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Treasure Island, Florida - After a fairly calm season in Division 6, Mother Nature decided she had to get in the last word at the season finale, the Gator’s King Mackerel Tournament, November 3rd and 4th. While the beach was a fishable one-foot chop, a 25 to 30 mph wind blowing hard out of the northeast was stacking waves from eight to ten feet. Teams were forced to scramble, changing strategies and weighing the wisdom of making the run out to their favorite spots.

“With the wind blowing so hard out of the northeast we decided to fish the beach,” reported Captain Mark Vaughan of the Reel Crazy team. Mark was joined by Robert and Kamri Vaughan on the 24’ Mercury powered Cape Horn for the day’s fishing. “We were trolling just a little south of Redington Beach on the Hook,” continued Vaughan. The team had chummed up a good slick and was working the area in 22 feet of water with a good spread of small bait when their tournament-winning king nailed a lady fish on the long line at 2:15. “We were hit hard,” smiled Vaughan. It was a good fight for the Reel Crazy team, but the team had the king in the bag and the boat on plane back to the scales by 3:05.

Reaching the scales the team found they already had a hawg to beat: Penny Wise had scaled a good 45-pounder. The Vaughans had to be more than a little nervous, knowing that it may be a close call, but the weighmaster dispelled all fears when he read out “48.56 pounds” to the team and onlookers. Their big king, the largest the team has weighed in competition, proved to take the top spot by over three pounds, earning the Reel Crazy $10,000 and naming Kamri Vaughan the Top Lady Angler for the event as well.

While they were knocked down one spot, Penny Wise’s 45.52-pound king withstood all other comers to take the second spot. Like many teams, St. Petersburg Beach, Florida’s Captain Jack Penny and team were forced to make some tough decisions as a result of the rough weather. “We had our spot picked out but didn’t know if we would make it,” admitted Captain Penny. “At six miles out we were in four- to five-foot seas and they were building with those winds at 25 knots from the northeast. We still had 55 miles to go, but we went!” The 36’ Yamaha powered Contender “did a fine job” of traversing the chop, and soon had Captain Jack and Mike Penny, Ken, Stevie and Patty Dellane, and Brock Music at their hole. “When we got to our spot the seas were a solid eight to ten feet,” reported Penny, but the Penny Wise team didn’t let it deter them. Trolling in 78 feet of water a blue runner on a long line was smashed at 10:45, and the battle was on. “We had a hard fight with the water conditions but everything went just right,” said Penny.

This was an important fish for the Penny Wise team. Besides taking second place and Top Junior Angler in the event, that king sealed the deal on the Division, naming the team Open Class Champions. In addition, the 117.18-pound aggregate named Stevie Dellane the Top Junior Angler and Jack Penny the Top Senior Angler for Division 6. Congratulations, guys.

The Weldon family boat, the Horizon Haze out of St. Petersburg, Florida, is up next in third place. “We decided to move from Tampa Bay to the beach,” reported Captain Chuck Weldon. “We had started at Blind Pass and had a few small fish in the boat. Then we got some info about Redington Beach and decided to pick up the lines.” Captain Chuck, Christopher, Jessica and Jason Weldon soon had their 34’ Mercury powered Fountain off to the Hook. “There were a few boats there so we decided to troll a quarter-mile off the pier,” continued the Captain. Trolling in 25 feet of water a blue runner in the prop was nailed and the king was off to the races. “After a 300-yard run it was a fast gaff, we put her in the bag and went to the scale.” At the weigh-in the Weldons learned they had just missed the 40-pound mark with a solid 39.44-pounder. That third place fish also placed the Horizon Haze in eighth Divisionally, and placed Jessica second in the Lady Angler race, just missing top honors by less than two pounds.

Captain Ron Kien’s Pro Marine / Wiseguy II is up next, fourth with a 35.92-pounder. Captain Ron and Morgan Kien and Danny Condron fish a 35’ Yamaha powered Wellcraft out of Largo, Florida, and started the day working a few spots off Tampa Bay with no luck. “We decided to move to a spot that had given us good fish before, The Drop, just off the beach,” said Captain Kien. Working that area the team already had a mid-20s in the bag and had released five smaller kings when their big king came, nailing a blue runner on a medium line in 17 feet of water. “We had a good fight on our hands for 30 minutes, and were thinking it was much larger than it was. But we were still very happy with the fish when she came to the boat.” They should be pleased, that fish seated them in fifth for the Division headed to Ft. Pierce.

St. Petersburg, Florida’s Jaybird team rounds out the top five with a 35.84-pound king. Captain Jay Mastry, John Young, Glenn Carr, Katie Grote and Karen Nash make up this team that fishes a 26’ Mercury powered Calcutta. “Well, it’s no secret where we were. It’s my favorite spot, The Hole, in Tampa Bay,” reported Mastry. The team already had a low 20-pounder in the bag, and was trolling in 75 feet of water when their big king hit a blue runner on the long line at 3:00. “It was a really quick fight. We were thinking it was a much smaller fish, so when she came to the boat we were very happy,” smiled Mastry. “Everybody knows this spot, but it’s been very good to me through the years.” Good indeed, that last fish propelled the Jaybird into the top 20 and qualification for the Nationals.

Captain Matt Tarrance led the Idle Time to a sixth place finish. Fishing a 31’ Yamaha powered Fountain, Tarrance and crew landed a 35.36-pounder for the position.

Two 34.64-pounders round out the SKA sweep of the top eight. Captain Tony Morrison’s Ocean Waves landed the first of the pair to take seventh place. Morrison was joined by Dave and Tim Travis and Rob Campbell on the 25’ Mercury powered Hydra-Sport, and posted an incredible 101.82-pound three-fish aggregate with that king to take second in Division 6. Great job, guys.

Team K.O. had the next 34.64-pounder, weighed just a little later to take eighth place overall, but more importantly, first place in the Class of 23’. Indian Shores, Florida’s Captain John Ford was joined by Mike and Brian Burnett in the victory. “With most of the fleet going to the beach or fishing the ditch we elected to fish about five miles north of Redington Beach,” said Ford. The team tried a few spots in the area, but time was running out, and the fishbox in their 23’ Yamaha powered Contender was still empty. Finally, at 3:10 their mullet on a medium line was hit and the team hurried the king aboard to race back to the scales. The team’s only fish of the day proved to be their biggest of the year, propelling them up the standings to third, a little icing on the cake to their Class victory.

Non-members Golden Boat Lifts and White Rhino round out the top ten with a 33.12 and a 32.96, respectively.

In the Junior Angler race Anthony Alvarez took second place honors landing a 29.76-pounder on the Suncoast Marine / Ventaja boat, earning him fourth place Junior Angler status for the Division. The Reel Knotty’s Zachary Luz and Tanner Zellmer tied for the third position with a 20.40-pounder. Zachary and Tanner added up a great 74-pound three-fish aggregate to share second place Junior Angler honors for the Division with that king. Great fishing, guys.

Running from the beginning of April to November, Division 6 boasts the longest season of any SKA Division. With an intense run of four tournaments over seven weeks, it’s a very long, dramatic wait for these teams to finalize the season here in Treasure Island. Check out all the action of the Division 6 race in the wrap-up this issue.

Gator’s KFC Final Standings

1.   REEL CRAZY......................................... 48.56
      Cape Horn/Mercury
      Mark Vaughan
      Robert Vaughan
      Kamri Vaughan

2.   PENNY WISE........................................ 45.52
      Contender/Yamaha
      Jack Penny
      Ken Dellane
      Stevie Dellane
      Mike Penny
      Patty Dellane
      Brock Music

3.   HORIZON HAZE.................................... 39.44
      Fountain/Mercury
      Charlton “Chuck” Weldon
      Christopher Weldon
      Jessica Weldon
      Jason Weldon

4.   PRO MARINE/WISEGUY II.................. 35.92
      Wellcraft/Yamaha
      Ron Kien
      Morgan Kien
      Danny Condron

5.   JAYBIRD.............................................. 35.84           
      Calcutta/Mercury
      Jay Mastry
      John Young
      Glenn Carr
      Katie Grote
      Karen Nash

6.   IDLE TIME........................................... 35.36
      Fountain/Yamaha
      Matt Tarrance

7.   OCEAN WAVES..................................... 34.64
      Cigarette/Suzuki
      Tony Morrison
      Dave Travis
      Tim Travis
      Rob Campbell

8.   TEAM K.O............................................. 34.64
      Contender/Yamaha
      John Ford
      Mike Burnett
      Brian Burnett

9.   Golden Boat Lifts................................... 33.12

10. White Rhino........................................... 32.96

Class of 23’

1.   TEAM K.O............................................ 34.64

2.   Entropy.................................................30.16

3.   Money Shot...........................................28.56

SKA Top Lady Angler
Kamri Vaughan........................................... Reel Crazy

SKA Top Junior Anglers
Sponsored by Johnston Jewelers

1st Stevie Dellane........................................Penny Wise
2nd Anthony Alvarez, Jr............................... Suncoast Marine/Ventaja
3rd Zachary Luz & Tanner Zellmer................ Reel Knotty