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TEXAS CONTENDER ON TOP AGAIN ….. THIS TIME WINNING THE FREEPORT, TEXAS TOURNAMENT! By John Zalud

FREEPORT, TEXAS. Hot off their win in Aransas Pass, Brett Donnahoe, Brian Gaudin, and Danny Atchison, better known as the Texas Contender team, slam dunked another one, this time closer to home. “We got a 40 pounder on day one after making a long run but on Sunday time and conditions did not allow us to run as far,” said Donnahoe. “We ran about 40 miles and caught fish in the mid to upper thirties. It wasn’t till nearly 2 o’clock when a big king skied on a hardtail in the prop wash. She missed the bait so we immediately started feeding it back. She hit it again, this time we hooked up. After a short fight we put her in the bag and ran for the scales.” The first place king tipped the scales at 49.80. The team is poised to win the Division, sitting first with 149.75 points and just one event left. “It’s our goal to win the Division and go to Biloxi,” Donnahoe added. They are sponsored by Accurate Reels, American Rodsmiths, Ronnie’s Marine, plus Contender and Yamaha.
Jose Reyes Jr’s Papotanic led the tournament after scaling a 44.8 on Saturday. “We made a 90 mile run to catch her and went right back to that spot on Sunday,” said the Captain of the team. “We were siting in 90 feet of water with just one hard tail left in the livewell when our bigger fish hit.” The scale read 47.50. Two great days of fishing for Reyes, Bill Platt, Mark Bledsoe, and Aaron Ragen. Second place was there’s. They fish a Yamaha powered Contender.
Albert Vrazell and Bobby Schoenfeld fished the Mercury powered Donzi, Lured Away, to third place. “We had a good fish on Saturday, a 43.7, “ said Schoenfeld. “We went right back to the same spot on Sunday, 100 miles, and set up in 90 feet of water. We had several kings in the thirties but a little after one our best fish of the weekend hit a hard tail in the prop wash. Twenty minutes later we were scale bound.” Their third place king weighed 45 pounds even. Team member Sharon Kamp won lady angler honors.
Mark Williams, Jason Patschke, Kurt Wells, Brian Carroll and Vince Howard teamed on the Go Time to pick up fourth place honors with a nice 44.10 caught on the first day. “We too made a long 100 mile run, and we feel it paid off,” said Williams. “She hit a ribbonfish off the downrigger trolled 45 feet below the surface.
Carl Christoph, Marvin Jones, Pat Thomas, and Chris Zube were right there with the rest of the top teams making that 100 mile run to the east. “We got ours on Saturday in 90 feet of water at 1:30,” explained Christoph, sounding like a repeat of the other teams stories. “She hit the ribbonfish out of the downrigger. We could not better our catch on Sunday.” They were fifth overall.
Millennium Marine’s Wagen family, Jason, Jody, and Jeff captured the top slot in Class of 23. “We caught a lot of kings in 150 feet of water but they were all in the 20 to 25 pound range,” said the clan leader, Jason. “ We were 80 miles to the east, it was 2 o’clock, when the reel exploded. We thought we had the tournament winner. She hit a ribbonfish on the surface off a long line.” The fish tipped the scales at 29.70. Funny how some of those kings are all heart. They now hold down first in the Division in Class of 23.
Darrin Taylor, Doug Sweeney, and John Saik picked up second place with a nice 25.40. Another team that ran to the east and found fish. The Insta-Gator’s king ate a hard tail on the surface.
The Pipe Dream with Gary Belvin at the helm, caught a 42.70 to pick up sixth. Michael Belvin, who fishes the boat, was the events top junior angler.
Janes Howell’s Easy Come Easy Go is having a good season. In this event they picked up a 40.80 to capture seventh place. Should qualify this year.
Brian Medearis’ Notorious was 8th with a 39.90 while Chris Machacek Force 10’s earned 9th with a 37.70. Team Yellowfins John Thomas Dusek’s 35.60 rounded out the top ten.
Last year it was an all Contender show but what a difference a year makes. You have Contenders battling Fountains and while the Contender teams still have the edge I see a new day dawning on the horizon. Let’s not forget that there’s a Donzi, McKee Craft, and a couple of Yellowfins in the mix plus a few other brands. Life really is interesting!

FINAL STANDINGS:

1. TEXAS CONTENDER 49.80
Contender … Yamaha
Brett Donnahoe
Brian Gaudin
Danny Atchison
2. PAPOTANIC 47.50
Contender … Yamaha
Jose Reyes
Bill Platt
Gill Strelec
Ian Jones
Mark Bleadsoe
Aaron Reagan
3. LURED AWAY 45.00
Donzi …. Mercury
Albert Vrazel
Bobby Schoenfeld
Sharon Kamp
J.C. Garrett
Win Haggard
4. GO TIME 44.10
Contender … Yamaha
Mark Williams
Kurt Wells
Brian Carroll
Vince Howard
Jason Patske
5. FREE BIRD 44.00
Fountain …. Mercury
Chris Zube
Carl Christoph
Chris Christoph
Pat Thomas
Marvin Jones
6. PIPE DREAM 45.70
Fountain …. Mercury
Gary Belvin
Brian Tuffly
Candance Belvin
Michael Belvin
Cody Belvin
7. EASY COME EASY GO 40.80
Contender …. Yamaha
James Howell
Casey Cundieff
John Gardner
Evan Gardner
8. NOTORIOUS 39.90
Fountain … Mercury
Brian Medearis
James Medearis
Keith Traylor
Brent Medearis
Kevin Conway
9. FORCE 10 37.70
McKee Craft … Evinrude
Chris Machacek
Terry Pool
Darell Rittiman
D.J. Kuchar
10. TEAM YELLOWFIN 35.60
Yellowfin …. Yamaha
John Thomas Dusek
Pat Varga
Duane Davis
Heather Niles

CLASS OF 23:

1. MILLENNIUM MARINE 29.70
ProSports … Yamaha
Jason Wagen
Jody Wagen
Jeff Wagen
2. INSTA-GATOR 25.40
Triton … Yamaha
Darrin Taylor
Doug Sweeney
John Saik

TOP JUNIOR ANGLER …… Michael Belvin …..Pipe Dream
TOP LADY ANGLER ……. Sharon Kamp …… Lured Away