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LAGERHEAD TOPS PROMARINEUSA.COM/PINELLAS SHERIFF’S PAL EVENT
40-Pounder Marks Steve Papen’s Second Straight Victory!
 by Jack Holmes
Clearwater, Florida - Steve Papen checked the Lagerhead out Saturday morning, hollered at the team of Corey Alley and Brian Simmons to cinch up their seat belts, and proclaimed they were going to the Elbow, 87 miles to the west of Clearwater. It's been done many times before in tournaments, but this weekend winds were north to northeast 15 to 25 miles an hour, far from ideal conditions.
“The 33-foot Yamaha powered Contender did just fine,” said Papen after returning from a rough six-hour trip. “It was worth it. We set up in 180 feet of water where Corey sent our first bait, a blue fish, 45 feet down. As he attempted to slip the rod butt in the downrigger holder, the reel screamed and the fight was on. A few minutes later the king felt the steel barb of the gaff and the return trip was on.”
Back at the dock the weighmaster certified a weight of 40.40, the biggest fish of the event. “This is our second first place in a row,” Papen added. “It sure feels good.”
The Lagerhead moves to the top of the Division standings with a three-fish aggregate of 102.34, but the team can't rest on their laurels yet. Patrick Hession's Last Call is just .18 of a pound behind in second. With one event left in the late fall it's anyone’s Division to win. Last Call has a 23-pound king as a drop fish while Lagerhead has a 25. This one is definitely too close to call.
Executing their best finish in SKA competition, Brandon Fraley, Eric Taylor, Travis Fraley and Matt Sell put the Fish Eye into second place with a 37.28. “We pre-fished an area off Indian Rocks Beach and found fish on Friday,” explained Brandon Fraley, the Captain of the 25' Yamaha powered Contender team. “We went right back to the area Saturday morning and quickly released four small kings. We knew that the area would give up a good fish so we stayed put. At 1:20 our threadfin on a short line was hit. Eric picked up the rod and brought the king to the side of the boat. We knew it was a good fish so we went to the scale.”
That king moved Fish Eye into fifth with 81 points and with just one event left, it is reasonable to assume the team should make their reservations in Biloxi now.
Larry Morris also gleaned a best finish to date this weekend with a third place 37.28 fishing with Nole Karcher and Michael Morris on the Team Morris / White Rhino. “We were nine miles off Indian Shores,” explained Morris. “Just after noon our 37-pounder ate a threadfin in the prop wash.” Junior Angler Michael Morris skillfully brought the nice king to gaff thus insuring his Top Junior honor for the event. That great finish moved the team to 14th in the standings and probably also insured a trip to the Nationals. There are seven or eight boats sitting down the ladder with two fish and have a good chance of moving up but this team also has a 14-pound drop fish. They'll be in the top 20 when all is said and done. Nice work!
When you get done reading this article, take a minute to log onto the SKA website www.FishSKA.com. It is refreshing to see some familiar names in the top 30 this season, however, there are also many new names and they're doing well. I firmly believe that the level of competition on Florida's west coast has been heightened this year. You gotta love it!
Marshall Law's 30.37 was good enough for fourth place money. Kevin Grissinger, Don Wiwi and Perry Warner pointed the boat toward open water but decidedly quickly that it was just too rough to make it to a location they were successful at the week before. “We settled on an area 16 miles off Blind Pass, a natural bottom area we've done well at before,” said Grissinger. “We were in 56 feet of water and our king came off a blue runner trolled in the prop wash at 2:20.” Warner did the honors.
Marshall Law is sitting in 16th place in the overall standings, however, their 65.33 aggregate consists of only two fish. No doubt they’re going to the Championship. Save your quarters for the slots guys! Good season so far!
The second place team in the Open Class standings, Last Call, earned fifth this weekend with a 30.36, just two hundredths of a pound out of fourth. Patrick Hession, Dave Davenport and Bob Baver chose to fish the Clearwater Hard Bottom in 27 feet of water. “She ate a blue runner off the long line,” said Hession. “It was a good points fish and we'll take fifth place. We really want to win the Division and will give it our all in the fall.” The race between them and Lagerhead will be one we'll pay very close attention to.
There were only two finalists in the Class of 23’ this weekend and Sammy Papia's Bada Bing came out on top. This is the team’s first year in SKA competition and they are in third in the Class. I'd say that is a great first year's effort!
Papia, Sam Papia, Jr. and Jason Leonard ran to the Whistler, 12 miles offshore, where they fished all day. “She hit a threadfin on a long line at two,” Sammy told us. “We thought we had the winning fish but she was fouled hooked. They sure can fool you.”
The team can increase their standing in the Division with a fish over 22 pounds in the fall tournament, but at this point I think they are thinking Nationals. I would be too!
Linda Rochelle and Kim Wise picked up sixth place honors on the ProFish / Team Lewmar and also were the PAL Top Lady Anglers. They caught a 30-pounder.
After a shaky start last year, the ProMarineUSA.Com / PAL tournament emerged as a first-class event. They knew they had made some mistakes, but learned quickly how to remedy the situation. There were nothing but high praises from the participants and the SKA management team. Congratulations |
FINAL STANDINGS:
PAL TOURNAMENT, CLEARWATER, FLORIDA. |
| 1. |
LAGERHEAD••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
40.40 |
|
Contender …. Yamaha
Steve Papen
Curey Alley
Brian Simmons
|
| 2. |
FISH EYE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
37.28 |
|
Contender …. Yamaha
Brandon Fraley
Eric Taylor
Travis Fraley
Matt Sell
|
| 3. |
TEAM MORRIS / WHITE RINO•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.54 |
|
SeaVee …..Yamaha
Larry Morris
Nole Karcher
Michael Morris
|
| 4. |
MARSHALL LAW••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.37 |
|
Intrepid …. Yamaha
Kevin Grissinger
Don Wiwi
Perry Warner
|
| 5. |
LAST CALL•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.36 |
|
Bluewater … Yamaha
Patrick Hession
David Davenport
Bob Baver
|
| 6. |
PRO FISH / LEWMAR•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.21 |
|
ProSports …. Honda
Randy Rochelle
Eric Wise
Linda Rochelle
Kim Wise
Paul McDuffee
|
| 7. |
OCEAN MASTER•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
29.92 |
|
Boston Whaler … Mercury
Todd Wolf
Brian Jonas
Jack Vasilaros
Eric Moser |
| 8. |
SURREEL•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
28.69 |
|
Fountain … Mercury
Steve Hays
Rob York
|
| 9. |
HORIZON HAZE••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
26.49 |
|
Fountain …. Mercury
Charlton Weldon
Christopher Weldon
Jason Weldon
Jessica Weldon
|
| 10. |
PRO MARINE / PENNY WISE••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
24.80 |
|
Contender … Yamaha
Jack Penny
Ken Dellane
Mike Penny
Steve Dellane
Patty Dellane |
CLASS OF 23:
|
| 1. |
BADA BING•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
22.48 |
|
SeaCraft … Mercury
Sammy Papia
Sam Papia Jr.
Jason Leonard
|
| 2. |
Catch 22••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
13.19 |
|
| SKA Top Junior Anglers
Sponsored by Jack Penny, D.D.S.:
|
1. MICHAEL MORRIS•••••••••••••••••••••••••TEAM MORRIS / WHITE RHINO ••••••••••• 30.54 |
| 2. STEVE DELLANE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••PRO MARINE / PENNY WISE•••••••••••••.24.80 |
| 3. MADDISON & CHELSEA NEWBERG••••THE CUTTING EDGE•••••••••••••••••••••••••14.86 |
|
| SKA Top Lady Anglers:
|
| 1. LINDA ROSHELLE & KIM WISE•••••••••••PRO FISH / LEWMAR•••••••••••••••••••••••30.21 |
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