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more Mercury Trail stories<< TEXAS CONTENDER’S 53-POUNDER TOPS TEXAS EVENT
Race for Division 8 Title Tightens Up!
by Jack Holmes
Port Aransas, Texas - Brian Gaudin needed 35 minutes to bring a 53-pound king mackerel to within gaffing range. It was just past noon on the second day of the Ronnie's Marine KMT. Five-time Division 8 tournament winners and Divisional champions, the Texas Contender team of Captain Brett Donnahoe, Matt Seymour, Terry Pool, Devin Donnahoe and Brian Gaudin, had scaled a 43-pounder the opening day but knew if they were going to win this event they needed something bigger.
“We went back to the same spot we fished on Friday,” said Donnahoe. “It was 50 miles southeast of the Aransas jetties in 150 feet of water where we set our spread of blue runners. We just kept working the area and then she struck.” The king made a 300-yard run and then went to the bottom. “We thought at first it was a big amberjack,” explained Gaudin. When the bruiser finally came to the surface, it was Brett waiting to put the steel to her.
“We work hard on the boat but I've got to say, this is a team effort. From our Junior Angler, Devin, to the rest of the crew, it's all about the team.” The Yamaha powered Contender team moves into second in the standings after two out of three events.
The Texas Contender team picked up $6,000 for their efforts and Devin was the event’s Top Junior Angler.
Deja Blu also scaled a 50-pound king, a 52.31 to be exact, and led after day one. The first-year SKA members must feel pretty good about their efforts. Chris, Josh and Christopher Roy, Rick Stansel and Kirk Duff ran past the jetties and pointed the big Hydra Sports south. After running 55 miles south they were ready to go to work. With a well full of bait, the first one hit the water at 7:45. “It was the long line on top that got smacked,” said Duff, who caught the king on a blue runner. “When she came up Rick stuck her and we knew we had a good one.” The team caught one other king before running back in the three- to five-footers to the scale. They won $2,000 and moved into third in the overall standings. It's amazing what a 50-pound king can do for your ranking.
David, Scott and Jill Turner, plus Rob Johnson only ran 38 miles east to find their third place 45.18, but they needed two days to find her. “It wasn't until 2:30 when she hit a blue runner on top,” said David, the Captain of the Turner Loose. His wife Jill picked up the rod and made short order of the fight to pick up another Top Lady Angler award in Division 8. “We found other kings but none matched the weigh of this one.”
The Turner Loose sits atop the standings race by less than two pounds. The final event of the season in Freeport should be very interesting. Jill is your Top Lady Angler in overall standings and should be hard to beat this year.
The Wagens, Jason, Jody and Jeff, found the leaderboard’s fourth slot with a 42.68 and $1,000 bonus money for the best Class boat finish. “We got only one bite but is worked out just fine,” said Jason. “We were 50 miles east in 150 feet of water. She hit a hard tail off the downrigger set real deep a little past one.” Jason wanted to thank Tony Dugue from Team Skeezer for giving them the spot. Team Millenium Marine has a comfortable lead in the Class of 23’ overall standings. They won $700 for fourth place plus another grand for being the top Class boat.
King Bling rounded out your top five. Kevin Alexander, J.W. Buller, Nathan Crowe and Kaitlin Alexander caught a 40.60 on Friday to secure their position. “We ran 60 miles to the east and set up in 132 feet of water,” said Kevin. “She hit a blue runner off the downrigger set 40 feet down.” Kaitlin is the team’s Junior Angler and she pulled off a second place finish. Dad said that she's a big help on the boat, clearing lines so J.W. could concentrate on getting their king to the boat.
The McCrummens are having a good season, this trip finishing sixth with a nice 39.53. They have a lock on seventh in the overall standings.
Seventh place went to the Papotanic. Jose and company scaled a 38.86.
Johnny B captured eighth place and second place bonus money for Class of 23’, they nailed a 38.19. “We ran 45 miles east and found her in 120 feet of water,” said John Benkenstein, team Captain. “We caught a lot of 30s thanks to a plentiful supply of bait.”
Joe Gilleland's Reel Thing drew the leaderboard’s ninth slot thanks to their 37.80 and John Thomas Dusek's Team Yellowfin rounded out the top ten scaling a 36.62.
Ray Martinez's Fore Reel picked up fourth in the Class of 23’. He and Jake Close, Erik Chall and Orlando Herrera ran 45 miles east and fished in 130 feet of water. “She hit a hard tail off the downrigger 50 feet down,” said the Captain. “She tipped the scale at 35.76 pounds.” The Fore Reel is now in second in the Division’s Class rankings. They have a chance to win it all at the Division finale in Freeport.
The Reel Kool Kat with Robin Nutt at the helm rounded out the Class with a 33.43.
Division 8 has but one more event. It’s the last chance to qualify and the race has really tightened up. See you in Freeport!
FINAL STANDINGS:
RONNIE'S MARINE 2007 KINGFISH TOURNAMENT
PORT ARANSAS, TEXAS
DIVISION 8: |
| 1. | TEXAS CONTENDER•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 53.53 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Brett Donnahoe
Brian Gaudin
Matt Seymor
Terry Pool
Devin Donnahoe
|
| 2. |
DEJA BLU •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 52.31 |
| Hydra Sports/Yamaha
Chris Roy
Josh Roy
Rick Stansel
Christopher Roy
Kirk Duff
|
| 3. | TURNER LOOSE••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 45.18 |
| Fountain/Mercury
J. David Turner
J. Scott Turner
Jill Turner
Rob Johnson
|
| 4. |
TEAM MILLENIUM MARINE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 42.68 |
| ProKat/Yamaha
Jason Wagen
Jody Wagen
Jeff Wagen
|
| 5. | KING BLING •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 40.60 |
| McKee Craft/Evinrude
Kevin Alexander
J.W. Buller
Nathan Crowe
Kaitlin Alexander
|
| 6. |
BUSTIN LOOSE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 39.53 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Tre McCrummen
Jason Long
Jennifer Long
Serena Riemann
Dylan McCrummen
|
| 7. |
PAPOTANIC•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 38.86 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Jose Reyes
Bill Platt
Scott Pell
Aaron Reagan
Alejandro Espinoza
|
| 8. |
JOHNNY B •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 38.19 |
| Contender/Yamaha
John Benkenstein
Nick Garthwaite
Mark Holland
|
| 9. |
REEL THING ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 37.81 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Joe Gilleland
Louis Tannos
Jonha Tannos
Joy Kinney
Paul Tannos
|
| 10. |
TEAM YELLOWFIN •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 36.62 |
| Yellowfin/Yamaha
John Thomas Dusek
Pat Varga
Rodney McWhorter
|
CLASS OF 23’: |
| 1. |
TEAM MILLENIUM MARINE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 42.68 |
| 2. | KING BLING•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 40.60 |
| 3. |
JOHNNY B •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 38.19 |
| 4. |
FORE REEL••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 35.76 |
| Palmetto/Suzuki
Ray Martinez
Jake Close
Erik Chall
Orlando Herrera
|
| 5. | REEL KOOL KAT••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 33.43 |
| ProKat/Suzuki
Robin Nutt
Mike Boston
Clint Underwood
Andrew Perkins
|
TOP LADY ANGLER: |
| Jill Turner •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | TURNER LOOSE |
SKA Top Junior Anglers:
Presented by the Southern Kingfish Association: |
| Devin Donnahoe •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | TEXAS CONTENDER |
| Kaitlin Alexander•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | KING BLING |
| Alejandro Espinoza •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | PAPOTANIC |
Weather: |
| South wind 10 to 20 mph. Seas 3 to 5 feet. Friday |
| South wind 10 to 15 mph. Seas 2 to 4 feet. Saturday |
|
