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TRIPLE GOBBLE’S 61.83 AGG TOPS PROS IN GOLDEN ISLES!
By Jack Holmes
St. Simons Island, Georgia - Jeff and Greg Weathers, fishing their Yamaha powered Contender, Triple Gobble, have been fishing at this level of competition for the past three years. Overall they have been one of the most consistent teams on the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour but haven’t won an event. That is till now. After scaling a second place 36.18 on the first day, the brothers found a 25.65 on day two for a 61.83 aggregate, six pounds better than second place. That boosted their bank account $40,000, certainly several thousand more than a seasons expenses on the tour.
“We stayed around this area, at the R2 Tower,” said Jeff after accepting his Pro accolades. They were virtually by themselves both days at this location. “Greg caught both fish on pogy’s. This area is closer to home so we fish it quite a bit, “ Jeff added. The team also picked up sixth place money in the Golden Isles Kingfish Classic.
The team is now in thirty-third place. “We’ve really struggled this year,” said Jeff. “This win not only helps our bank account but hopefully gets us back on track.” The team finished ninth and sixth in the overall Pro standings the past two years.
Before you think that this weekend was easy, think again. Fisher people, including the Weathers, awoke Friday morning to heavy rains. While the rain was predicted, the winds were not. It was rough! Anthony Toups reported that you couldn’t even make a sandwich. By the time you finished making it, it was soggy. It poured all day up until it was time to weigh the fish. On Saturday the wind went west and made beach fishing quite nice but if you were going offshore you got tossed around a lot. On top of that, the low pressure that started all the torrential rains obvious turned off the fish. Only eighty fish were weighed on day one and ninety on Saturday. This was a very tough event.
For the vast majority of the Pro boats, it was south to an area off St. Augustine called the Red Tops. Greg Slayton, captain of the Mercury powered Donzi, Tenacious, turned the boat over to his team on Friday and they came thru with a 38.29, the biggest of the first days kings. “We were just south of the Red Tops at the Captain’s House,” explained David Wallace who wound up with top Senior honors in this leg of the Pro Tour. “It wasn’t until three o’clock that she came in the boat.” Preston Hendrix did the honors thanks to a double pogy rig fifteen feet below the surface. On day two they first went to the Nassau bottom but soon realized they needed to head south. They found a 17.57 at the Red Tops, enough to claim second place honors in the aggregate event. They are sponsored by Budweiser.
Ricky Hobbs and Jim Harrison teamed on Hobbs Mercury powered Fountain, She’s All That, and picked up third with 52.53 pounds. “We were down there with the rest of the fleet,” explained Harrison. On day one the duo could only muster up a 19.20, which was really a pretty good fish. “We had lost a good fish just before noon and were pretty bummed,” said Harrison whose luck was about to change. “We had a hard tail down that got hit just after noon. She ate the bait but didn’t run so my first though was another specie. Then she took off and it took me forty minutes to get her back to the boat where Ricky could gaff her.” That king tipped the scale at 33.33 pounds.
They are now in the upper half of the standings with one event left.
Jeff and Nancy Dunbar just may be the best husband and wife team fishing today! “When we fish this area, it’s either Gray’s Reef or the Elton Bottom,” said Jeff who went on to tell me, “Fishing was real tough. We only had one kingfish bite each day.”
Nancy explained they, “ caught both on blue runners, one at 9:15 on day one and 2 o’clock on the second day.” She was excited not only for the paycheck but for her being the top female in the event.
Jeff, who carries national number 14 this season said his goal was to move up in the last event in Little River for another top 15 finish. The Dunbar’s are now in 25th with 213.63 points but have a 17.82 drop fish. They will move up!
After weighing a nice 24.35 pound king on day one, I told Lee Way, Jr. that he and fishing partner Sebastian Butarelli, had a real shot at a top ten finish. “Get a goods night sleep, don’t go out jukin,” I said jokingly. I think they took me seriously because on day two they hoisted a 27.18 on the scales hook and waited for weigh master Spud Woodard to certify a 27.18. Combined, the Pro Marine USA.Com/ Team Young Guns had a lock on fifth with a 51.53 aggregate.
They are now ninth in the overall Pro standings along with two other Pro Marine sponsored boats, Jack Penny’s Pennywise, sixth with 253.41 points, and fifth place Hannons Cannon, fifth with 254.93. There is no reason why all three of these teams don’t stay in the top ten. What a great job they’ve done for their sponsor! Hannon’s boat has the best chance of gaining the title thanks to his small drop fish of 17.99 pounds.
Kevin Hannon, Shannon Armstrong, Ricky Cook, and Chris Blackwell on the Pro Marine USA.Com/ Hannons Cannon team picked up sixth thanks to a great 32.51 on day one. However on the better day of fishing, they could only find a 17.99 to add to their total.
Richard Champion’s Hunker Down team of Glenn Champion and Shann Champion- Gonzales re-joined the tour this season and have done rather well. In this event they earned seventh with 50.15 pounds. Their biggest, a 32.93 came on day two. They are in 29th place however they have a couple of teenagers that they should be able to replace and be a top twenty team this year. A great accomplishment!
After taking the biggest king honors in the largest king mackerel tournament in the world two weeks earlier, and winning a $100,000 Yamaha powered Contender boat, you had to believe Bear Croft would get another payday in this event. After all, winning the Greater Jacksonville tournament was a tremendous confidence builder. He did, along with Rick Dopson and Jack Ross on the Bear Caught. Their two- day total equaled 49.76 pounds good for eighth place.
Luis Urbay’s Rabbit’s Foot team ended the season last year with 195 points. They’re already at 222 points this season and that should go higher. They’ve had a very consistent year but one more fish in the 40’s would get them into the top ten. That could happen in the season finale. At Golden Isles the team picked up ninth thanks to their first days 30.80. They ended with 48.63 points.
Rounding out the top ten was L.A. Denzer’s Warrior team. Ray and Russ Hedgecock and Randy and Reese Jones scaled a 14.74 in the rain then came back and scaled a 33.55 on Saturday to pick up tenth. The Mercury powered Donzi team helped Reese pick up the events Top Junior Angler honors.
Randy Crabtree had to go out of town but turned to his team to keep them moving forward. Jack Crosby and Russ Russell did just that earning 11th with 44.22 points. The 11 pounder from day one will definitely get replaced in Little River, but the 34 pounder from day two really helped their overall standings.
Dan Hess on Team Chaos was 12th with 44.18 points while past National Champion, Forrest Taylor, fishing his That’s My Dog Yellowfin, earned 13th with a 40.71 aggregate.
Danny Mathis rounded out the top 14 with a single 39.90 king.
Fishing the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour’s first three events is a hoot. Good locations with big fish, but then the tour moves to Georgia where big fish are scarce and you need consistency. Then it’s on to the finale in Little River where you must scale two fish in the 30’s or your season is over. That’s why the tour remains the toughest test of skill in king mackerel fishing history and the title “Angler of the Year” honor the most coveted!
TOP TEN GOING INTO FINAL EVENT IN LITTLE RIVER, SOUTH CAROLINA.
IN THE HUNT: |
|
BOAT NAME |
FISH |
LBS |
DROP FISH |
| 1. |
HOOKED FOR REEL •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 7 FISH | 264.18 |
16.49 |
| Captain David Howard |
average 37.74 per fish |
|
| 2. |
TEAM DONZI •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 7 FISH | 260.41 |
13.77 |
| Captain Ken Upton |
average 37.20 per fish |
|
| 3. |
MINING MY BIDNESS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 7 FISH | 255.52 |
15.93 |
| Captain Chuck Permenter |
average 36.50 per fish |
|
| 4. |
CRAWGATOR ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 7 FISH | 255.25 |
21.10 |
| Captain Bill Butler |
average 36.42 per fish |
|
| 5. |
PRO MARINE USA.COM
/HANNONS CANNON |
7 FISH | 254.93 |
17.99 |
| Captain Kevin Hannon |
average 36.42 per fish |
|
| 6. |
PRO MARINE USA.COM
/PENNYWISE••••••••••• |
7 FISH | 253.41 |
22.53 |
| Captain Jack Penny |
average 36.20 per fish |
|
| 7. |
BANDIT ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 7 FISH | 251.15 |
28.66 |
| Captain Ron Mitchell |
average 35.88 per fish |
|
| 8. |
LURED AWAY ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 7 FISH | 244.83 |
30.15 |
| Captain Albert Vrazel |
average 34.98 per fish |
|
| 9. |
PRO MARINE USA.COM
/TEAM YOUNG GUNS |
7 FISH | 241.42 |
24.35 |
| Captain Lee Way, Jr. |
average 34.49 per fish |
|
| 10. |
TEAM SIMRAD •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 7 FISH | 239.25 |
18.67 |
| Captain Mark Maus |
average 34.18 per fish |
|
FINAL STANDINGS:
YAMAHA PROFESSIONAL KINGFISH TOUR
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA. |
| 1. |
TRIPLE GOBBLE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
36.18•••••••••••••••••••••••• |
25.65••••••••••••••• | 61.83 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Jeff Weathers
Greg Weathers
|
| 2. |
TENACIOUS•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
38.29 ••••••••••••••••••••••• |
17.57 •••••••••••••• | 55.86 |
| Donzi/Mercury
Greg Slayton
Preston Hendrix
David Wallace
Chad Branch
|
| 3. |
SHE’S ALL THAT /REELALITY•••••••••••••••••••• |
19.20•••••••••••••••••••••••• |
33.33 •••••••••••••• | 52.53 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Ricky Hobbs
Jim Harrison
|
| 4. |
FISH DANCER•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
27.70 ••••••••••••••••••••••• | 24.31•••••••••••••••• | 52.01 |
| Donzi/Mercury
Jeff Dundar
Nancy Dunbar
|
| 5. |
PRO MARINE USA .COM /YOUNG GUNS •••••••• |
24.35 ••••••••••••••••••••••• | 27.18•••••••••••••••• | 51.53 |
| Yellowfin/Evinrude
Lee Way Jr.
Sebastian Butarelli
|
| 6. |
PRO MARINE USA.COM / HANNONS CANNON |
32.51•••••••••••••••••••••••• |
17.99 ••••••••••••••• | 50.50 |
| Invincible/Yam/Merc/Evin
Kevin Hannon
Shannon Armstrong
Ricky Cook
Chris Blackwell
|
| 7. |
HUNKER DOWN •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
17.22 •••••••••••••••••••••••• | 32.93 •••••••••••••••• | 50.15 |
| Fountain/Mercury
Richard Champion
Glenn Champion
Shann Champion Gonzales
|
| 8. |
BEAR CAUGHT••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
23.74 •••••••••••••••••••••••• | 26.02 •••••••••••••••• | 49.76 |
| Yellowfin/Mercury
James Croft
Rick Dopson
Jack Ross
|
| 9. |
RABBIT’S FOOT •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
30.80 •••••••••••••••••••••••• | 17.83 •••••••••••••••• | 48.63 |
| Contender/Yamaha
Luis Urbay
Nolbert Rodriquez
Grant Cloughley
Travis Whitfield
|
| 10. |
WARRIOR •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
14.74 •••••••••••••••••••••••• | 33.55 •••••••••••••••• | 48.29 |
| Donzi/Mercury
L.A. Denzer
Ray Hedgecock
Randy Jones
Russ Hedgecock
Reese Jones
|
| 11. |
VAMOOSE•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
10.19 •••••••••••••••••••••••• | 34.03 •••••••••••••••• | 44.22 |
| Invincible/Mercury
Jack Crosby
Russ Russell
|
| 12. |
TEAM CHAOS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
12.53•••••••••••••••••••••••• | 31.65•••••••••••••••• | 44.18 |
| Yellowfin/Mercury
Dan Hess
Don Lamb
Ryan Lee
Bill Wummer
Andy Boozer
|
| 13. |
THAT’S MY DOG•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
26.21•••••••••••••••••••••••• | 14.50•••••••••••••••• | 40.71 |
| Yellowfin/Mercury
Forrest Taylor
William Taylor Sr.
David Hooks
Tripp Hooks
Jordan Sulivan
|
| 14. |
CAT DADDY •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• |
39.90•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• | 39.90 |
| Wellcraft/Evinrude
Danny Mathis
Jeff Fuller
|
|
TOP SENIOR ANGLER: |
|
DAVID WALLACE •••••••••••••• |
TENACIOUS |
| TOP LADY ANGLER: |
| NANCY DUNBAR•••••••••••••••• |
FISH DANCER |
| TOP JUNIOR ANGLER: |
|
REESE JONES••••••••••••••••••• |
WARRIOR |
|
