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more Mercury Trail stories<< JOHNNY B TOPS TEXAS SPORTFISHING KMT IN TEXAS WITH A 51.80!
Wins a 21’ Yamaha powered Contender Boat!
By John Zalud
Freeport, Texas - It took John Benkenstein and his Johnny B Team three hours to run 60 miles southwest of Freeport, Texas, site of the Texas Sportfishing Yacht sales KMT, because of strong winds and six-foot seas. But it was a $40,000 run as Benkenstein, Nick Garthwaite, and Mark Holland caught a 51.80-pound king and literally smoked the competition.
“We’ve done all right the past eight years fishing SKA, even finishing second in the Nationals,” said Benkenstein. “But now we’ve got a new 21’ foot Yamaha powered Contender for our efforts.” The team fished the Yellow Rig, which sits in 150 feet of water. “We got bait at the rig and by nine thirty we were hooked up and within a few minutes she was at the boat. She hit a long lined blue runner,” Benkenstein explained.
The team also picked up some extra money for Class of 23 also. They will now get prepared to bring their 23 foot Contender to the Nationals in Biloxi and fish waters they are familiar with. Chances are they could win another boat, motor, and trailer package.
This is Chris Roy’s first year fishing SKA competitively and it looks like he’s got things figured out. The team of Roy, Rick Stansel, Tracy Alcala, Shane Marett, and Jerred Williams Legge, ran seventy miles southeast, thru the slop, to the Clay Piles.
“We stopped at the 395 rig on our way south and found good bait,” said the excited Hydra Sports Captain. “The water depth was 147 feet and we had a hard tail down 100 feet. She took the bait about noon and Tracy picked up the rod and within just a few minutes Rick stuck her with the gaff.” The fish scaled a second place 40.30 pounds. This is the teams second, second place finish this season.
John Thomas Dusek scored his best finish this season here in Freeport, third with a 38.90. The Team Yellowfin team of Rodney McWhorter and Pat Varga ran south sixty-five miles to fish an area in 160 feet of water. “We had caught bait the day before,” said Dusek. “We just wanted to get out to the A52 rig and get fishing. One day events are a little tougher to win.” They had a hard tail down ninety feet on the downrigger and at eleven thirty she came a calling. Dusek explained, “Rodney picked up the rod and Rick waited, gaff in hand. They did a real good job.” In the six years Dusek has been fishing SKA he and his team has won Division 8 in 2002 and 2004.
Captain Joe Gilleland’s Reel Thing, a Mercury powered Fountain, picked up fourth place money with a 38.50. “We ran fifty miles to the southeast and fished in 160 feet of water,” said Gilleland who has Lewis Tannos, Joy Kinney, and Johnna Tannos fishing with him. “It was about twelve thirty and we had a ribbonfish down 80 feet. We had no live bait so we were excited when she hit. Lewis did a good job fighting the fish and Chuck Richardson got her over the gunwale.” The team caught two other smaller kings.
Joy Kinney became the events Top lady Angler and Johnna Tannos easily won Top Junior Angler honors.
Carl Christoph has been threatening to fish the Pros next season. His abilities along with Chris Christoph and Nichole Christoph would make worthy opponents. Just look at this weekend where the Steel Away team, fishing a Mercury powered Fountain, came away with fifth place money. The Christoph’s ran one hundred and ten miles to the east where they found fish all day long. “We were in the fish but could only come away with a 35.80,” said Carl. “We were in 95 feet of water when at noon the big girl ate a longed lined hard tail. Chris grabbed the rod and the fight was on.” Congratulations Carl!
Albert Vrazel, Sharon Kamp, Bobby Schoenfeld, and Winfield Haggard, one of the top fishing teams in the country, picked up sixth place money with a 35.20. You know them as the Lured Away team. They ran to the 402 block and fished in 108 feet of water. “She ate a hard tail off a medium trolled line about one thirty,” said Vrazel who was the ’06 Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour’s Top Senior Angler. “We were in fish all day but just couldn’t find that big one.” Sharon Kamp, the ’06 Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour’s Top lady Angler caught the fish.
Tre McCrumman’s Bustin Loose earned seventh place with a 32.80 while Kevin Arnold’s Catch 22 took eighth with a 31.50.
Ninth and tenth places were captured by non-members.
Cha King earned third place Class of 23 honors with a 25.50. “We ran forty miles to the 32 Rocks, about 110 feet of water,” explained Chuck Richey, the teams Captain. “She ate a blue runner in the prop wash at one thirty.” This is the team’s best finish this season.
Rounding out the money slots for this event was Jason Wagen’s Millenium Marine’s 16 pounder, which was good for fifth, Class of 23.
This was the final event in Division eight this year. We thank Bobby Schoenfeld and all the members of the TKA who made this a good season.
FINAL STANDINGS:
TEXAS SPORTFISHING YACHT SALES KMT
FREEPORT, TEXAS
DIVISION 8
|
| 1. |
JOHNNY B••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
51.80 |
| Contender/Yamaha
John Benkenstein
Nick Garthwaite
Mark Holland
|
| 2. |
DEJA BLUE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
40.30 |
| Hydra Sport
Chris Roy
Rick Stansel
Tracy Alcala
Shane Marett
Jerred Williams Legge
|
| 3. |
TEAM YELLOWFIN •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
38.90 |
| Yellowfin/Yamaha
John Thomas Dusek
Rodney McWhorter
Pat Varga
|
| 4. |
REEL THING•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
38.50 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Joe Gilleland
Lewis Tannos
Joy Kinney
Johnna Tannos
|
| 5. |
STEEL AWAY •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
35.80 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Carl Christoph
Chris Christoph
Nichole Christoph
|
| 6. |
LURED AWAY •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
35.20 |
| Invincible/Evinrude
Albert Vrazel
Bobby Schoenfeld
Sharon Kamp
Winfield Haggard
|
| 7. |
BUSTIN LOOSE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
32.80 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Tre McCrumman
Jason Long
Serena Riemann
Dylan McCrumman
Jennifer Long
|
| 8. |
CATCH 22 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
31.50 |
| Hydra Sports/Yamaha
Kevin Arnold
Kevin K. Arnold
Brian Keen
|
| 9. |
Bad Habit•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 30.90 |
| 10. |
Screamin Seamen •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.40 |
CLASS OF 23: |
| 1. |
JOHNNY B••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
51.80 |
| 2. |
Screamin Seamen ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 30.40 |
| 3. |
CHA KING••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
25.50 |
| Wellcraft/Mercury
Chuck Richey
Donna Richey
Don Harvey
|
| 4. |
Fore Reel•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 17.40 |
| 5. |
MILLENIUM MARINE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
16.00 |
| Pro Sports/Yamaha
Jason Wagen
Jody Wagen
Jeff Wagen
|
SKA TOP JUNIORS |
| 1. |
Johnna Tannos •••••••••••••••••••••• | REEL THING |
| 2. |
Nichole Christoph•••••••••••••••••••• | STEEL AWAY |
| 3. |
Dylan McCrumman ••••••••••••••••• | BUSTIN LOOSE |
TOP LADY ANGLER |
|
Joy Kinney •••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
REEL THING |
Weather: |
Wind southeast 15 to 25 mph
Seas to 6 foot |
|
