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more Mercury Trail stories<< HAMMER TIME SCALES A 48.83, WINS GOLDEN ISLES KINGFISH CLASSIC!
By Jack Holmes
St Simons Island, Georgia - The script written to excite the large spectator crowd gathered at the new Gascoigne Bluff Park on St. Simons Island couldn’t have been better executed. It read; weigh a good fish, next weigh a better fish, then wow the crowd with a super fish.
It was three o’clock on the second day of Golden Isles Kingfish Classic and scales were just opening, People arriving at the park looked over the scoreboard noting that a 38 pounder caught by Greg Slayton’s Tenacious was in the lead, followed by Triple Gobble’s 36 after the first days fishing. You could hear the people talking about the bad weather on Friday being the cause for the low scores. Everyone knew in years past it took at least a 40 or better to win.
Howard Poe’s Kill-N-Me was first to hit the scales. He had a 36.94, a good fish but not the one needed for a victory. Next came Todd Veal with his son Dillon off the Sea Ducer. They were in early and because of their performance in other years in this event, everyone knew they had a good fish. When the insulated fish bag opened and the behemoth was slid onto the table most felt she was bigger than the 38. A minute later Spud Woodard, the tournaments weigh master, proclaimed 39.30 pounds, and a new leader.
Next, Danny Mathis, Cat Daddy, sent Jeff Fuller to the scale with his bad boy. It looked identical to Veal’s. Tongues really started wagging when Mathis’ fish went a half a pound bigger but still no one had cracked the 40- pound barrier.
One of the Howell’s off the Hammer Time, either Randy, Dustin, or Shelby, was immediately next. You can’t imagine the amazement when the fish bag was opened and a slab hit the table. No more messing around, it was time to get serious. The Howells king settled at 48.83 pounds on the electronic scale. The crowd erupted, a Georgia team from Waycross had the lead and most knew this was money in the bank.
The big king was never challenged but the ten minutes it took to weigh several good kings was as exciting as any event I have ever witnessed. When you factor in the weather conditions over the two days it makes it even more significant. One team out of the two hundred entrants had done something most were dreaming about, winning one of the east coasts best events, and take home a prize worth $40,000.
“We went to Matansas the first day and found a 27,” said Randy Howell, Captain of the Hammer Time, a Yamaha powered Contender. “We decided to try the Elton Bottom on the second day but it was rough so we stopped about eight miles short of our destination.” Obviously that was a great decision. “We had a double header on,” Howell elaborated. “We took care of the first fish and honestly didn’t know the second fish had any size to her. The fight only lasted ten minutes and we never saw her till we gaffed her.” This is the team’s first win after finishing second in the Atlantic Beach event. One thing’s for sure, both of the events Randy’s team has done well in have been for good money. The Howell’s, Randy, Dustin, and Shelby now have to figure what to do with their first place prize, a 21’ Yamaha powered Contender boat, complete with a T-Top and Loadmaster Trailer. Shelby was this years Top Lady Angler in the event.
Second place in the tournament was determined by a two fish aggregate and was captured by a perennial winner, Todd Veal’s Sea Ducer. Todd, his son Dillon, and Mitch Matthews ran southeast of St. Simons Island. Their big fish came on day two also, a 39.30. “We ran about fifty miles and set up in eighty feet of water,” explained Veal. “We were letting out a bait when the big king skied, she literally engulfed the bait. We were going to the Elton Bottom but the seas were four to six feet so we stopped.” Todd and his sons finished eighth in the division and fish a Yamaha powered Contender. Dillon claimed the tournaments Top Junior Angler honors.
Louisiana’s Danny Mathis along with Jeff Fuller scaled the 39.90 on Day two and walked away with third place honors. Danny who fishes an Evinrude powered Wellcraft did fish the Elton Bottom and had the big girl in the insulated fish bag by nine. With just two on board, when the big fish hit the goggle eye, Jeff had to clear four lines, run the boat, and gaff the fish, while Danny fought the fish. As Danny put it, “This was really a team effort.”
Greg Slayton’s Tenacious earned fourth place with a 38.29. It was the big fish of day one and was caught by Preston Hendrix at the Captain’s House off Augustine on a double pogy rig. Chad Branch, David Wallace, and Eric Slayton contributed to the effort on the Budweiser sponsored team.
Howard Poe’s 36.94, caught on the Kill-N-Me on day two at the Red Tops, rounded out the top five. With Chris Cathy, Josh Poe, and Jason Carter on board the Mercury powered Donzi, Chris lost little time in subduing the king. “She ran to the beach, turned and came right back at us, I really thought we had lost her but Chris had things well in hand,” said Howard.
In the Class of 23 Steve Cross’ Smoke Chase won with a 34.14 . Speedgoat was our top registered member, second.
Dean Hinely, Bernard and Brendon Blair, Matt Hinley, and lady angler Christy Woodcock found a 32.16 on day two. “We couldn’t find a fish all morning,” said Christy who with the team was fishing Gray’s Reef on their Johnson powered Angler. Before one o’clock the king succumbed to a double pogy rig trolled on top and the fight was on. “The fish just didn’t want to give up,” she added. “It took me an hour to get her to the boat. She had hit another line but missed the bait and came right back on the other line.” It was the king the team needed to get them to the Nationals.
W.K. Parker, Hugh Robinson, Wesley Grant, and Mark Tanner fished their Mercury powered Wellcraft, Saltshaker, into second place SKA team in the Class with a 29 pounder. They were the top Mercury powered boat in the Class at the end of season.
Stephen and Catherine Holley were the third place SKA team in the Class with a 27.89. They fish the Frayed Knot, a Yamaha powered Boston Whaler and ended up seventh in the Class standings.
Despite the deluge of rain on day one, the Golden Isles Kingfish Classic still proved to be one of the top tournaments in the country. A tip of the SKA hat goes to tournament director David Rice, Donna Gowen Poe, Amy Kidney, and their entire staff who made everyone feel right at home!
FINAL STANDINGS:
GOLDEN ISLES KINGFISH CLASSIC
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA
DIVISION 4:
|
| 1. |
HAMMER TIME •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
48.83 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Randy Howell
Dustin Howell
Shelby Howell
|
| 2. |
SEA DUCER••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
39.30 |
| Aggregate
Contender/Yamaha
Todd Veal
Dillon Veal
Mitch Matthews
|
| 3. |
CAT DADDY••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
39.90 |
| Wellcraft/Evinrude
Danny Mathis
Jeff Fuller
|
| 4. |
TENACIOUS••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
38.29 |
| Donzi/Mercury
Greg Slayton
Preston Hendrix
Chad Branch
David Wallace
Eric Slayton
|
| 5. |
KILL-N-ME••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
36.94 |
| Donzi/Mercury
Howard Poe
Chris Cathy
Josh Poe
Jason Carter
|
| 6. |
TRIPLE GOBBLE••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
36.18 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Jeff Weathers
Greg Weathers
|
| 7. |
VAMOOSE••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
34.03 |
| Invincible/Yamaha
Jack Crosby
Russ Russell
|
| 8. |
WARRIOR••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
33.55 |
| Donzi/Mercury
L.A. Denzer
Ray Hedgecock
Russ Hedgecock
Randy Jones
Reese Jones
|
| 9. |
SHE’S ALL THAT / REELALITY•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
33.33 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Ricky Hobbs
Jim Harrison
|
| 10. |
HUNKER DOWN•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
32.93 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Richard Champion
Glenn Champion
Shann Champion- Gonzales
|
| 11. |
WOUND TIGHT••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
32.70 |
| Donzi/Mercury
Thomas Mulligan
Jim Scharfschwerdt
Bart Hinson
Katherine Scharfschwerdt
Kristen Scharfschwerdt
Matthew Scharfschwerdt
|
| 12. |
LURED AWAY••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
32.55 |
| Invincible/Evinrude
Albert Vrazel
Bobby Schoenfeld
Sharon Kamp
|
| 13. |
PROMARINE USA.COM/HANNONS CANNON ••••••••••••••••••••• |
32.51 |
| Invincible/Yam/Merc/Evin
Kevin Hannon
Shannon Armstrong
Rick Cook
Chris Blackwell
|
| 14. |
TEAM CHAOS••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
31.65 |
| Yellowfin/Mercury
Dan Hess
Ryan Lee
Andy Boozer
Bill Wummer
Donnie Lamb
|
| 15. |
KNOT SURE••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
31.24 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Sanford Carter
Bob Wedincamp
Bobby Wedincamp
Ford Carter
|
CLASS OF 23: |
| 1. |
SMOKE CHASE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
34.14 |
| Steve Cross
|
| 2. |
SPEEDGOAT•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
32.16 |
| Angler/Johnson
Dean Hinely
Bernard Blair
Brendon Blair
Matt Hinely
Christy Woodcock
|
| 3. |
SALTSHAKER•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
29.00 |
| Wellcraft/Mercury
W.K. Parker
Hugh Robinson
Wesley Grant
Mark Tanner
|
| 4. |
FRAID KNOT•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
27.89 |
| Boston Whaler/Yamaha
Stephen Holley
Catherine Holley
|
| 5. |
PO WHITE BOY•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
25.34 |
| Sailfish/Yamaha
John White
Gary Dewmark
Paul Beasley
Les Claxton
|
HICKORY BLUFF MARINE SKA TOP JUNIORS: |
| 1. |
Dillon Veal •••••••••••••••••••• |
SEA DUCER |
| 2. |
Reese Jones •••••••••••••••• | WARRIOR |
| 3. |
Matthew Scharfschwerdt••••• | WOUND TIGHT |
TOP LADY ANGLER: |
|
Shelby Howell••••••••••••••••• |
HAMMER TIME |
TOP JUNIOR ANGLER: |
|
Dillon Veal •••••••••••••••••••• |
SEA DUCER |
|
