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Fourchon, Louisiana - Division 7 anglers started the year off at the Tenth Annual Kajun Sportsman King Classic, and the Upper Gulf provided four 50-pounders to top the leaderboard. It was a great event for Mercury, as their boats took all four of those 50s. But more precisely, it was an incredible weekend for Team Fountain / Mercury, as they took the top three spots with Team Leader Alden Thornton of Team Hooters leading the charge with a 56.29.

Captain Thornton headed the 38’ Mercury powered Fountain to the same spot both days in search of a monster Gulf king, and he wasn’t disappointed. Fishing the ST 171 platform, he and his crew of Mike “Radar” Collins, Dwayne Paugh, David Pennington and Alison Perkins were having a great day of it, and had hooked up six smaller fish before their big one hit at 10:15. Nailing a ribbon 33 feet down in 100 feet of water, David was the man of the hour as he muscled the big fish to the boat and Mike’s waiting gaff. “I’ve never gaffed one that big before,” Mike admitted. “I was coming hard with the second gaff, but he didn’t need it, Mike’s tough,” reported Captain Thornton. Team Hooters kept fishing, and although they couldn’t beat that huge 56-pounder, they did manage a good 40-pound cobia and had a sailfish hook-up, too. “He tail-walked the whole way across the front of the boat,” smiled Thornton. So after earning top honors to take home the 21’ Yamaha powered Contender, what’s the Team Hooters secret? “We had our good luck charm on board. It was Alison’s first time fishing with us and she made Top Lady Angler,” smiled Thornton.  I’ve known teams that wouldn’t change their socks after a win this big, so you can bet Team Hooters will be doing everything they can to keep their good luck charm on the boat. Congratulations to Team Hooters on a great multiple victory, and watch out for this team, Thornton has his new Fountain 38’ Open on the way.

Captain Richard Fabrizi’s Team ProMarineUSA.com / Wise Guy took second place in the event, and while Fabrizi couldn’t make it, co-Captain Brian Brandano and Danny Condron represented well by bringing a 54-pounder to the scales on day one. “We were on our way to the Ship’s Shoal, but were having a rough time of it and stopped at the South Tem,” reported Brandano. “She hit the second bait out, a blue runner on the way down.” It was a short 20-minute fight, and by 9:30 the team had their slab in the bag. “Then we fished our way back,” concluded Brandano. The team hopped a few rigs, but knowing what a smoker they had the team was one of the first to weigh-in. “54.91 pounds,” was the weighmaster’s call, securing second place for Team ProMarineUSA.com / Wise Guy. “Captain Fabrizi has got a new boat coming, so we’ll have to see where we’re fishing next,” reported Brandano. Save a spot on that new transom, the team is taking home a brand new 250hp Yamaha outboard for that 54-pounder.

Rounding out the Fountain / Mercury sweep of the top 3 is Captain Robby Brown and the Miss LA. Captain Robby and Bob Brown and David Jones caught their big mackerel fishing platform 198 in 139 feet of clear blue water. A hardtail on the surface was the bait of the day, and at 9:30 David found himself with a screaming rod in his hands. He made short work of that king, and at the scale she would prove to tip the electronic needle to 51.47 pounds. “We’ve got to thank Devocean, we had a line wrapped around our prop, and they really helped us out,” reported Brown. That fish named Robert the Top Senior Angler of the event as well.

Hailing from Fairhope, Alabama, Captain Van Woodham and his 35’ Mercury powered Endurance, the Cavalla, are up next, landing a huge 50.24-pounder on day one. Accompanied by Mike Gauster and Richie Ladnier, Captain Woodham decided to fish 40 miles due south of the inlet, and the team found themselves deep in kingfish. “We were catching lots of fish in the 40-pound range,” reported Woodham. At 10:00 a hardtail on top was smashed, and the crew got to work. “I couldn’t even tell you who grabbed the rod, we’re just so used to working as a team it was in the boat before I knew it,” smiled Woodham. After getting a good eyeball on the fish the team had to know they had a serious contender, but they weren’t taking any chances and kept fishing. At the scales their big king would prove to be the last 50-pounder, securing the fourth place position. “We’re very happy with it, but I think we had an even bigger one hooked up on Saturday,” reported Woodham. You hate to lose a fish like that, and you know this team will be fishing hard to make it up at their next event in Cypress Cove.

North Carolina big king record holder Captain Andy Hinton and the crew of Hot Grits round out the top five with a 49.29-pounder. Captain Hinton, David Stallings, Al Morris, Ned Gredy and Brent Bunn were working the 32’ Mercury powered Donzi at a section of the Ships Shoals. “We went back to the same rig we had been pre-fishing on and had caught a 60,” reported Hinton. “There’s a group of about 10-12 rigs within a three-mile radius there. The water clarity had changed a bit, so we headed a little east to where the water changed to cobalt blue and that’s when two rods went off.”  It was the king of double hook-ups as David grabbed the rod to work their big 49-pounder in while Al worked what would turn out to be a 37-pounder and their second fish to weigh for the previous Pro tournament. At the docks the Hot Grits team weighed over 87 pounds of kingfish to the tune of a fifth place, $2,500 finish for this Raleigh, North Carolina team.

Sixth place fell to Ft. Pierce’s Captain Ron Mitchell and the Bandit crew. “We were fishing the Grand Isle block where we had caught some high 50s pre-fishing,” reported Mitchell. Captain Mitchell, Curt Johnson, David Pendergraft and Tom Kenny worked the area hard in their 36’ Yamaha powered Contender, and Ron pulled a 49.09 from the Gulf waters on day one.

Captain Roger Wallace and his Fortunate crew bagged a 48.44-pounder on day two, one of the few teams to find a money-fish on Saturday, to take seventh place honors. Captain Wallace of Pensacola, Florida, Mike Parker, Donnie Shear and Nick Millsap fished their 34’ Mercury powered Yellowfin to the victory. The Sweet Caroline II, Captain Ronald Hildum’s 38’ Mercury powered Donzi, is up next. Captain Ron and Ronnie Hildum of Green Cove Spring, Florida, along with Alan Kumm, Mike Syrakis, Jr. and Matt Everett reeled in a 48.33 on Friday but couldn’t beat that smoker on Saturday. The Sweet Caroline II also bagged the third-largest wahoo, a 68.44-pounder.

The Speculator was another one of the few boats that landed a leaderboard-worthy fish on Saturday, a 48.25-pounder for ninth place. Hailing from Baton Rogue, Louisiana, Captain George Simon, Jason LeBlanc and Mike and Rhonda Allen fish a 27’ Yamaha powered Contender. The Mobile, Alabama team Kwazar rounds out the top ten. Captain Marcus and Tyler Kennedy along with Billy Young, Max Williams and Field Hucks navigated their 33’ Yamaha powered Contender to a 47.91-pounder, also naming Tyler the Top Junior Angler.

The 2004 Division 7 Class of 23’ champions, Quietus, found a whopping 46.45-pounder on day one to lead the Class boats in Fourchon. Fishing their 23’ Mercury powered Yellowfin at South Tem 86, Captain David Rogers, J.J. Gilmore and Jason Andrews were finding lots of fish on day one. “We had a good bite when it was early,” reported Captain Rogers. At 9:30 Andrews was on the rod with a heavy fish, and a quick five minutes later Captain Rogers had already gaffed her and slid the big fish in the bag. Top honors in the Class of 23’ were good for a $3,000 check to take home to Theodore, Alabama. Watch out for this team, you know they will be working hard to regain their title at their next event, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.

Captain Mike Smith’s Reel Gator, a 23’ Mercury powered Fountain out of Redington Shores, Florida, is up next in the Class with a 45.71-pounder. Captain Smith brought along Jeremy Bonnell, of the red-hot St. Petersburg team Bandit, maybe hoping a little luck would rub off. It may have been luck, but it was more likely this duo’s skill as they brought in a 45.71-pounder for second place honors and a check for $2,500. Third place in the Class went to Captain Jamie and Paulette Soileau and Tony Dugue on the Morgan Renee. Fishing a 23’ Honda powered Pro-Line, Captain Soileau and crew nailed a 40.55 to take the victory home to Larose, Louisiana.

The Top Producer, the Dees family boat, took top honors in the snapper category, landing an 18.15-pounder on day one. Captain Mike, Jeff, Sheree and Jenny Dees caught that snapper fishing their 36’ Yamaha powered Contender 45 miles to the south of check-out.  Captain Steve McMullen, Mike Hart, Jim Madden and Rian Lafon took the top spot in the wahoo competition, nailing a huge 77.59-pounder on their 31’ Yamaha powered Cape Horn, Airborne.

As always, Captain Anthony Toups and his family and staff at the Kajun Sportsman put on a great show and a great Divisional opener in Fourchon. After the devastation of Katrina and all the subsequent repairs and rebuilding, one might have predicted this tournament to cut back on all the food and festivities. That’s just not Toups’ style. Anglers were treated to the incredible prime rib dinner at the Captain’s meeting with a huge shrimp and crawfish meal on Friday. In addition, although the field was short of the boats required for the advertised payouts, Anthony Toups still paid out the full cash prizes, a fact loudly heralded by the fisherman at the awards ceremony. A great start to Division 7 competition, watch for these Gulf Coast teams to battle it out for Divisional dominance at the 74th Annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo this July.

Final Standings

1.   TEAM HOOTERS .......................... 56.29
      Fountain/Mercury
      Alden Thornton, North Carolina
      Mike Collins
      Dwayne Paugh
      David Pennington
      Alison Perkins

2.   PRO MARINE 2 / WISE GUY......... 54.91
      Fountain/Mercury
      Brian Brandano
      Davy Conderon

3.   MISS LA...................................... 51.47
      Fountain/Mercury
      Robby Brown
      Bob Brown
      David Jones

4.   CAVALLA..................................... 50.24
      Endurance/Mercury
      Van Woodham
      Mike Gauster
      Richie Ladnier

5.   HOT GRITS.................................. 49.29
      Donzi/Mercury
      Andrew Hinton III
      David Stallings
      Al Morris
      Ned Gredy
      Brent Bunn

6.   BANDIT....................................... 49.09
      Contender/Yamaha
      Ron Mitchell
      Curt Johnson
      David Pendergraft
      Tom Kenny

7.   FORTUNATE................................ 48.44
      Yellowfin/Mercury
      Roger Wallace
      Mike Parker
      Donnie Shear
      Nick Millsap

8.  SWEET CAROLINE II.................... 48.33
      Donzi/Mercury
      Ronald Hildum
      Ronnie Hildum
      Alan Kumm
      Mike Syrakis Jr.
      Matt Everett

9.  SPECULATOR............................... 48.25
      Contender/Yamaha
      George Simon
      Jason LeBlanc
      Mike Allen
      Rhonda Allen

10.  KWAZAR.................................... 47.91
      Contender/Yamaha
      Marcus Kennedy
      Billy Young
      Max Williams
      Tyler Kennedy
      Field Hucks

CLASS OF 23:

1.  QUIETUS...................................... 46.45
     Yellowfin/Mercury
     David Rogers Jr.
     J.J. Gilmore
     Jason Andrews

2.  REEL GATOR................................. 45.71
     Fountain/Mercury
     Mike Smith
     Jeremy Bonnell

3.  MORGAN RENEE............................ 40.55
     Pro Line/Honda
     Jamie Soileau
     Paulette Soileau
     Tony Dugue

TOP LADY
ALISON PERKINS................................ TEAM HOOTERS

TOP JUNIOR
TYLER KENNEDY.................................. KWAZAR

 

WAHOO:

1.  AIRBORN....................................... 77.59
2.  SEA CRUISER................................ 75.96
3.  SWEET CAROLINE.......................... 68.44

SNAPPER:

1.  TOP PRODUCER............................. 18.15
2.  BIG D........................................... 17.20