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Ft. Pierce, Florida-- In ten years of competitive kingfishing, the team aboard Loose Lucy has learned three things: be flexible, be versatile and be prepared.
It’s not the scout’s motto, but it was part of the winning formula for the Charleston, South Carolina crew during late April’s Yellowfin Boats/Mercury Outboards Kingfish Classic held in Fort Pierce. Loose Lucy found a 50.50-pound kingfish in the weather-shortened tournament to rake in the tournament’s $30,000 cash prize, another $40,000 for winning the Pro event (see Pro story), Raymarine electronics, a $7,300 Rolex watch for being aboard a Fountain, and lots more.
Team leaders Mike and Susan Kaminsky were unable to attend the event due to prior business commitments leaving Gary and Jim Stecki to represent. Then, the team’s 31’ Fountain was sold and the new 38’ Fountain tournament edition had not been delivered yet.
So Gary Stecki picked up the phone and called fellow Division 3 competitor Jay Robertson to see about combing forces aboard his 34’ Fountain for the second event on the Mercury Tournament Trail in Division 10 as well as the second event on the Yamaha Pro Tour.
The trio fished off the Loran Tower, a well-known spot along a several mile long ledge of live coral reef in about 70 feet of water south of St. Lucie Inlet and due east of Hobe Sound. Dozens of boats in the fleet of 132 also chose to start out there. The previous week, many of the big fish caught on day one of the SKA National Championship tournament were also caught there.
After several hours of fishing in the pack, Loose Lucy was getting frustrated. They decided to move out of the pack and that’s when they saw a big king sky on a bait.
“But we could see the fish missed it,” Stecki said. “Then a different rod went off and sure enough, she was on that one.”
Stecki said Jim fought the fish hard for about a half hour before bringing within gaff range for Robertson.
Terry Johnson’s Final Strike out of Jacksonville nabbed a 47.95 and collected runner-up honors in both events, the second straight year with a runner-up finish in Fort Pierce. That still added up to $17,000 cash and a Mercury EFI 225 hp motor. Crawfish/The Real Yellow Pages led by Fernandina Beach’s Kenny Crawford took third in both with a 44.59 winning $1,300, $2,500, and a fish bag package.
Frank Langdon, Kat’s Rival, has fished SKA events and tournaments like the Pompano Beach Rodeo for years. Langdon fishes alone on his 24-foot World Cat having the distinction of being aboard the smallest boat in the Open Class.
In keeping with bucking with conventional wisdom, he turned north Friday morning when everyone else went south. He was in fish all day and was by himself - literally - even after calling friends in to his spot. He caught his fish flying kites in the 20- to 25-knot winds, and one big enough for fourth at 43.87 pounds worth $1,500, which he joked, he doesn’t have to split with anyone else. Langdon also stands fifth in the division with 77.06 pounds.
BG Nole (stands for Belle Glade Seminole) led by Mike Mock took 10th and $500 with a 40.83 despite fishing the snotty seas in a 21-foot Bluewater. Still, Mock and his crew, Kadri and Kori Benton of Fort Pierce, sons of the city’s fishing mayor, Bob Benton, took a huge step towards qualifying for the 2006 SKA National Championships. They take a narrow lead on defending Division 10 Class of 23’ champs Grant Cloughley and Travis Whitfield of No Limits 68.35 to 58.28 pounds. Perennial Class of 23’ Division 10 winner Brute Dusky with Dick Russell sits third at 55.25 pounds.
The Yellowfin Boats/Mercury Outboards Kingfish Classic fishes two weeks after April’s full moon for a good reason: to enable anglers a second chance to score an extra 40 or 50 points in the Division 10 race each year.
Granted, to have a chance at winning the Division, a team really needs to collect a 45-plus fish in Key West. But Fort Pierce is often a pivotal event in the race because 40s are scattered around and there will be a 50 - or even a 60 - caught. A team’s score coming out of Fort Pierce changes they way they fish in the final two events.
Then again, when you catch a 41 in Fort Pierce, and you had a (gulp) 67 in Key West, well then, you’re just plain showing off.
Lured Away, with Albert Vrazel, Bobby Schoenfeld and Sharon Kamp, added 40.99 pounds to the team’s 66.77-pound Hog’s Breath beast for 107.76 pounds in two events in Division 10 this year. It appears as if the Houston, Texas-based crew has already qualified for the 2006 National Championship.
Lured Away fishes aboard a Mercury-powered 38’ Donzi and is sponsored by American Fishing Wire. Even though the 40-pounder was well-received by Lured Away, it only placed ninth in the open tournament.
As is often the case, what Division 10 lacks in sheer numbers of boats, it makes up for in quality of fish. It seems as though the cut line for making nationals in the Open Class might be as high as 92 or 95 pounds this year, judging from all the boats with one fish in the 40s. Over 33 boats have at least one fish larger than 38 pounds to their credit which means two easily doable 27s in Jensen Beach in May and in Canaveral in July can raise that bar high for the top 20.
The SKA also wisely elected to cut back the 2006 season’s second stop on the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour to one day with the National Weather Service using words like “Small Craft Warning”, “seas 10 to 13 feet on a developing ground swell”, and “gale force winds offshore” in its Saturday forecast.
Other teams that were able to score fish to help establish themselves towards the top end of the division standings: Kevin Kates’ Team Sundance Marine added a 25-pounder to go with the Hog’s Breath 64 for second standing 89 pounds. Loose Lucy is third with 85 pounds, and Top Gun led by David Heavenridge of Clearwater has two 40s for 81 pounds.
A team to keep an eye on is Twister, an SKA rookie team from Fort Pierce Captained by Charlie Salter, Jr. In two events, they stand eighth with a respectable 73 pounds and Lady Angler Alma Salter is fishing hard to lead her category. Twister includes Danny Tommie, R.J. Hamilton and Tom Wilson.
Next for teams competing in the SKA’s Southeast Florida division is the Frances Langford Memorial Fishing Tournament May 19-21. Next for SKA pro teams is Fourchon, Louisiana. June 15-17.

Fort Pierce Final Standings

1. LOOSE LUCY ............................ 50.50
Fountain/Mercury
Gary Stecki
Jimmy Stecki
Jay Robertson

2. FINAL STRIKE ......................... 47.95
Yellowfin/Mercury
Terry Johnson
Clyde Keen
Jake Fulmer
David Reddick

3. THE REAL YELLOW PAGES ...... 44.59
Contender/Yamaha
Kenny Crawford
Doreen Fletcher
Bill Bazemore
John Geise

4. KAT’S RIVAL ........................... 43.87
Worldcat/Yamaha
Frank Langdon

5. STRIKE ZONE ......................... 42.45
Donzi/Mercury
Dave Workman Jr.
Rick Stinson

6. PREFERRED MARINE .............. 41.80
Dakota/Mercury
Scott Beattie
Jeff Distefano
Dan Sweet
Cody Beattie
Kirk Beattie

7. USE OF PROCEEDS ................ 41.59
Contender/Yamaha
D. Scott Elliott
Dave Monda
Jon Pearman

8. TOP GUN ............................... 41.17
Donzi/Mercury
David Heavenridge
Ron Kien
Cameron Heavenridge
Christian O'Ryan
Warren Williams

9. LURED AWAY ........................ 40.99
Donzi/Mercury
Albert Vrazel
Bobby Schoenfeld
Elvin “Chico” Chamorro
Sharon Kamp

10. BG NOLE ............................. 40.83
Bluewater/Yamaha
Michael Mock
Kadri Benton
Kori Benton
Chris Langel

11. TWISTER ............................. 40.01
See Vee/Mercury
Charlie L. Salter, Jr.
Danny Tommie
Alma Salter
R.J. Hamilton

12. PENNY WISE ....................... 39.64
Contender/Yamaha
Jack Penny
Ken Dellane
Mike Penny
Steve Dellane

13. TWIN VEE ........................... 39.60
Twin Vee/Suzuki
Charles Chandler
David East
Chris Van Deventer

14. STRAIT SHOT ...................... 38.36
Contender/Yamaha
Scott Dennis
Billy Crabtree
Mark Roberts

15. TWICE THE ICE ................... 26.15
Donzi /Mercury
Ken Thompson
Dusty Walker
Jerry Thomas
Chris Saieg


SKA Top Lady Angler
Doreen Fletcher .................... The Real Yellow Pages

SKA Top Junior Anglers
Sponsored by Bethel Marine Electronics

1st Cody Beattie ................... Preferred Marine
2nd Cameron Heavenridge .... Top Gun
3rd Steve Dellane ................. Penny Wise