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The Delph Fishing Team Takes Division 11’s Open Class for Second Year in a Row!
by Ian Warner

The Key West team of Mike, Billy, and Rob Delph racked up another incredible aggregate to earn top honors for Division 11: 122.52-pounds. While the total in and of itself isn’t quite so remarkable, the fact that this is only a two fish aggregate is. Had the Delphs been able to land even a mid-thirties fish on their 36’ Mercury powered Yellowfin in Sarasota, they would have broken the SKA Florida aggregate record of 153.91-pounds that they set last year in this division. However, as anyone who fished that tournament will attest to, the weather was truly conspiring against the anglers that weekend. As it stands, their whopping 67.13 from Naples and the 55.39 they landed at Marco Island were enough to edge out Penny Wise by less than three pounds and earn the Delph Fishing Team first place for the second year running. First place in the open class and top Mercury boat earns the brothers free entry and lodging at this year’s National Championships, and don’t think they’re going to miss it!

Had Penny Wise been able to land any weighable fish at Sarasota they would be the new Division 11 champions. Captain Jack Penny, son Mike, Ken Dellane, son Steve, and Brian Brandano comprise a consistent team that had a beauty of a fish at Marco Island, a 63.30-pounder, and the tournament winning 56.69-pound king at Naples. This team, fishing a 36’ Yamaha powered Contender, really had a good shot at the title. They knew that they had to fish hard at Sarasota, but you can’t fight nature, and the conditions just weren’t there. However, their two big kings totaling 119.99-pounds were enough to earn Steve Dellane top Junior Angler honors in Division 11 as well as the team’s second place finish to take home to St. Petersburg Beach.

Another very consistent fishing team takes third place for the division, Captain Mark Wicker’s team Digestible. Hailing from Ft. Meyers Beach, Digestible took second place in this division last year. This is one of only two teams that managed to land fish in all three of the division’s tournaments. After landing a 40.14-pound king and narrowly missing the top ten by .02-pounds in Marco Island, Captain Mark, Rhonda Wicker, Jerry and Sarah Stephenson knew they had to dig deep and really fish hard in the next two tournaments. They came back with a vengeance at Naples and Sarah landed a 50.82-pounder on the first day of competition to earn the team fifth and put them in seventh in divisional standings. Still not satisfied, the team decided to put their 36’ Yamaha powered Contender through its paces and made the long run from Sarasota to Naples through eight-foot chop in the final tournament to earn second place with a 23.25-pounder. That final fish moved them up to third with a 114.21 aggregate and garnished Rhonda Wicker Division 11’s top Lady Angler title.

Captain Mark Liberman and Team Yellowfin landed two whoppers to secure fourth place in their 36’ Mercury powered Yellowfin. Mark, Wylie Nagler, Rob Lynch, and Joe Winslow landed one of the three 60-pounders at Marco Island, a 65.32, to earn second place. At Naples they gaffed a 47.34-pound king for sixth and were virtually tied for third divisionally with Team Chaos by one-third of a pound. With the weather conspiring against them in their hometown of Sarasota and Digestible landing a fish there, the team was knocked down to fourth with their 112.66 aggregate. This team keeps improving after their seventh place standing divisionally last year, and will definitely be a boat to watch out for this year at the Nationals.

Rounding out the top five is Team Chaos, a Sebastian, FL, team and last year’s third place in the division. Fishing aboard a 31’ Mercury powered Yellowfin, Captain Dan Hess, Bill Wummer, Don Lamb, and Ryan Lee took fourth at Marco Island with a 58.19 and managed third at Naples with a 54.20-pounder. Their 112.39 aggregate was just edged out by Team Yellowfin, but still good for fifth.

Making the trip from Deleon Springs, FL, Greg Samuel’s King Pin took sixth with two nice 50-pounders on his 31’ Yamaha powered Contender. Samuel, Carl Carder, Billy Chilson, and Bob Lail hooked a 52.39 at Marco Island for sixth and a 51.81 at Naples for fourth, narrowly missing their aggregate from last year by just over a pound with a 104.20.

Devocean, a local team from Sarasota Captained by Scott Routh and crewed by son Adam and Brent Klein fish aboard a 36’ Mercury powered Yellowfin. The team had a strong start with a 54.41-pounder at Marco Island, followed that up with a good 42.47 at Naples, and finished the division with a 96.88 aggregate for seventh place.

2000’s Angler of the Year Captain David VanLent and the In The Rough team is next in line. Fishing on their 36’ Yamaha powered Contender, David and Rosemary VanLent, Aaron Gesquiere, and Jeff Hall consistently placed in the top ten in the first two tournaments, but were confounded by the weather at Sarasota. Weighing in a 48.68 at Marco Island and a 41.50 at Naples leaves them with a 90.18-point aggregate, good for an eighth place divisional prize to take home to Belleair Beach, FL.

Terry Adkins and the Georgian Triple Threat team pulled down ninth place. With Captain Terry, Tim and Robbie Cheek landed a good 46.74-pounder at Marco Island and then followed that up with a 33.02 two weeks later in Naples aboard their 33’ Yamaha powered Hydra-Sports boat. Their 79.76-pound total is good to keep them in the top ten and send them off to Biloxi.

Rounding out the top ten is the mother and son team of Mad Gaffer, from Lake Wales, FL. Fishing aboard a 34’ Mercury powered Fountain Captain Stuart Fitzgerald and Kathie Stuart earned tenth place at Marco Island with a 40.16-pound king, then backed that up with a 37.38 king during the Naples tournament. Their 77.54 total places them in the top half of Division 11’s National qualifiers, but more importantly secured the title of top Senior Angler for Kathie by over 30-pounds. Congratulations, guys.

For those teams finishing out of the top 20 please keep track of the other divisions. Several of these top 20 teams will be fishing in other divisions or the pros. If they finish higher in another division you will move up in ranking.

As Division 11’s season closes one can only wonder where these consistent and competitive teams will next focus their abilities. With Divisions 6 and 10 heating up in April, more than a few of these teams will likely be seen trolling Ft. Lauderdale, Ft. Pierce, and Treasure Island. Don’t be surprised if they beat you to the scales with a smoker.