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The Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament is one of the largest and most highly attended North Carolina fishing tournaments each year. This year proved no different, as 343 boats registered to fish in the annual event's 22nd year.

The ABKMT is a two-day fishing event, with this year’s fishing days as Friday and Saturday, September 7th through 8th. Friday's high winds and big seas made getting to and landing fish tough, but many teams succeeded in bringing big kings to the scales despite the nasty weather. Saturday was somewhat milder, and also saw a good number of fish caught. However, the top three finishers found their big kings on Friday.

Waycross, Georgia’s Hammer Time was the overall second place and first place SKA boat, winning over $32,000. Teammates Randy Howell and Johnny Wildes brought a 32.40-pound king to the scales aboard the 31' Contender powered by 250 hp four-stroke Yamaha motors.

The Hammer Time crew didn't pre-fish for the Atlantic Beach tournament, so their first trip out was in the rain on Friday. They headed out for the 1700 Rock, with the decision based on tips from local friends. It was too rough to fish comfortably when they arrived at the Rock, so the team decided to head inshore to the jetty in search of calmer water.

The Hammer Time got their big bite pulling a naked mullet on the long line around 10:30 on Friday. They were fishing with a number of other boats at the jetty rocks when the fish hit. Wildes took the rod after the bite, and he settled in for what Howell called “the shortest kingfish fight of my life.”

“The fish never pulled drag the first time,” added Howell. The 32-pounder merely swam in a lazy circle towards the bow of the Contender, with Wildes gaining line on it. At the bow, Howell met the king with a gaff and swung it aboard less than three minutes after the bite.

Catching bait on Friday morning presented no problem for Howell and Wildes, as they easily filled the live well with mullet and pogies. The 32-pound fish was the only king they landed Friday, but they were kept busy by spanish mackerel and small sharks.

The Hammer Time crew would like to express gratitude to sponsors Howell Roofing, Wildes Development Group and Eldridge Hardware. Howell also wished to thank Barrington Page of the Bear Cat team for inviting them to come to North Carolina and fish this tournament.

Ashley Jones and the Miss Teny team, out of Walstonburg, North Carolina, was the second place SKA boat with a 30.85-pound king. They also topped the SKA Class of 23'. Ashley and Mark Jones caught their fish Friday while battling six- to eight-foot seas and northeast winds gusting at 18 to 20 knots. The Miss Teny is a 23' Palmetto powered by 150 hp Mercury motors. The Jones brothers returned to Walstonburg with a check for $16,584.

The Miss Teny king ate a bluefish on top around 11:20 on Friday. The Jones team had cut off the motors and were drifting and chumming around 30 Minute Rock when the fish struck. The king hit  hard, and Mark picked up the rod. That fish stayed right on the surface and made several long runs. While Mark was able to get the fish close enough to see color for much of the fight, the king was hooked for 30 minutes before he could bring it within gaff range. When that threshold was finally crossed, Ashley gaffed the fish and brought it aboard the Palmetto.

On Thursday, the Miss Teny crew pre-fished, looking for big fish. However, according to Ashley Jones the pre-fishing “only told us where not to go.”

On Friday, they had a plan. Ashley Jones explained, “We wanted to hit a little hole up north, but the water didn't look right. So we went to a new spot.” The new spot paid off, as the 30.85-pound king also put the team on top of the leaderboard for the SKA Division 2 Class of 23' race.

The Jones team cast netted some bluefish and menhaden, but they were forced to buy some bait as well.
Small kings and a few sharks rounded out Miss Teny’s catch on Friday. Ashley Jones wished to thank the family farm, Jones Fruit and Produce Farm, for making it possible for the team to fish this event.

The Ocean Athlete team of Skip Conklin, Sandy Conklin and Jay Russell captured overall fourth and third place SKA by weighing a 29.95-pound king on Saturday. Sandy Conklin was also the top SKA Lady Angler in the event. A check for $3,260 rewarded the Ocean Athlete crew for their finish.

Their fish ate a naked pogy on top at 1:45 on Saturday. The Ocean Athlete, a Mercury powered 28' Privateer, was trolling at 30 Minute Rock with a number of other boats when they got the strike. Russell fought the fish, but not for very long, as Conklin gaffed it within five minutes of the bite. Skip Conklin described the fourth place king mackerel's struggle as “very polite, which was good because there was a crowd out there.”

The Ocean Athlete found bait fairly easily on Saturday in the hook of Cape Lookout. Skip Conklin wished to express gratitude to sponsors Mercury Motors and Outback Marine of Morehead City, NC.

The fourth place SKA team and $1956 went to Theodore Mercer and the Reel Weiner, from Jacksonville, North Carolina. Mercer and his teammates showed up at the weigh-in on Saturday with a 27.30-pound king mackerel aboard the Reel Weiner, a 30' Mercury powered Fountain.

A gold skirted pogy accounted for the Reel Weiner’s mossback, which bit around 2:00 on Saturday. The team was trolling around the Southeast Bottoms out of Swansboro when the fish bit. After striking, the king tore nearly all of the 350 yards of line off the angler's reel. The team chased the fish down, and following the huge run, the fight ended quickly. Mercer estimated it was no more than 15 minutes after the bite that he was able to gaff the fish.

In addition to the fourth place king, the Reel Weiner had a very unusual catch for these waters. After a long fight, the team brought in and subsequently released an eight-foot, six-inch great white shark estimated to be at least 400 pounds. Biologists looking at a series of photos of the shark had no doubt as to its identity.

The Sea Drag'N team, out of Atlantic Beach, was the fifth place SKA boat. Al Morris, Jr., Al Morris, Sr., Lauren Morris and teammate Brent Bunn brought a 26.85-pound king to the scales aboard their 28' Mercury powered Privateer. The king earned them a check for $,1304.

The second place SKA Class of 23' boat was New Bern, North Carolina-based Second Catch, with a 19.70-pound king. Burt and Margaret Ferebee were aboard their 23' Mercury-powered Contender.

The Ferebee's mackerel fell for a naked pogy trolled long from the T-top. They were trolling at the 1700 Rock around midday on Friday when the king hit. The fish immediately tore 250 to 300 yards of line off of Margaret's reel. Thinking this was a huge king, Burt turned the Contender upwind and began to give chase. However, once the boat caught up to the fish, it floated to the surface where Burt gaffed it and brought it aboard. The fight lasted less than 10 minutes. The Ferebees would like to thank Avet Reels and Ferebee Marine for making it possible for them to fish these tournaments.

David Jackson aboard the Reel Greedy was the Top SKA Junior Angler, weighing a 26.25-pound king mackerel to earn $500. Second place Junior Angler went to Sterling Casey on the Nail It. Third place was shared by Adam Taylor and Jordan Sullivan, fishing aboard the That's My Dog. The Junior Angler prizes were sponsored by Gregory Poole Marine Power.

Windy, rough weather did not prevent the field of anglers from bringing some nice kings to the scales at Sea Water Marina. Nor did the weather prevent fishing teams and friends from enjoying the festivities: a pork chop dinner courtesy of Murphy-Brown on Friday night and a shag dance party with the Band of Oz at the awards on Saturday.

Boater's World, Murphy-Brown, Sea Tow and Miller Lite, the tournament’s major sponsors, make the Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament and its nightly activities possible. Proceeds from the Atlantic Beach King Mackerel Tournament benefit both the Carteret County Sportfishing Association and the Atlantic Beach Fire Department.

Atlantic Beach Final Standings

1.   Out of Reach.................................................. 37.65

2.   HAMMER TIME.............................................. 32.40
      Contender/Yamaha
      Randy Howell
      Johnny Wildes
      Brock Music

3.   MISS TENY................................................... 30.85
      Palmetto/Mercury
      Ashley Jones
      Mark Jones

4.   OCEAN ATHLETE.......................................... 29.95
      Privateer/Mercury
      Skip Conklin
      Sandy Conklin

5.   REEL WEINER............................................... 27.30
      Fountain/Mercury
      Ned Mercer

6.   SEA DRAG’N................................................. 26.85
      Privateer/Mercury
      Al Morris, Jr.
      Brent Bunn
      Al Morris, Sr.
      Lauren Morris

7.   REEL GREEDY............................................... 26.25
      Scarab/Yamaha
      Randall Edens
      George Edens
      David Jackson
      Mike Jackson

8.   Hat Trick........................................................ 25.55

9.   Miss Hailey..................................................... 24.70

10. FISHIN’ PHYSICIAN..................................... 24.30
      Contender/Suzuki
      Dr. Kendall Suh
      Jim Akins

Class of 23’
1.   Amelia Ann..................................................... 23.65
2.   Fish Market..................................................... 21.75
3.   Hit-N-Run....................................................... 21.20

SKA Top Lady Angler
Sandy Conklin...................................................... Ocean Athlete

SKA Top Junior Anglers
Sponsored by Gregory Poole Marine Power

1st David Jackson................................................. Reel Greedy
2nd Sterling Casey............................................... Nail It
3rd Adam Taylor & Jordan Sullivan......................... That’s My Dog