classes at Treasure Island with their 38-pounder and is certainly poised to take the division’s Class of 23’ title this year. “The weather wasn’t quite as bad right off the beach, it was pretty quiet there,” said Clark, and that’s where they landed their winning fish. Trolling in only 20-feet of water their winner hit a surface mullet and they landed it easily. The team wasn’t satisfied with leading the Class boats though, and set out Sunday to up the ante. Unfortunately they had motor difficulties, “or we would have beaten that 55-pounder,” smiled Clark. This is only the team’s second year of fishing the SKA, and truly a team to watch out for in Division 6.

Lunch Money took second place in the Class of 23’ with a 28.91-pounder aboard a Yamaha powered Sea Craft. Captain Larry Munch, Clay Cowan, and Debra White, 2003 Lady Angler of the Year, gaffed their winning king near the Skyway bridge on Sunday. It was in 18-feet of water their blue runner on a downrigger went off, and the team landed it quickly for a win to take back to St. Petersburg.

Get Snookerd’s Captain Chris Workman and Jeff Boyde round out the top three in the Class with a 24.94-pounder aboard their Yamaha powered Contender.

Barely edged out for fourth was Captain Leo Plenski aboard Hi Caes, who landed a 24.92-pound kingfish. Rounding out the top five in the Class of 23’ was Miss Conception and Captain Robert Baver with a 23.34-pounder.

With three events left in Division 6, things are just getting started. Will high winds and heavy chop continue to batter this division’s anglers? Will the Class of 23’ continue to dominate the west coast of Florida? We’ll just have to wait and see as the division continues in Treasure Island and Indian Rocks Beach.

Special thanks to all the fine sponsors of this event: Boater’s World, Salt Water Sportsman, Contender, Yamaha, Loadmaster Trailers, Raymarine, Penn, Garmin, Lowrance, Ritz Camera, Clearwater Parks & Recreation Department, Costa Del Mar, Shakespeare, Turbo Props, Sperry, American Fishing Wire, Hi-Seas, Rule, Mustad, Lenco, Brinkmann, and Weems & Plath.