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On Saturday, August 26, the Holden Beach Marina hosted the 18th Annual South Brunswick Islands King Classic. There were 117 boats out to fish this year's event, and they were greeted with pleasant weather but tough fishing. The entire field managed to bring only 36 king mackerel to the scales, but the field still caught some heavy fish.

The Calabash, North Carolina team Fish Meister, headed by Dean Spatholt, topped the field by bringing a 42.62-pound king to the weigh-in. The fish put Spatholt atop both the TWT and High Roller's TWT, earning a total check for $15,225, as well as a 225 hp Mercury Optimax outboard worth $13,870.

The first place king ate a naked pogy trolled long around 11:15. The bite came in 65 feet of water east of Cape Lookout Shoals. After the strike, Spatholt grabbed the rod, and the fish took off on a 250-yard run. The big first run sapped the king's energy however, and when the team got the 36' Yamaha powered Yellowfin to the big mackerel, Russell Spatholt was able to sink a gaff in it. Dennis Watson ran the boat throughout the short 12-minute fight.

After putting the fish in the boat, Spatholt pointed the Yellowfin south and began the run to weigh-in, a three-hour run in the ocean that had him coming back inside through Carolina Beach Inlet. Before hooking the winning fish, the Fish Meister team caught several smaller kings.

The team had no difficulty procuring bait on Saturday, cast netting ribbonfish at the Atlantic Beach Bridge and then heading to Harker's Island to catch menhaden. The ribbonfish proved difficult to keep alive in the well, and Spatholt put them on ice.

They used both ribbonfish and pogies in their spread, and the big king decided on a pogy. Spatholt expected to get a big bite on the flashy ribbons. “They looked like a chrome bumper flashing down there,” he said.

Spatholt wished to thank Captain Mark's Chum and Yamaha Outboards for their role in bringing home the win. He also lamented the absence of integral team member David Haines, who was in Florida and unable to fish this event.

The Addiction team, out of Charlotte, North Carolina, secured both the second place SKA boat and second place overall with a 36.01-pound king mackerel. The team, consisting of Captain Jason Deese, Frank Deese, Stephen Kiejewski and Charles Sullivan, had only fished one other tournament in their new 33' Mercury powered Palmetto since upgrading from a 23' Palm Beach.

The fish earned them a check for $5,685 and a boat wrap from JaxWraps worth $5,500. Frank Deese won an additional $300 as the Top Senior Angler.

The team was anchored up and chumming on the Yaupon reef when the 36-pound fish bit around 11:45 Saturday. The king hit a naked pogy beneath a balloon. Frank Deese took the rod following the bite, and he fought the fish to the boat in only 10 minutes. Jason Deese gaffed the fish when it got within range.

Bait was no concern for the Addiction team, as they caught it Friday in the ocean between Ocean Crest Pier and the old Long Beach Pier. Jason Deese wished to thank sponsors CFS Enterprises and Industrial Materials Incorporated.

Third place SKA boat went to the Burgaw, North Carolina team Prime Time, a 32' Mercury powered Donzi, Captained by Jim Milam. The Prime Time team, consisting of Jim, Jason and Jamie Milam, and Matt Decillio, brought a 28.80-pound king to the scales. They took home a check for $4,050 and a Raymarine electronics package valued at $4,500.

The third place king bit a naked pogy on top at 10:30 Saturday morning. The strike came 50 miles southwest of Holden Beach in 70 feet of water. Decillio took the rod for the fight, a battle with the king mostly staying deep and circling the boat. After a long 30-minute fight, Decillio got the king close enough for Jamie Milam to gaff it.

Catching bait took the Prime Time team about an hour Saturday morning, but they finally filled the livewell near Long Beach Pier. The Milams would like to thank Coastal Carolina Marine, Donzi Boats and Mercury Outboards for helping them get to their third place finish.

The fourth place SKA boat was Jeff Page and the Keeping It Reel team from Norwood, North Carolina. The team weighed in a 28.03-pound king to earn a check for $1,560 and a $1,400 pair of Steiner Digital Binoculars.

The Keeping It Reel king bit a double pogy rig trolled in the prop wash of the 27' Yamaha powered Contender. The fish hit around 11:30 in 65 feet of water 50 miles south of Murrell's Inlet. Jared Floyd fought the fish, which made a 200-yard run and stayed deep after biting. Captain Jeff Page chased the fish with the boat, and when it came up, Doug Straining gaffed it to put a close to the 20-minute fight.

Samuel Ottoway's Out of Reach team finished fifth place overall with a 25.45-pound king.

Raleigh, North Carolina’s White Lightning team, Captained by Tim Hudson, took fifth place SKA boat with a 24.45-pound king mackerel. Hudson was fishing with Johnny Lewis and Sammy Ballou aboard White Lightning, a 36' Yellowfin powered by four 275 Mercury Verados. The team took home a check for $2,982, placing second in the High Roller TWT in addition to sixth place overall.

The team was trolling around 30 Minute Rock on the east side of Lookout Shoals when the 24-pound fish bit around 7:30 Saturday. A naked pogy trolled on the surface fooled the king into striking. Lewis took the rod after the fish hit, and settled in for what turned out to be a short fight. It was an easy task for the team to chase the fish down with the big Yellowfin, and when the fish came alongside the boat, Hudson gaffed it.

After the White Lightning fish was in the boat, the team decided to run to the Cape Fear Shipping Channel to look for an even larger fish. The 105-mile run took only one and a half hours at 65 mph. While they didn't find the bigger fish, it was a short run from the river channel to the scales. The White Lightning team would like to express gratitude to sponsors SF Ballou and Tim Hudson's Painting.

Jack Paczosa III and the Done Deal finished atop the Class of 23' field, weighing a 21.72-pound fish. The Class of 23' victory and Class TWT combined to earn Paczosa a check for $2,110. He fished alone Saturday aboard his Mercury powered 23T SeaCraft.

The Done Deal king bit a naked pogy on top around 10:15 Saturday. Paczosa was trolling near the Frying Pan Tower when another fish hit the downrigger at the same time the king bit on top. The downrigger fish went deep, and Paczosa, suspecting it was a shark or amberjack, wisely chose to ignore it and fight the fish that struck on top.

He cleared the downrigger, and fought the king to the boat in approximately 15 minutes. Getting the fish to the boat was only part of the challenge. It took Paczosa three attempts to gaff the fish in the two- to three-foot chop. After putting the king in the boat, he turned his attention to the downrigger rod, and fought an amberjack to the surface.

Paczosa would like to thank his sponsors SeaCraft Boats, Mercury Outboard Motors, Optima Batteries and BOEmarine.com

Second place in the Class of 23' went to the Brothers-In-Law team for a 21.22-pound king mackerel. The fish earned Ted Hammonds and teammates Herb Walker and Tim Wayt, who were all aboard the 21' Yamaha powered Sea Hunt, a check for $1,266.

Their king bit a naked pogy around 9:30 Saturday. The Brothers-In-Law boat was trolling near the Jungle in 65 feet of water. Wayt grabbed the rod when the king struck. The king made three runs during the 15-minute fight and was reluctant to come to the boat. After 15 minutes, Wayt finally got the king close enough for Hammonds to gaff it.

Hammonds described the sea Saturday as “fishable but not run-able.” A close three- to four-foot sea, that changed direction frequently during the day, made for a sound beating for the 21' Brothers-In-Law. Hammonds would like to thank Milam Hardware and Otis Elevators for their sponsorship.

Michelle Evans, fishing aboard The Law was the SKA Top Lady Angler in the event, winning $400 with a 24.12-pound king.

The SKA Top Junior Angler was Braith Lovett, Jr. aboard the God Speed. He brought a 17.21-pound king to the weigh-in.

Tournament organizer Terry Adkins wished to thank sponsors Mercury Marine, JaxWraps and Raymarine for their generous donations of prizes.

He also wished to express gratitude to the following local sponsors for guaranteeing cash prizes: HB Spokes Saloon for the Senior Angler prizes; Wireless Solutions Group for the Lady Angler prizes; Callahan's Nautical Gifts and Dean Spatholt for the Junior Angler prizes; Chatlee Boat and Marine for the Class of 23' prizes; and Sea Tow Ocean Isle for the check-in prizes.

For more information on the South Brunswick Islands King Classic, or on other king mackerel events hosted by Blue Water Promotions, you can visit their website at www.bluewaterpromo.com.

South Brunswick Islands KC
Final Standings

1.   FISH MEISTER...................................... 42.62           
      Yellowfin/Yamaha
      Dean Spatholt
      Dennis Watson
      Russell Spatholt

2.   ADDICTION.............................................. 36.01
      Palmetto/Mercury
      Jason Deese
      Frank Deese

3.   PRIME TIME............................................. 28.80
      Donzi/Mercury
      Jim Milam
      Jamie Milam
      Jason Milam

4.   KEEPING IT REAL.................................... 28.03
      Contender/Yamaha
      Jeff Page
      Jarred Floyd

5.   Out of Reach............................................. 25.45

6.   WHITE LIGHTNING.................................. 24.45
      Yellowfin/Mercury
      Tim Hudson
      John Lewis

7.   THE LAW................................................. 24.12
      Contender/Yamaha
      Jeff Drake
      Michelle Evans
      Pete Fickling

8.   DIRECT CONNECT.................................... 23.90
      Yellowfin/Yamaha
      John Hunt
      Andy Broadwell

9.   Sea Mint................................................... 23.46

10. STRICTLY BUSINESS............................... 22.28
      Contender/Mercury
      Jeff Crouch
      Jeremy Ridenhour

11. HOT ROD................................................. 22.15
      Contender/Yamaha
      Brett Barnes
      Alan Barnes

12. DAY SPRING............................................ 21.86
      Fountain/Yamaha
      Odell Williamson
      Victor Lopez

13. MY HOOKER............................................. 19.52
      Palmetto/Mercury
      Al Davis
      Grady Gordon
      Chuck Gordon
      Kyle Hughes

14. TOTAL CHAOS......................................... 19.37
      Contender/Yamaha
      Jamey Cauble
      Sid Cauble
      Charles McClure

15. White Mischeif........................................... 18.44

      Class of 23’

1.   DONE DEAL............................................. 21.72
      Sea Craft/Mercury
      Jack Paczosa

2.   BROTHERS IN LAW.................................. 21.22
      Sea Hunt/Yamaha
      Ted Hammonds
      Herb Walker
      Tim Wayt

3.   FINATIC.................................................. 16.60
      Sea Hunt/Johnson
      Clint Richardson
      Rick Richardson
      Lynn Hinnant

 
SKA Top Lady Angler
Michelle Evans................................................ The Law

SKA Top Junior Anglers
Sponsored by Profinder Fishing Charts
1st Braith Lovett, Jr.......................................... God Speed (17.21)
2nd Joshua & Crockett Henderson...................... Liquid Fire (15.58)
3rd Matthew & Brooke Howard........................... Miss Tina (11.01)