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Galveston, Texas - The Texas Contender team has over the years constantly improved their fishing prowess attaining the status of one of the top teams in the state, and is one of the teams to beat in any tournament they fish. They lived up to their reputation by finishing first in the GYB Bait Center tournament in Galveston, Texas. “We ran seventy miles south of the island and began our search for the big fish,” explained Captain Brett Donnahoe. “We moved around all morning trying to find some fish. It was about 12:30 when we got a strike on a ribbonfish trolled on top. Brian Gaudin picked up the rod and a few minutes later we had what looked like a 50-pounder at the side of the boat.”

Later, at the scale, the official weight was announced, 54.42. The fish was never challenged for the rest of the event and the Texas Contender team had another tournament victory. This fish was bigger than any king they caught last year when they won the Division with 149.75 points. Also on the team are Matt Seymour and Devin Donnahoe who won the event’s Top Junior honors.

David and Jill Turner fishing a Mercury powered Fountain want to win the Rolex watch from Fountain Powerboats for winning a tournament. “We almost made it this week,” said David after scaling a 48.81, good for second place. “We ran a hundred miles and settled on a rig in 147 feet of water. It was a spot we had never fished before but conditions looked good.” Jill bagged the fish at one o'clock using a blue runner dragged on top. “David thought the fish would be deep and he was right,” said Jill after picking up the event’s Top Lady Angler honors. “We had four more that were in the 40-pound range.” Scott Turner picked up the events Top Senior Angler honors and Eric Schwab contributed to the team's efforts.

A name synonymous with winning events all across the southeast, Lured Away, with Captain's Albert Vrazel and Bobby Schoenfeld, picked up a third place slot with a nice 48.75. “Sharon (Kamp) caught this fish fishing 95 miles from Galveston,” explained Schoenfeld. “We were fishing open water and had her in the boat before nine o'clock. We kept on fishing releasing more than 30 of them most, in the 30s, with a couple that would have gone over 40.” Win Haggard and Chico Chamarro also fished the Mercury powered Donzi.

Tommy Nolan's Texas Sportfishing team picked up fourth plus won the Ling category.  “We went 95 miles to the southeast and fished in 120 feet of water,” said Nolan. With Jason and Gary Morris and Mike Reed, the Mercury powered Fountain team caught a nice 46.22 on day two at noon using a blue runner. “We were fishing about a quarter of a mile from an area we've caught fish at before,” added Nolan who also scaled a 48.33 pound Ling to win that category.

Bryant Littlefield's El Pescato team worked their magic to scale a 45.72 to earn fifth. “This really helped us in the Division after not doing so well in the season opener,” said Bryant. “One more good fish and we will move into the Division's top five.

Go Time's Mark Williams earned sixth with a 45.58 while Jose Reyes Papotanic picked up seventh adding 44.21 points to his two-fish aggregate and first in the overall standings for the Division.

David Markham's Mossy Oak team needed day two to pick up the eighth place king, a nice 43.50.

Ken George took his wife Sherry and daughters Amy, Amanda and Erin on their new Mercury powered Triton and moved them into the leaderboard’s ninth slot with a 43.27. It earned Erin and Amy second place in the Junior Angler category.
 
Rounding out the top ten was Kevin Arnold's Catch 22 with a 42.83. Kevin also had the event’s biggest Dolphin, an 18.72, but did not get in the category. In 2 Deep won it with an eleven pounder.

The winner of the Class of 23’ category was Johnny Benkenstein, Jr.'s Johnny B. The team scaled a 35.50.

The Big Chief with Claude Richey at the helm was the second place Class of 23’ boat. His team bagged a 33.28.

GYB Final Standings

1.   TEXAS CONTENDER........................... 54.42
      Contender/Yamaha
      Brett Donnahoe
      Brian Gaudin
      Matt Seymour
      Devin Donnahoe

2.   TURNER LOOSE................................. 48.81
      Fountain/Mercury
      David Turner
      Jill Turner
      Eric Schwab

3.   LURED AWAY.................................... 48.75
      Donzi/Mercury
      Albert Vrazel
      Bobby Schoenfeld
      Sharon Kamp
      Elvin “Chico” Chamorro
      Win Haggard

4.   TEXAS SPORTFISHING...................... 46.22
      Fountain/Mercury
      Jason Nolan
      Tommy Nolan
      Gary Morris
      Mike Reed

5.   EL PESCADO..................................... 45.72
      Contender/Yamaha
      Bryant Littlefield

6.   Go Time............................................. 45.58

7.   PAPOTANIC...................................... 44.21
      Contender/Yamaha
      Jose Reyes
      Bill Platt
      Marc Bledsoe
      Tracy Alcala

8.   MOSSY OAK...................................... 43.50
      McKee Craft/Yamaha
      David Markham
      Drew Dean
      Craig Price
      Darwin Ballard
      Chad Kirby

9.   BLONDIE 2........................................ 43.27
      Triton/Mercury
      Ken George
      Sherry George
      Amanda George
      Erin Reimer
      Amy George

10. CATCH 22......................................... 42.83
      Hydra-Sports/Yamaha
      Kyle Arnold
      Glenn Cook
      Brian Keen
      John Macias

      Class of 23’

1.   JOHNNY B......................................... 35.50
      Contender/Yamaha
      John Benkenstein, Jr.
      John Benkenstein

2.   BIG CHIEF........................................ 33.28
      Sea Hunt/Yamaha
      Claude Richey
      Carrie Panacek
      Dezarei Richey
      Natasha Dean
      Brian Panacek

3.   FUBAR.............................................. 30.77
      Fountain/Mercury
      Louie DeHaes
      Chuck Richey
      Donna Richey
      Kelly DeHaes

SKA Top Lady Angler
Jill Turner................................................ Turner Loose

SKA Top Junior Anglers
Sponsored by Texas Sportfishing Yacht Sales & Fountain Powerboats
1st Devin Donnahoe................................. Texas Contender
2nd Erin Reimer & Amy George..................Blondie 2
3rd Jonah Tannos.................................... Reel Thing