>>read
more Mercury Trail stories<<
FORE PLAY PICKS UP BIG WIN IN BOATER'S WORLD TOC
Scott Frye Takes Home Ten Grand and the Title! |
|
| by Jack Holmes |
Jacksonville, Florida - Scott Frye's biggest king in competition in '05 was a 28.75. His Fore Play team did not make the cut for Championship invites. This season he sat in 23rd place in Division 5's Class of 23’ with a three-fish aggregate of 52.58 going into the final event of the season, the Boater's World Tournament of Champions. Now he's $10,000 richer after winning the tournament with a 42.64 and must make ready for Fort Pierce and the Championship. “This is the biggest king we've ever caught,” said Frye who was one of the last boats to weigh. “We went to the Elton Bottom with most of the other boats but didn't have much to show for the run. We were bringing the baits in when she hit a ribbonfish off the downrigger. We had her in the boat within ten minutes thanks to Ed Oldham, but were concerned we couldn't get back by the five o'clock deadline.” The team made it and proved that perseverance pays. Also on the Yamaha powered Sea Pro team was Frye's son Cameron and Lou Smith.
When the scales opened at Sister's Creek Park in Jacksonville, two boats were sitting at the dock waiting to weigh, Low Pressure and the Reel Panic. They followed each other to the scale. Low Pressure won by .65 of a pound and finished second with Reel Panic third.
Ritch Mabry, Jerry Cloer, Mickey Malone and Robbie Bullock ran the Low Pressure to the Elton Bottom area before the sun peeked over the horizon. “We were ready to fish at 6:30 a.m.,” said Mabry. “We had a strong three-hour bite and at 9:30 our second place 41.88 ate a blue runner drug on top. Micky picked up the rod and within just a few minutes she was in the boat.” Their three-fish aggregate of 115.05 will eclipse last year’s winning weight of 109.54 and give them second place honors in the Division. The team fishes a Yamaha powered Contender and picked up $5,000 for second place.
This now gave Bobby Haspel's Reel Panic team third with a 41.23. “We left the dock before the sun came up and were at the Elton Bottom at 7:10 a.m.,” said an excited Haspel. “Man, we needed this fish to get to the Nationals, and I think we should make it. Anyway, she hit a blue runner at 7:20 just as soon as the baits were out. John Atkins did a good job of bringing the fish to the boat.” The Mercury powered Fountain team won $3,500 and ended the season with 79.13 points, enough to get them to Fort Pierce.
The Boater's World Marine Center's event is produced by the SKA. “We do this fun event so anyone needing a good fish to get to the Nationals has the opportunity,” said Bob Flocken, the SKA weighmaster referring to the final event in the Division. “No check-out and anyone who has a fish to weigh must be back at the weigh-in dock at Sister's Creek no later than 5 p.m.” Tournament payouts are based on 100 teams competing. As the event drew 111 boats this years so the purse was raised again, adding an 11th place to the Open Class and a 4th place in the Class of 23’. This is the third year now that the purse has been raised.
In fourth place was David Butler's Season Ticket. David, his son Brad, and Rob Sanders scaled a 38.04 and sealed another top ten finish in the Division. They get credit for their place, however, will be removed as far as qualifying is concerned as the team is already Championship bound due to their Pro status. This is one of the best teams fishing today!
Rounding out the top five in the Open Class was David Myers' Jes Bidness with a nice 35.68. They fished the RL in 60 feet of wate, and caught their king on a squid off the downrigger. Rex Lester pulled the king over the gunwale a little after nine.
Robbie Bishop's Fishbuster picked up the top Class boat honors scaling a nice 33.36 and Robbie's daughter Kristen secured the Top Lady honors. Better yet, the 33-pounder garnered Top Lady honors for Kristen in the Division. The Mercury powered Bluewater team also fished the Elton Bottom area, fishing in 120 feet of water. John Peiffer did the honors at 7 a.m. using a blue runner to entice the king to bite.
Carl Pecora and Kevin O'Meara needed to improve on their three-fish aggregate to insure another trip to Fort Pierce. The All In team needed to get rid of a 12.10 drop-fish and they did with a nice 29.41, good for second place in the Class.
The winners of the 2005 Greater Jacksonville tournament earned third in the Class with a 25.71. William and Bobbi Rew on the Rew Crew II picked up their first finish in this Division this season however are doing better in Division 6 on Florida's west coast.
Randy Smith's Pack Rat pick up the fourth and final money place in the Class. He scaled a 25.71.
Wayne Preeschl's It's A Keeper team earned sixth overall thanks to a nice 31.90. They went from outside the top twenty to seventh in the Open Class with this fish. Never give up!
Seventh place went Organized Chaos. Richard Edmonds won this event last year and came right back and picked up seventh place money this year. Great consistency. They scaled a 31.51 and qualify while John Allbritton's Sumthin Fishy nailed eighth with a 28.63. Christopher Wilson was the event’s Top Junior Angler from the Sumthin Fishy boat.
Shaw Hallman's Git R Done / Team Action Butt nailed a 27.93 for ninth with Bear Croft's Bear Caught right behind them with a 27.56.
Charlie Lyons was the final name on this year's leaderboard, eleventh with a 25.76.
Sea conditions were great and the no check-out with lines in the water at 6:30 gave several boats that picked the right hole good rewards. The SKA received many positive comments on the event. A special thanks to Boater's World Marine Center personnel for all their help with the Captain's meeting, docking boats, and the awards ceremony!
Final Standings
1. FORE PLAY............................ 42.64
Sea Pro/Yamaha
Scott Frye
Lou Smith
Cameron Frye
Ed Oldham
2. LOW PRESSURE.................... 41.88
Contender/Yamaha
Ritch Mabry
Jerry Cloer
Mickey Malone
Robbie Bullock
3. REEL PANIC.......................... 41.23
Fountain/Mercury
Bobby Haspel
Bill Haspel
John Adkins
Greg Haspel
4. SEASON TICKET................... 38.04
Contender/Yamaha
David Butler
Brad Butler
Rob Sanders
5. JES BIDNESS........................ 35.68
Cobia/Yamaha
David Myers
6. IT'S A KEEPER...................... 31.90
Hydra Sports/Yamaha
Wayne Preeschl
Ryan Preeschl
Chuck DeGrove
7. ORGANIZED CHAOS.............. 31.51
Sea Chaser/Honda
Richard Edmonds
Jason Edmonds
Trina Edmonds
Richie Edmonds
Billy Miller
8. SUMTHIN FISHY................... 28.63
Fountain/Mercury
John Albritton Jr.
Shelly Wilson
Josh Higdon
9. GIT-R-DONE......................... 27.93
Contender/Yamaha
Shaw Hallman
Danny Tompkins
Robert Thornton
Steve Ziers
10. BEAR CAUGHT...................... 27.56
Yellowfin/Mercury
Bear Croft
Jack Ross
Rick Dopson
Debbie Portier
11. RIVER MARINE...................... 25.76
Fountain/Mercury
Charlie Lyons
Bill Lange
CLASS OF 23
1. FISHBUSTER......................... 33.36
Bluewater/Mercury
Robbie Bishop
Ricky Bishop
John Peiffer
Kristen Bishop
2. ALL IN.................................. 29.41
Baja/ Mercury
Carl Pecora
Kevin O'Meara
3. REW CREW II....................... 25.71
Carolina Skiff/Yamaha
William Rew
Bobbi Rew
4. PACK RAT............................. 25.71
Mako/Mariner
Randy Smith
John Dibble
Wayne Scarborough Jr.
TOP LADY ANGLER
KRISTEN BISHOP.......................... FISHBUSTER
TOP JUNIOR ANGLER
CHRISTOPHER WILSON................. SUMTHIN' FISHY
SUBWAY SKA JUNIOR ANGLER
BRANDON SHORE......................... FINAL APPROVAL
|