THE TEXAS TEAM, LURED AWAY, WINS THE SECOND LEG OF THE YAMAHA PROFESSIONAL KINGFISH TOUR IN FOURCHON, LOUISIANA!
by Jack Holmes

Albert Vrazel and Bobby Schoenfeld won the second leg of the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour the hard way, they earned it. The Lured Away team picked up a new 38’ Mercury powered Donzi this season and combined with their determination hit the forty thousand dollar jackpot and all the accolades that’s afforded winners.

I remember both of these fellows showing up at the first Galveston, Texas tournament a few years back with older, smaller boats, wanting to give king mackerel fishing a try. They had a lot of catching up to do. As their abilities increased they decided to go in partnership and broaden their horizons. It was obviously the right mix. Don’t take this team lightly, their dedication to this lifestyle and zest to succeed will keep them at the top.

“We ran eighty five mile to the west south west,” said Schoenfeld. “It’s an area we’ve fished before, about one hun dred feet of water. Crawgator and the Johnny B were in the same area also.” On day one the team scaled a 53.77, went right back on day two and put a 44.87 in the fish bag. “We fished this area last year in the Kajun Sportsman tournament and earned fourth,” said Vrazel showing off a grin that was half the size of Texas.

While a lot of teams were reporting great bites on ribbonfish, the Lured Away team caught all their kings with hard tails on the surface. Bobby's wife Carla earned top lady angler honors fo r the event.

Terry Johnson put together a rag-tag team of good fishermen out of the Jacksonville, Florida area and after two events, Fort Pierce, Florida and Fourchon, Louisiana, the rookie team, Final Strike, took over first in the Pro standings by a half a pound. “Everyone contributes,” said Johnson who just picked up second place honors and the seventeen thousand dollar payday with a 96.61 pound aggregate. Johnson, Jake Fulmer, David Redick, Chris Johnson, and Clyde Keen aren’t letting up. “We really fished hard this weekend,” Johnson added, knowing that the next Pro event is in their back yard.

“We ran south east to rigs in 225 feet of water where we had caught forty pounders pre fishing,” Johnson explained. “David caught the 51.58 pound fish who ate a ribbonfish off the downrigger.” On day two, the team went back to the same area but water conditions had changed so they moved thanks to some good information. At 8 AM they had a 45 pounder on the line. This team should be at the top or very close going into Morehead City in the fall. “We really are gaining a lot of confidence,” Johnson added.

What more can be written about the Woithe family that hasn’t already been written? Divisional titles, lady and senior honors, only the Championship and Angler of the Year honors elude this team and that will come. This weekend it was Robert, his wife Susan, and their son Robert on the boat and they picked up third place honors, senior honors, and 94.66 points. “This was a great weekend for us,” said Bob. “We ran to the ships shoals, about seventy miles from Port Fourchon, and fished in ninety feet of water”. The team scaled a 48.12 on day one then went right back on day two but things were not the same.” “There were boats there with us but as time went on, one by one they left. We stayed and early afternoon we picked up our second fish, a 46.54.”

This weekend was a Pro event, but to Danny Mathis it was also quality time with his son Matthew and junior angler Jared Fuller. The two juniors had the time of their lives with Danny scaling a 51.63 and a 41.60 to earn fourth. “I can’t tell you how much fun we had,” said Mathis who was really proud that Matthew caught both fish. “We went forty two miles south west and fished in 135 feet of water. At ten o’clock on day one the big boy ate a hard tail off the long line and we picked up the forty one pounder on day two in the same spot at noon.” He told me that Anthony Toups had told him about this area and he went and caught fish there pre fishing.

Jeff and Greg Weathers came to Cajun country with one thought, catch big kings and move up in the standings. “It was important to us to get two decent fish here,” explained Jeff. “The next three Pro events are in waters we know.”

The Triple Gobble team were within thirty miles of the scales, 120 feet of water. “For us it was simply working thru the smaller fish,” said an excited Jeff after learning their two fish aggregate of 91.49 was good for fifth place. Better yet they beat the Crawgator team by just one hundredths of a pound. “We went thru two cases of ribbonfish this weekend. It really wore you out.” The Weathers caught a twenty six pounder in Fort Pierce and will go back to the east coast with 118 points. more than enough to keep this rookie team in the hunt.

To think that the Butler’s Crawgator team would not be in the money in their home waters would be ludicrous. Of course they would be, sixth in fact with a two fish agg of 91.48. Their biggest fish was a 48.64. On the team is Bill and Mike Butler, Rick Ryan, and Steve Jenkins.

The South Florida team of Jon Gundlach and Bud Randall fishing The Natural picked up seventh place money with a two fish agg of 90.25. Their big fish was a 47.92. The team came out of Fort Pierce with 46 points and combined with th eir louisiana trip will move up the ladder.

The biggest fish of the tournament was bagged by the Dave and Don Workman team, Strike Zone, a 57.91. However while the dock talk was how do we stop the Workman's, the Workman’s stopped themselves adding only a 32.30 on day two. But before you begin to feel sorry for them, they picked up eighth in the tournament and got a check, then grabbed the keys to a new 21’ Contender, Yamaha powered, and a loadmaster trailer for the biggest king in the Division seven tournament which ran alongside the Pro event worth $35,000. They had 49 points in the season opener and although I’d liked to have seen a forty to go with the big fish, I wouldn’t be quick to dismiss their title hopes.

Sandy Smith, Matt Bridgewater, and Wyl ie Nagler bagged a 51.13 on day one, and like the Strike Zone, the Gator Bait / Gemlux team could only scale a 38.35 on day two to capture ninth. But one thing to remember here, Smith now has the best three fish aggregate of any team and this is the best start his team has ever had. This very well could be his year but as good as everyone is fishing it’s not a slam dunk by any means.

Rounding out the top ten is the C & H Lures team from Jacksonville, Florida. with a two fish aggregate of 88.94. Don Combs /and his team are back on track now. Remember they had a great season last year.

Eleventh thru fifteenth place went to Ron Mitchell’s Bandit, Scott Routh’s Devocean, Forrest Taylor’s Team Furuno, Marcus Kennedy’s Kwazar / Wolf, and Charles Getsinger’s Fishin Addition.

Our host for this event was Anthony Toups and his Kajun Sportsman’s staff. Prime rib was served for the Captain’s meeting. The word from the fishermen when they arrived, “this was a very, very, long drive.” However after the pre fishing, the great food, and the tournament, it was “when are we coming bak? We love it here.” Louisiana is the self proclaimed Sportsman’s Paradise. They hit the nail right on the head!

FINAL STANDINGS:

10. C & H LURES 46.38 ...... 42.56 ....... 88.94
Fountain ... Mercury
Don Combs
St. Augustine, Florida