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PAPOTNIC TAKES KINGFISH CHALLENGE Three 50-Pounders Scaled In One-Day Event! by Jack Holmes

The 2005 Texas King Mackerel Association Kingfish Challenge opened to calm, one-foot seas and sweltering heat, but it was just the calm before the storm. It was a race against time as the hot Gulf waters would prove to fuel Katrina’s ire while she barreled northward. With forecasts growing more and more dire, tournament directors sagely decided to call their event at the conclusion of one day of fishing, naming Papotanic top boat of the Kingfish Challenge.

With only two fish weighed in Division 8 so far and no drop fish, Captain Reyes and his team were feeling the pressure. “We knew we had to get a good 50-pound fish to win the Division,” said Reyes. It wasn’t time to take chances. “We went to our favorite spot, a 115-mile run from the scales,” he continued. Trolling the 36’ Yamaha powered Contender in 125 feet of water the crew nailed a good 40-pounder right off the bat. With a little of the pressure off Captain Reyes, Bill Platt, Aaron Reagan and Marc Bledsoe continued working the area. At 1:50 their perseverance paid off when a hard tail in the prop wash was taken and Aaron grabbed the rod. “Twenty minutes later we put her in the bag and hoped it was the one,” recalled Reyes. Reaching the scales the Papotanic crew learned they had a 51.04-pound mossback on the board, good to lead the tournament at the end of day one’s fishing. With Katrina bearing down on the Gulf, the second day of fishing was cancelled and Papotanic emerged as the champion of the Kingfish Challenge. While their 51-pounder was just a few pounds shy of the whopper they needed to secure their goal of taking the Division, they easily earned second place honors in Division 8 to take home to Houston, TX.

The Wagen family fishing on Team Millennium Marine reeled in their biggest fish in a SKA event, a 50.74, to narrowly miss first place and take second. Captain Jason Wagen, wife Jody and son Jeff fish a 22’ Yamaha powered Pro-Sport out of Seabrook, TX, and came to this tournament with a plan. “We had our spot picked out early, 75 miles to the east,” reported Jason. Trolling in 81 feet of water a hard tail in the prop wash was taken at 10:40, and Jody took up the angling duties. A quick fight later the family team was looking at their biggest tournament king and the decision was made. “We put the big girl in the bag and went right to the scale,” said Jason. Their 50-pounder would top the leaderboard until Papotanic arrived at the scales to edge them out by only three-tenths of a pound. The team earned second overall, top honors in the Class of 23’, Top Lady Angler for Jody and Top Junior Angler for Jeff. Their excellent finish here places them in second place for Division 8’s Class of 23’; watch out for this team come Nationals.

Captain David Markham and his Mossy Oak crew came to Galveston from Huntsville, TX early to do their homework, and it paid off with the tournament’s third 50-pounder. “We pre-fished a spot about 97 miles east and found some good fish, so we went right back,” said Markham. Reaching their spot at 9:30 Markham, Eric Schwab, Joe Dan Larrison and Drew Dean began to deploy bait in the 100-foot of water and the bite was on immediately. “Our first bait in the water was smashed,” reported Markham, and Larrison started working on the big king who had unknowingly snatched her last hard tail. Getting the smoker in the boat the team knew that they had a contender, and upon reaching the dock learned they had just scaled their biggest king in a SKA event, a 50.22 for third overall and second place in the Class of 23’. More importantly, the Mossy Oak crew knew that 50-pounder just sealed their position in Division 8, naming them the top Class of 23’ team. “I’d like to give a special thanks to Mossy Oak and McKee Craft, it wouldn’t have been possible without them,” said Markham.

Reel Screamer landed a 44.82 for fourth place. Captain Larry White, Mark Zapalac and Jerry Gattis fish a 29’ Yamaha powered Century out of Houston, TX. Captain Brett Donnahoe and the Texas Contender are up next with a 43.19, earning Devin Donnahoe second place Junior Angler. You can’t win them all, but this team took half this Division’s events with such large kings that this 43-pounder was used as their drop-fish. Their 149.75 aggregate took the Open Class top spot for Donnahoe, Brian Gaudin, Danny Atchison, Royce Binnion and Devin Donnahoe, and this team will be enjoying a free ride from Spring, TX to the Nationals come November.

The Stockstill boat, Tangled Lines, took sixth with a 42.21-pounder, naming Evan and Jordan the third place Junior Anglers. Captain Frank and his sons fish a 30’ Yamaha powered Grady White out of Friendswood, TX. Seventh place fell to Captain Bobby Schoenfeld on the Lured Away with a 41.53. Schoenfeld, Albert Vrazel, Sharon Kamp, Win Haggard and J.C. Garret fish a 38’ Mercury powered Donzi from Conroe, TX. Hailing from Hitchcock, TX is Captain Darrell Hingle’s Reel Teezer, taking eighth with a 41-pounder. Captain Hingle and Donovan Earley fish a 27’ Yamaha powered Angler.

Captain Greg and Gerald Lusk and Nelson Sucarichi of Team No Worry’s landed a 40.87-pounder for ninth place. The team trailered their 31’ Yamaha powered Contender to Galveston from Spring, TX. Easy Come Easy Go rounds out the top ten with a 40.74. Captain James Howell, Casey Cundieff and Patt Scott hail from Lake Jackson, TX, and fish a 36’ Yamaha powered Yellowfin.

Captain Chris Vanos and the Reel Deal crew took 11th place with a 40.90-pounder. Next up is In Too Deep, Captain Bryan Burleson’s boat, with a 39.95. Captain Ken George’s Team Blondie took 13th overall as well as finishing as the third place Class of 23’ boat with their 37.69-pounder. Captain Gary Belvin’s Pipe Dream took 14th with a 37.63 and Captain Randy King’s Sea King Blue rounds out the top 15 with a 37.28-pound king.

With the 2005 Mercury Tournament Trail winding down and Division 8 in the books, you know these Texas anglers are just itching for Nationals. With a possible change of venue from Biloxi, Division 8 boats have to be wondering if they’ll be fishing their Gulf waters or a new unfamiliar spot. Whatever happens, good money is on one of these boats stealing a monster king come November.