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SNAFU TAKES WEST DELTA! Barfoot Lands a 56-Pounder for Win by Ian Warner

Stephen Barfoot is no stranger to fishing the West Delta, but what else would you expect from 2004’s Class of 23’ National Champion? His 108.08 aggregate at the Nationals last year humbled the competition, especially the Open Class. He and his crew managed to do it again and steal the biggest whopper from the Gulf waters the first weekend of August to secure the leaderboard at the West Delta Kingfish Invitational.

Captain Barfoot, Spencer Johnson and Kevin Butler headed the 23’ Yamaha powered Contender Snafu 61 miles southwest to W.D. 95 early Saturday morning with big kings in mind. Trolling in 150 feet of water the first bait in was smashed at 7:50, a short line in the prop wash. The team managed a pair of good 40-pounders after that, but nothing to compare to their monster smoker. “We felt we had the winner, so we went right to the scales,” said Barfoot. Their 56.10-pound king would not be contested throughout the tournament, and a 21’ Yamaha powered Contender was waiting to be trailered back to Satsuma, AL on Sunday.

The Dees’ boat, Top Producer, nailed the second largest king and top aggregate to take second place in the tournament no matter how you cut it. Captain Mike, Jeff, Jenny and Sheree Dees had been pre-fishing and had a plan, running their 36’ Yamaha powered Contender 80 miles east to a rock area they knew to be rich in fat kings. Trolling in 230 feet of water on Saturday a hard tail 50 feet down was nailed at 9:30. Jeff angled the heifer in and they knew they had a real contender in the boat. They caught and released four other kings throughout the day, but nothing to match their first fish, which turned out to top the scales at an impressive 54.90. Heading out to the same area on Sunday, the team managed another great fish that would have taken 12th place on its own merits, a 45.10-pounder, giving the team a great 100.00-pound aggregate, second place honors, and Top Lady Angler honors for Jenny and Sheree Dees to take home to Mobile, AL.

Early Saturday morning proved be the magic moment for Rag-Tag as well, with a 52.80-pounder nailing their line at 8:45. Captain Creighton Parker, Matt McLeod, Will Condon and Chris Phillips were trolling their 31’ Yamaha powered Contender in 180 feet of water when their hawg nailed a hard tail in the prop wash. The bite wasn’t over, though, and the team managed to catch and release ten other 40-plus-pounders throughout the day but nothing to top that 52-pound mack. The team received third place honors to take home to Pensacola, FL.

Their first year in the SKA, Captain Jim Stewart and the Crown Time crew had a great tournament, landing a 52.10 for fourth place. This was only their fourth tournament, but they pulled in a smoker like veterans. Captain Jim and Hunter Stewart and Kirk Ledet headed their 34’ Mercury powered Fountain east 71 miles to a spot in the East Delta that they had pre-fished. At 11 o’clock trolling in 230 feet of water their winner hit a ribbonfish on the downrigger set at 50 feet. It was their best finish and biggest king in competition, and earned Kirk Ledet Top Junior Angler honors. Sitting in the top 20 their first year fishing the trail, you can bet this team will be a presence.

The 2004 Open Class National Champion, Captain Geoffrey Gibson’s Rusty Hook, rounds out the top five with a 49.94-pounder. Captain Gibson, Tim Bronson, Jonathan Tindell and Mark Butterfield made a 61-mile run to a spot just south of the Gus, praising their new 31’ Contender with 250 Yamaha four strokes the whole way. Trolling in 138 feet of water a hard tail 80 feet down on the downrigger was snatched at 4 o’clock, and Bronson quickly angled her in. They iced her down in the bag, headed straight for the scales, and the rest is in the books.

Captain Brian Bailey, Sr., Brian Bailey, Jr., Robbie Bush and Steven Summersell took sixth on the High Definition. Hailing from Mobile, AL, the team landed a 46.94 on their 33’ Mercury powered Palmetto. Seventh place fell to the Metairie, LA team, the Sea Cruiser. Captain Don and Donnie Jackson and Josh Sevin landed a 46.52 for the position.

Captain Mark and Rhonda Wicker and Jerry and Sarah Stephenson fished the Digestible into eighth place and second place Junior Angler for Sarah with a 46.46-pounder. They fish a 36’ Yamaha powered Contender out of Ft. Myers Beach, FL. The 31’ Yamaha powered Cape Horn, My Dingy, took ninth place. Captain James and John Hosman, Thad Delconte, Jerold Buck Hall and Tony Conklin landed a 45.72 for the position. The Reel McCoy, out of Mobile, AL, rounds out the top ten. Captain Jeff, Jonathan and Josh McCoy and Creighton Rollins landed a 46.32 on their 31’ Yamaha powered Contender.

Next up Is Captain Glenn Plaisance’s Obsessed Koonass with a 45.66. The Trisha Ann took 12th for Captain Starnes King with a 45.56. Reel Nutts’ Captain Robin Nutt reeled in a 45.02 for 13th, and Captain Anthony Hammontree’s To The Floor got a 44.56 for 14th. Team Spear-It rounds out the top 15 with a 44.06 on Captain Chris Denton’s boat.

Sea Hag took top honors in the Class of 23’, with Captain Cecil Capps, Jr., Wesley Burbridge and Gerry Rucker reeling in a 46.32-pound king. Capps ran his 23’ Yamaha powered Contender 45 miles to the West Delta to fish a spot where the team nailed a 48.48 during the Alabama Deep Sea Rodeo. At 11:00 a hard tail out on a long line was taken, and Burbridge made short work of her. The team managed a pair of good kings in the low 40’s, but couldn’t beat that 46-pounder.

Captain Nathan Payton’s Hardcore team was right on their heels with a good 45.64-pound mack, good for second in the Class. Payton, Jay Doole, Jr., Rodney Willard and David Wallace fish a 23’ Mercury powered Contender out of Mobile, AL, and headed to a spot 42 miles to the southwest. Experiencing the same early bite most teams commented upon, their big king hit a hard tail set 60 feet down while trolling in 160 feet of water at 9 o’clock. “We had a bunch of high 30-pound fish, but just couldn’t find a bigger one,” said Payton. Third place in the Class fell to J.J. Gilmore’s Quietus. Fishing a 23’ Mercury powered Yellowfin, Gilmore, David Rogers and Jason Andrews reeled in a 43.96 for the position.

With only one tournament to go in Division 7 the competition will be fierce in Pensacola. XS-Rated has a good seven pound lead in the Open Class, and Sea Hagg leads the Class of 23’ by over eight pounds. It will take a true smoker king to out either of these boats, but if anyone is going to scale a whopper, you can bet it will be here in Division 7.