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more Mercury Trail stories<< MOMMA’S MONEY WINS BIG AT CHARLESTON KFC
Warner Drives Home New GMC with $11,000!
by Ian Warner
Over 160 boats arrived to compete in Division 3’s Charleston Kingfish Classic, July 27th and 28th, 2007, each team vying for the Grand Prize of a 2007 GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab and $11,000, a prize package valued at over $41,000. Big money and big prizes apparently don’t come without big weather. Teams leaving Charleston in the morning found calm one-foot seas and winds averaging five mph. The afternoon, however, was everything but calm, with clouds and rain accompanying the 25 to 35 mph winds that drove the seas from six to eight feet. In spite of the challenging conditions, Captain James Warner and the Momma’s Money team found the second-largest king of the Division so far, a 36.35-pounder, to take the Charleston Kingfish Classic crown.
Captain Warner and his team of Richard Warner, Chad Araneo and Greg Ramillat headed the 23’ Yamaha powered Angler south on Saturday, running about 20 miles before deploying a spread in 55 feet of water. The Momma’s Money team reported catching three kings all day, with the biggest striking at 9:15. A double pogy rig dropped 40 feet off the downrigger accounted for the bite, and the team worked the king to the boat in record time.
With the weather worsening as the day progressed, the Momma’s Money was forced to take their time returning. “We had a bad time getting in with the storm and the winds, just like everybody else,” reported Warner. Warner knew a 34-pounder won it the year before, he had taken top Class of 23’ honors that year, but he and the team still weren’t sure their fish would hold. All fears were unfounded, and Warner and his crew found themselves in possession of that sweet new GMC Crew Cab and $11,000 fishing money.
With only one fish that places Warner and his team in eighth in the Class of 23’ race. He’s got the largest king in the Class; Warner could do very well in the Division if he decides to make a run at the title.
Captain Fred Larsen’s Miracle took second place honors with a 34.14-pounder, earning his daughter, Amber, Top Lady Angler honors as well. Fred’s son Brian was also aboard the 27’ Yamaha powered Contender for the day’s fishing, and after securing some very good bait with the cast net the team was off to the Needles, a 55-mile run.
The Larsen family set up a spread trolling in 80 feet of water, with their biggest bite of the day taking a pogy at 9:35. A boil in the prop wash and a singing reel sent Brian scrambling for the rod with Dad waiting in the wings with the gaff. The team reported only one other king that day, but the slow bite was no concern with a 34-pounder in the box.
“It’s just great having my son and daughter as my crew,” said a proud Captain Larsen at the awards ceremony. It’s the Larsen family’s second year on the trail, and this is their best finish to date. With the largest one-king aggregate in the Open Class, the Miracle just might be a boat to watch out for as the season progresses.
Captain Chris Blanton’s My Boat and Captain W.D. Rodeffer’s Game Day are up next in third and fourth with a 33.61 and a 33.27, respectively. Unfortunately, neither team was fishing for points in this event. Non-member Concoction took fifth with a 31.44-pounder.
SKA Charter Member Pete Owens and the Jet Lag team are up next in sixth place. A prominent force in Division 4, Owens’ team has finished in the top five eight times in the past ten years. For the Charleston KFC Owens headed his 31’ Yamaha powered Contender towards Gray’s Reef, a 68-mile run. While Owens reported that they had secured good bait in the morning, the big king of the day ironically hit a ribbon fish on a long flat line while trolling in 80 feet of water.
The highly experienced team wasted no time getting the king in the boat, and by 11:00 the Jet-Lag had a 31.44-pounder in the box. With four other fish throughout the day the team did well, but they just couldn’t top that 31-pounder. “I’d just like to thank my wife for taking Josh and Will to camp so I could fish,” said the jovial Captain at the awards ceremony.
The husband and wife team of Jack and Eren Bracewell on Eren’s Addiction Too fished their 23’ Yamaha powered Contender into seventh place. “We made a 60-mile run south,” reported Captain Jack, who noted that they had several small kings in addition to their biggest one which struck at 10:00. With Eren on the rod Jack maneuvered the Contender into position and finished the fight with the gaff. “We had her in the boat at 10:15,” he continued.
At the scale their big fish proved to weigh 31.05 pounds, earning the Bracewells seventh place overall. But that fish had a larger significance as it boosted the Eren’s Addiction into first place in the Class of 23’. The Bracewells now have a quarter-pound lead over Derek Nobles and the Shingled Out after their big win in Tailwalker. The race is on!
Captain Scott Pope and the Team on the Tall Tail are up next in eighth place. Captain Pope runs a 31’ Yamaha powered Contender out of Statesboro, Georgia, and his team’s money-fish, a 30.36, hit a pogy in the prop wash at Gray’s Reef.
2004 Angler of the Year Captain Dean Spatholt and the Fish Meister team took ninth place with a 30.32-pounder. “We went back to our home waters, 150 miles north of Wrightsville Beach,” reported Spatholt. He and his team of David Haynes, Russell Spatholt and Dennis Watson fish a 36’ Yamaha powered Yellowfin, and the team found their biggest king at 11:00. A pogy on the long line was stolen and Russell brought back the line and the 30-pounder to Dennis Watson’s ready gaff.
Rounding out the top ten is the Four Suns II, Captain Harry Gressette’s team, with a 29.60-pound king. Captain Harry and Doug Gressette and Brandon and Ken Long fish a 36’ Mercury powered Yellowfin out of Goose Creek, South Carolina.
With two down and two to go, Division 3 is just starting to take shape. Half Mine’s Rusty Campbell landed a 27-pounder to take the Open Class lead, but he’s only three pounds ahead with five teams within ten pounds of his 61.90-pound aggregate. The Class of 23’ race is extremely tight, if you don’t have a 30-pounder or two fish, you’re out of the top ten. The BMI Kings for Kids Tournament in Beaufort, South Carolina will be a true proving ground for many of these teams, keep reading Angler for all the exciting South Carolina king fishing action!
FINAL STANDINGS:
CHARLESTON KINGFISH CLASSIC
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA
DIVISION 3: |
| 1. |
MOMMA'S MONEY••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
36.35 |
| Angler/Yamaha
James Warner
Richard Warner
Chad Araneo
Greg Ramillat
|
| 2. |
MIRACLE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
34.14 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Fred Larsen
Amber Larsen
Brian Larsen
|
| 3. |
MY BOAT•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
33.61 |
| Chris Blanton
|
| 4. |
GAMEDAY••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
33.27 |
| W.D. Rodeffer
|
| 5. |
Concoction•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 31.45 |
| 6. |
JET LAG••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
31.44 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Pete Owens
|
| 7. |
EREN'S ADDICTION TOO••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
31.05 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Jack Bracewell
Eren Bracewell
|
| 8. |
TALL TAIL•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.36 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Scott Pope
Ryan Harrison
|
| 9. |
FISH MEISTER••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.32 |
| Yellowfin/Yamaha
Dean Spatholt
David Haynes
Russell Spatholt
Dennis Watson
|
| 10. |
FOUR SUNS II•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
29.60 |
| Yellowfin/Mercury
Harry Gressette
Doug Gressette
Brandon Long
Ken Long
|
| 11. |
HAULIN “S”•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
29.54 |
| Bluewater/Evinrude
Scott Poppell
Scott Goodwin
|
| 12. |
KEYED UP••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
29.45 |
| McKee Craft/Suzuki
Eddie Barham
Mark Armstrong
|
| 13. |
DONNA'S WORRY••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
28.76 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Ernie Diloreti
Ronnie Broach
|
| 14. |
HALF MINE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
27.52 |
| Triton/Yamaha
Walter Campbell
Mike Davis
Scott Rizer
Alan Smith
A. Racy Florence
|
| 15. |
BEER ABILITY•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
26.94 |
| Sailfish/Yamaha
Dow Suggs
April Suggs
Cole Suggs
Richard Miller
Kyle DeShazo
|
CLASS OF 23’: |
| 1. |
HOWG DADDY•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
24.71 |
| Sailfish/Yamaha
Rob Bonifay
Alex Bonifay
Eddie Taylor
Steph Zelenak
Jeff Zelenak
|
| 2. |
Hot Reels•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 24.41 |
| 3. |
WEED LINE••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
24.32 |
| Sea Pro/Mercury
Duke Harkins
Elvis Matzelle
Matt Russo
Johnny Rivera
|
| 4. |
MISS JENN IV•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
23.00 |
| Baja/Mercury
Ron Greene
Mario Diufelice
James Hall
|
| 5. |
WHIP LASH •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
22.54 |
| Sailfish/Yamaha
Raymond Stivender
Chris Stivender
Samantha Stivender
Spencer Carnes
|
TOP LADY ANGLER: |
|
Amber Larsen•••••••••••••••••••• |
MIRACLE |
TOP JUNIOR ANGLERS
Presented by Tailwalker Marine: |
| 1. |
Cole Suggs ••••••••••••••••••••• | BEER ABILITY |
| 2. |
Ford Carter ••••••••••••••••••••• | KNOT SURE |
| 3. |
Bailey Walpole••••••••••••••••• | YARD BOY |
WEATHER: |
| DAY ONE: Winds south at 5 mph seas less than a foot. |
| Afternoon …. Heavy thunderstorms, winds 25 to 35, seas 6 to 8 feet. |
|
