PITMAN’S BLUE THUNDER LEADS YAMAHA PRO TOUR FIELD IN JACKSONVILLE!
by Jack Holmes

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA— If there were any event on this year’s Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour that favored a local fisherman, this would be it for Matt Pitman and his team on the Blue Thunder. Pitman, son of Greater Jacksonville event founders Don and Carol Pitman, has done very well this week in July in all the events. It’s the biggest week in kingfishing in the country and this year the Pro Tour is involved part and parcel.

The Greater Jacksonville Tournament kicks off the week with a Tournament of Champions, an event for past winners over the years. They have a one-day VIP event held on the same day and we added our Pro Tour to this mix. On Tuesday they produce the Publix Junior Angler event and on Thursday and Friday is the Bell South general tournament. Some years have seen 1,000 boats enter the big show.

Our fishermen had the opportunity to have a great payday and some took advantage of that.
Pitman, Steve Aprile and Jeff Brychta who fish a Mercury powered Yellowfin, had their eyes set on one thing, a Pro victory and the 40 grand associated with the win. They succeeded. “We’ve caught a lot of fish in this tournament off New Smyrna Beach, south of Jacksonville,” said Pitman. “We pre-fished the Saturday before, found some small fish but lots of bait. It just seemed right.” On day one the team scaled a 35.95 caught using a blue runner. “Back we went on day two but the best we could find was a 26.85. We caught one 25-pounder after another but late in the day we finally got one large enough to go to the scales,” Pitman told me.
It was just a half a pound better than what was needed to seal their victory. It also moved the Blue Thunder into seventh in the standings and bumped their five fish average to 33.67 pounds. Very respectable. While Pitman has fished the tour before with Sandy Smith, this is technically his rookie year fishing his own boat.
Chuck Permenter and his Mining My Bidness team of Patrick Bellamy, Kent Taylor, Chris Blanton and Clinch Permenter scaled a 28.45 on day one, then backed it up with a 33.85 for a second place 62.30 aggregate, just a half a pound out of first. They earned $17,000 for their two-day’s work. The Mercury powered Donzi team finds themselves in second place in the standings with a five fish average of 34.99 pounds. Last year’s winner, Dean Spatholt, had a seven fish average of 34.77. This team only caught five fish last year so you can readily see how they’ve improved this season. Win or not, no one will ever argue about this team’s fishing ability. They’ve made a very strong statement!

Joseph Miller’s Miller Tyme is another of those teams on a mission to win sport fishing’s most coveted title, Angler of the Year. They too didn’t do much last season but look at them go now. They earned third here in Jacksonville with a 30.40 and 30.35 for a 60.75 aggregate and a check for $12,000. Fourth in the overall standings and a big 36.49 five fish average. They’re on fire. Congratulate Miller, Monty Peters, Chris Blackwell and Mark Blackwell. They fish for Yamaha and Contender.

The Weathers boys picked up another check this year, this one for $11,000. They scaled a 29.75 on day one, backed it up on day two with a 27.80 for 57.55 points. They are now in 11th overall in the standings with a 35.14 five fish average. But remember, next month in Savannah the Triple Gobble will be in home waters and are fully expected to do very well. They too are a rookie team, one of seven in the top 25 overall standings. I told them earlier in the season that I thought they could compete at this level and they have proved I was right.
Jeff and Nancy Dunbar put $7,000 back in the bank thanks to a fifth place finish. Jeff wanted to improve his overall average and he certainly accomplished that. The Fish Dancer fished at the Elton Bottom. “When there’s no real concentration of fish I have some numbers that I’ve done pretty good at so that’s where we fished,” explained Dunbar. The team caught a 21.40 on day one then roared back on day two with a huge 33.50. Or maybe it was the “Fishin’ the Trail” cameraman on their boat that gave them the mojo. No, this team will end up with a very high national number after this season.

Fishing the early part of the week was hit or miss at best. As Jeff put it, there was no real concentration of fish like last year at Gray’s Reef. You had to really dig. But as the week went on, and the moon beamed with full illumination, fishing picked up and good catches went from just deeper waters to action in all depths.
Bill Butler, Rick Ryan and Mike Butler are in position to make a run at the title sitting third in overall points. The Crawgator team from Venice, Louisiana fishing a Yamaha powered Contender caught a 21.90 on day one, then scaled an attention-getting 31.95 the second day for 53.85 points and sixth place. Their five fish average is 35.05, not quite as good as some of the others near the top but now it’s Ryan’s turn. He’s a Carolina boy who might just prove to be the key ingredient to this team’s victory. One thing’s for sure, the last two events will be very interesting.

So how long can the rookie team from Jacksonville stay on top? No one is willing to put any money on that scenario. The Final Strike is still number one and enjoy a 40.64 five fish average, the biggest ever at this juncture of the season. They finished 12th in their own backyard with a disappointing 13.25 on day two after scaling a great 36.20 on Monday. But with two events left, and two days still in Georgia waters, waters they know, they are definitely in control of their own destiny.

Richard Chapman picked up seventh this week with a 52.45-pound aggregate. His Donzi, the Just Natural, is in 20th overall and is going to have to dig to get back where he needs to be. But Richard remembers his football days. You gotta give that extra effort if you expect to win! His team finished sixth last year and he’s been very consistent. If he and Kerry Gardner and Ken Hudson do well in Savannah they still can win it all because they get to go home for the final two days of the Yamaha Pro Tour. The substitute boat he was using while waiting for a new boat (because his sank due to a yacht’s wake passing his dock) sure didn’t help his season.

Linwood and Brad Clark may be fishing at their best. A 52.40 two fish aggregate and eighth place finish works for me. It just seems that there’s a renewed commitment and it’s paying off. I think every one will be watching to see what this team does in Savannah. If they’re in a position to win it in Morehead, they will. This is one team you never bet against.

Sandy Smith led the Gator Bait / Gemlux boat to a ninth place finish with 52.20 points. They are still the favorites to win it all this season after three events. They have a five fish 38.20-pound average. Sandy has had three shots at the title and this could be his year. He’s got a great team in Matt Bridgewater and Wylie Nagler. If they catch a 35- to 40-pound fish in Savannah, look out!

Thomas Mulligan, Katherine and Jim Scharfschwert, and Bart Hinson are having a ball. In Jacksonville they won 10th with 51.05 points aboard their Donzi, the Wound Tight. They are one of the rookie teams in the top 25.

Sarah Jo / Team Triton captured 11th with 49.55 points. Chris Edens, Sr. and Jr. plus Sterling Moore fished the Yamaha powered Triton Boat.
Paul Massey, the ’03 Angler of the Year, and Joe Bruce, SKA’s ’92 Angler of the Year, and Mark Yokeley are part of the Outrageous’ winning team picking up 13th overall with a 49.10 aggregate. They are now in the top 25 of the field. Savannah will be good for this team.
Steve Cunningham’s No Mercy picked up 14th with 47.65 points while Ken Thompson, our Savannah Tournament Director, rounds out the money places, 15th with 47.65 points.
Can’t wait for Savannah!