SEASON TICKET BOASTS INCREDIBLE START TO PRO CAREER… Reels in 86.18 Aggregate to Take Ft. Pierce Tournament!
by Ian Warner

The 2005 Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour opened with its Captain’s meeting Thursday, April 21st to huge crowds and beautiful weather. Held at the Fort Pierce City Marina in conjunction with Division 10’s Yellowfin Kingfish Classic, 95 pro boats set out Friday morning in search of the first pair of kings that would count towards their yearlong effort to earn the elusive Angler of the Year title.

After the fist day’s fishing the pressure was already on: Gator Bait/Gemlux’s Captain Sandy Smith had already pulled in a 49.32-pounder in his native waters, the largest king to be caught throughout the tournament. Rookie team (first year on Pro tour) Final Strike was right behind them with a 49.27. Setting out Saturday the Pros knew they really had their work cut out for them.

Season Ticket started their first year in the Pros with a bang, racking up a two fish aggregate of 86.18-pounds to take first place by a 13-pound margin and beating last year’s winning boat, C & H Lures, by almost 14-pounds. On Friday Captain David Butler, Brad Butler, Chuck Tower, and John Hardie set straight out from the Ft. Pierce inlet 12-miles east to fish the 90-foot ledge there. Trolling the Yamaha powered Contender in 85-feet of water they immediately had a hit at 7:30 on a goggle eye trailing from the shotgun line. Captain Butler angled the king in and they knew they had a beauty. When they reached the scales their beliefs were confirmed: Season Ticket had a 42.06-pounder in the bag and were sitting in fifth place going into day two.

Heading out on Saturday Butler decided to make the run south to the Lake Worth Inlet where many of Friday’s big kings were found. Fishing in about 85-feet of water the bite was on early again, and at 8:30 a ribbonfish on a downrigger was snatched to set a reel screaming. John Hardie grabbed the rod and began to work the king in when the unthinkable happened. “He took off straight across the channel,” reported Butler, “and was run over by a passing freighter.” Only 40-feet from the huge ship, “we knew we had lost her.” But their line held true, and they pulled in the biggest king they’ve landed fishing in the SKA, a 44.12-pound king. “It was just our weekend,’ smiled Tower. Their huge aggregate was good for a first place victory and a check for $40,000 to take home to Jacksonville. Congratulations, guys, that’s a great way to start your first year in the Pros.

The veteran team of Mining My Bidness from Little River, SC fished hard both days to pull in a 72.80 aggregate, nailing second place. Captain Chuck Permenter, Patrick Bellamy, Kent Taylor, and Chris Blanton form a very consistent fishing team that has been with the SKA since 1997. With multiple top ten finishes, the team took fifth place in Division 3 in 1998 and won Division 3 in 2000. They decided to start their fourth year in the Pros by heading their Mercury powered Donzi south to the Lake Worth Inlet. As many anglers reported, the bite was on early, but they could only manage a 20-pounder. Trolling in 75-feet of water with the day winding down and the clock ticking a ribbonfish on the downrigger finally went off at 3:15. Kent quickly angled the smoker and the team headed right in to the scales to learn they had a 42.48-pound king good to position them in fourth place.

Saturday started with a bang for many teams: a shotgun start. “The boat race was fun today!” the team remarked. Over 120 boats waited at the St. Lucie Inlet for the “Go Fish!” from committee officials to head south towards Lake Worth where many of Friday’s whoppers were found. The word was given and the boats were off! The team got to the Lake Worth Inlet and the bite was on early again. Fishing the same area that they were in on Friday, the team hooked up at 8:30 when a king took a ribbonfish on a downrigger. “Ribbonfish sure seemed to be the best bait,” reported Permenter. Reaching the scales the team learned they had a 30.32-pounder, giving them a 72.80-pound aggregate, second place for the Pros, and a check for $17,000. “We’re just glad to have our good luck charm with us again,” grinned Bellamy. “Captain Chuck didn’t fish much last year because of a car accident, and we’re real happy to have him back.”

Third place went to Captain D. Scott Elliott’s Use Of Proceeds team from Anna Maria, FL. This is the team’s second year fishing the Pros after five years with the SKA. On Friday Captain Elliott, Dave Monda, and Ted Davis headed their Yamaha powered Contender south to fish just north of the Lake Worth Inlet, between the ledge and the zoo. The team reeled in a low twenties king and then at 9:00 their big one hit a blue runner on a long top line in about 80-feet of water. Then things got a little complicated. “Our line got tangled around Bob Woithe –the teacher’s- lines,” reported Elliott. “So we took our gaff and lifted Susan’s line up, Bob jumped through it, and we both caught our fish.” The extra effort was worth it, and when the team reached the scales they topped out at 41.73-pounds, placing them in sixth heading into day two.

Heading south on Saturday the team decided to fish the same spot, and during the early morning bite they landed a twenty-pounder. The bite died off and they made the choice to relocate, heading towards the beach just north of Jupiter inlet. They arrived at 1 pm, and baited up their first blue runner and sent it out on a long line. They immediately had to drop everything as that reel started screaming. A quick fight later they had a good fish in the bag and upon returning to the scales they learned the king just topped thirty pounds at 30.30, giving the team a 72.03 aggregate. Their third place finish earned them a check for $12,000.

Miss Behavin pulled in two good fish to take fourth place. This Catawba, SC, team qualified for the Pro Tour their first year with the SKA back in 2000. Fishing Division 2 the team finished eighth for the year and headed off to the National Championships to take it all, winning 2000’s Class of 23’ National Champion Title. “That hooked us,” smiled Duncan. A consistent group of anglers, Captain Duncan, Terri Duncan, Bill McNeely, and Bill Higgins are still reeling them in, landing a 52.67-pounder in this event last year and taking sixth in the 2004 National Championships.

This team caught both winning fish in virtually the same conditions fishing off Jupiter Inlet in their Mercury powered Palmetto. On Friday at 9:30 trolling in 75- to 80-feet of water their larger 43.23-pounder hit a surface runner, and their second king hit a ribbonfish at 10:00 the next day at the same depth, weighing in at 27.44-pounds. Their 70.67-pound aggregate was good for fourth place, Top Senior Angler for Bill Higgins, Top Lady Angler for Terri Duncan, and a check for $11,000.

“I just want to say thank you to The Reel Won, who cut their lines loose when they saw that we had a fish on,” said Captain Duncan. “If it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t have pulled in that 43-pounder.”

Another rookie Pro team that did great was Terry Johnson’s Final Strike, placing fifth. While they may be rookies in the Pro tour, this Jacksonville team has been fishing the SKA since 1993. Captain Johnson, son Chris, David Reddick, Jake Fulmer, and Clyde Keen headed out Friday morning to Lake Worth Inlet, and experienced the same early bite that most anglers commented upon. At 9:00 trolling in 85-feet of water a big mossback went after a blue runner on top, and after a short fight the team had what they would later learn was their biggest kingfish on the east coast: a 49.27-pounder.

Setting out on Saturday in second place overall the team knew they had to reel in another big one in order to clinch the Pro event. Steering the Mercury powered Yellowfin to the exact spot they caught the 49-pound king, the team baited up a rig with a ribbonfish and sent it out on a long line. Before they even got another rig ready the reel went off, and after a quick battle the team had an easy 20-pounder in the bag. Unfortunately, the bite died off for the team and around midday they decided to test the waters 19-miles north at the Loran Tower. They managed one more fish about the same size as the first, but threw her back and headed towards the scales to learn they had landed a 21.14-pound king. Their 70.41 aggregate earned the team fifth place and a check for $7,500.

While it was a great start in the Pros, it was a rough week for the team. “We lost Thomas Kehoe in a traffic accident last Friday night,” said Johnson. Thomas had fished with the team for eight years. “We had the funeral Wednesday. We really didn’t have time to set up or pre-fish. But it still worked out.”

Sixth place went to Captain Russell Stuart’s Seafood Kitchen, from Jacksonville, FL. Fishing his Mercury powered Donzi, Stuart, Rocky Cussack, Buddy Dingman, and Nathan Stuart landed a 28.24-pounder on Friday and followed that up with a nice 38.92-pound king on Saturday. Their 67.16-pound aggregate earned them a check for $7,000.

Captain Chad Sanders and his Mercury powered Palmetto the Reel Screamer took seventh place. Hooking a 33.22-pounder on Friday, Sanders, Mitch Yates, Junior Yates, and Chip Sanders backed it up on Saturday with a 29.24-pounder for a 62.46-pound aggregate. Another rookie team in the Pros, Sanders and his team earned $5,500 to take home to Grimesland, NC.

Eighth place fell to the St. Augustine team, Strait Shot. Captain Scott Dennis, Billy Crabtree, Shawn Hultquist, and Mark Roberts headed the Yamaha powered Contender to a 20.60-pound king on Friday and upped the ante on Saturday with a 36.59-pounder. The team’s 57.19-pound aggregate was good for a check for $4,250.

Team Young Guns added up a 56.79-pound aggregate to take ninth place in their Mercury powered Sea Vee. Captain Lee Way, Harver Way Sr., and Sebastian Butarelli landed two good high-twenties: a 28.77 on Friday and 28.02 on Saturday. Their efforts were good for a check for $3,250 to take home to Bunnell, FL.

Rounding out the top ten is Andy Hinton’s Hot Grits team. Captain Hinton set the Big Fish Record in North Carolina of 66.55-pounds back in 2002. Hinton, David Stallings, Mike Schulte, and Ned Grady gaffed a 28.96-pounder on Friday and pulled in a 27.05-pound king on Saturday. Their 56.01 aggregate was good for a check for $2,750 to take home to Raleigh, NC.

The Yamaha powered Contender Crawgator pulled in a 55.80 aggregate to take 11th. Captain Bill Butler, from Venice, LA, landed a nice 35.92 on Friday and a 19.88-pounder on Saturday.

Captain Joseph Miller’s Yamaha powered Contender Miller Tyme earned 12th. This Ft. Pierce team reeled in a whopper 40.51-pounder on Friday and a 15.18 points-fish on Saturday for a 55.69 aggregate.

Captain Chris Chase, 2001 Angler of the Year, landed two good fish on his Mercury powered Donzi for a 55.65-pound aggregate. The Chase hooked up with a 33.09 on Friday and a 22.56 on Saturday good for a 13th place victory to take home to Stanwood, MI.

The Mercury powered Fountain My Three Sons added up a 55.51-pound aggregate. Captain Terry Grantham, from Florence, SC, landed a 20.54 on Friday and backed it up with a 34.97-pounder on Saturday to earn 14th.

Rounding out the top 15 is the Clearwater, FL team Top Gun. Captain David Heavenridge and his crew set out in their Mercury powered Donzi Friday to gaff a 23.78-pound king and raised the bar Saturday, reeling in a 31.62-pounder. The team’s 55.40-pound aggregate was good to keep the team in the money and earn Cameron Bragg Top Junior Angler honors.

This leaves Pro Anglers preparing for great fishing in the Louisiana waters of Port Fourchon. With three rookie Pro teams in the top ten, the veterans know they can’t rest on their laurels, and need to pull in those monster kings that the northern Gulf is known for this June.