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THIRD TIMES A CHARM .... FORCE 10 WINS SEASON OPENER IN TEXAS WITH A 56.42!
by Jack Holmes

Galveston, Texas. Twice during the past seven years Chris Machacek has
led the Texas Marine’s Kingfish Classic only to see the lead slip away
on day two. The third year was his charm but it wasn’t without some
real heartbreaking drama. This time it was others who suffered the
disappointment. Right after the team scaled their 56.42, John Thomas
Dusek presented the weigh master, Al Dwarshus, with a 55.94 and on day
two Bobby Schoenfeld and the Lured Away team scaled a 54.38. Chris, who
fishes a 28’ McKee Craft named Force 10, spent the major part of day
one of the two day event covering a fifteen mile area. “We couldn’t get
right to the spot we wanted because of a dive boat,” said the Captain
just before accepting his first place accolades and a 21’ Yamaha
powered Contender boat with a McLain Trailer. “We had a ribbonfish with
a snapper slapper on the downrigger which she hit. Terry Pool picked up
the rod and made short order of the king.” They were about 115 miles
offshore fishing in 100 feet of water. They also had a 40 pounder to
weigh which their junior angler D.J. Kuchar caught. On day two the team
took a camera crew for the “Fishin The Trail” television show but
couldn’t improve on their 56 pounder. They didn’t need to.
“In this event you gotta run,” said John Thomas Dusek who found the
leader boards second place slot with a 55.94 for his Team Yellowfin.
“We were over a hundred miles from the scale sitting in 78 feet of
water. Heather Niles, who was the SKA’s Division 8 top lady angler for
the past three years, did it all.” The team which also includes Pat
Varga and Duane Davis pre fished the area a week earlier and found a
good concentration of fish. They caught the biggest king the team has
ever scaled at 12:15 using a blue runner trolled on the surface. “It
took us three hours to get out to the spot but it was really worth it,”
added Dusek. Heather was the events Top Lady Angler.
Bobby Schoenfeld and Albert Vrazel, hot off their Yamaha Pro Tour
win in Fourchon, Louisiana, put Sharon Kamp on a third place 54.38 king
on day two. “We ran 80 miles to the south east, caught several fish in
the 30’s in 100 feet of water, then moved,” explained Schoenfeld. “We
had a bigger king miss the bait when she skied right in the prop wash.
But the big girl was hooked up shortly after.” Kamp caught the bruiser
on a hardtail on the surface at 12:30.
Brett Donnahoe, Brian Gaudin, and Danny Atchinson have been hot on
the trail, making a name for their Texas Contender team, for the past
several years. They are a team that always seems to find a slot on the
leader board. This weekend it was fourth with a great 50.25 pounder.
“It was really a great weekend for us,” said Donnahoe. “I caught the 50
pounder at 12:30 using a blue runner on the surface. We ran 80 miles
and fished an area we thought the water conditions were just right.”
The teams biggest to date was a 53 pounder. “We also caught a 70 pound
wahoo and brought the biggest jack crevalle I’ve ever seen to the side
of the boat,” the Captain added.
Rounding out the top five was the Tangled Lines, a Grady White team
of Frank Stockstill and his sons Evan and Jordan. Together they scaled
a 49.58 which they weighed on day one.
The weather for this years event couldn’t have been better. Seas
were two feet or less on day one but kicked up on day two to a solid
three foot. This was without a doubt the best two days of fishing we’ve
ever had in the Texas Division. It took a 47 pounder to make the leader
board.
Darrin Taylor’s Insta- Gator, a Yamaha powered Triton, picked up the
Class of 23 win which was sponsored by Boater’s World Marine Centers.
However Taylor couldn’t make the event and relied on his team of David
Marshall, Patrick Nicosia, John Salk and Doug Sweeney to keep the team
in the hunt. The fulfilled their obligation. “She hit a blue runner at
12:30,” said Marshall. “Patrick picked up the rod but she did not want
to come to the boat. We fought her for almost an hour.” On the scale
she read 44.99. “We ran 65 miles to the south east and fished in 110
feet of water. It’s a proven spot for us,” Marshall added.
The Mossy Oak, a 23’ McKee Craft, with a great looking Mossy Oak
camouflage wrap picked up second place with a 38.46. On board was David
Markham, Eric Schwab, Joe Dan Larrison, and Drew Dean.
John Benkenstein picked up third in class with his Johnny B.
Sixth place in the tournament went to Steve Cole fishing his new 36’
fisharound Mercury powered Contender. They bagged a 49.09 but really
wowed the crowd with a 95 pound wahoo which they brought to the scale.
Seventh place fell to the Texas Sportfishing team who scaled a 48.92
pounder. Jason Nolan, Tommy Nolan, Paul Drott, Deena Davis, and Kendra
Jones fish for the Fountain dealer who bears the same name as the boat.
Jose Reyes and Bill Platt along with Aaron Reagan, Mark Bledsoe, and
Ian Jones earned eighth for the Papotanic, a 36’ Yamaha powered
Contender. Jones caught a 48.78 which earned him Top Junior honors. It
was his first tournament.
Tony Dugue picked up ninth in his new Triton named Skeezer with a
47.49 while Philip Schoppe’s Doghouse earned tenth with a 46.95.
Congratulations to all who participated in the Teakwood Marine event.

FINAL STANDINGS:

1. FORCE 10 56.42
McKee Craft ... Evinrude
Chris Machacek
Terry Pool
Darrell Rittiman
D.J. Kuchar
2. TEAM YELLOWFIN 55.94
Yellowfin ... Yamaha
John Thomas Dusek
Pat Varga
Duane Davis
Heather Niles
3. LURED AWAY 54.38
Donzi .... Mercury
Bobby Schoenfeld
Albert Vrazel
WinHaggard
J.C. Garrett
Sharon Kamp
Carla Schoenfeld
4. TEXAS CONTENDER 50.25
Contender ... Yamaha
Brett Donahoe
Brian Gaudin
Danny Atchison
5. TANGLED LINES 49.58
Grady White ... Yamaha
Frank Stockstill
Evan Stockstill
Jordan Stockstill
6. MAVERICK 49.09
Contender ... Mercury
Steve Cole
Cliff Mountain
Ken Yarbrough
David Kennedy
7. TEXAS SPORTFISHING 48.92
Fountain ... Mercury
Jason Nolan
Tommy Nolan
Paul Drott
Deena Davis
Kendra Jones
8. PAPOTANIC 48.78
Contender ... Yamaha
Jose Reyes
Bill Platt
Aaron Reagan
Marc Bledsoe
Ian Jones
9. SKEEZER 47.49
Triton ... Mercury
Tony Dugue
Ray Madden
Eric Cullen
John Watson
10. DOGHOUSE 46.95
Pro Kat ... Honda
Philip Schoppe
Gabe Siegel
Jenaro Estrada

CLASS OF 23:

1. INSTA-GATOR 44.99
Triton ... Yamaha
David Marshall
Patrick Nicosia
John Saik
Doug Sweeney
2. MOSSY OAK 38.46
McKee Craft ... Evinrude
David Markham
Eric Schwab
Joe Dan Larrison
Drew Dean
3. JOHNNY B 31.83
Contender ... Yamaha
John Benkenstein
Joey Schmid
Andy Romano

TOP LADY ANGLER ........... Heather Niles .... Team Yellowfin TOP JUNIOR ANGLER ..... Ian Jones .... Papotanic