At the top of the big board was Bob Johnson and Keith Lane. Bob has been a member of the SKA since ’93 and comes down from the mountains of North Carolina each year to fish Division Five. He fishes a 17-foot Boston Whaler, Montauk model, with a 90 horsepower Mercury, and told me, “I love my boat. I can’t do what others do running all over the ocean.  I know my limitations.”

Bob and Keith left Mayport and fished the beach. “The water didn’t look good on Friday but really cleared up on Saturday,” Bob recalled. “We had a really good fish hit just past ten-thirty. She burned three hundred yards of line then bit thru the leader. That’s pretty depressing but we went right back to work. Twenty minutes later the 48.64 hit a pogy in the propwash.”

Back at the weigh in site the crowd got into it when Bob and Keith held their big king for our camera. After Bob came back from the scales to his tied up Whaler, one of the Nassau Club members asked him how much fuel he burned. “By the time we get back to the ramp in Mayport we probably will have burned twenty dollars worth of fuel,” he answered.

Bob has gotten checks before but this was his crowning moment. Not only did he get first place money but a week’s trip to Costa Rica.  Plus the Traveller also won Class of 23 money for first place.

As I’ve always said, the fish don’t know what size boat you’re in and Bob and Keith are living proof. We couldn’t be happier for them and their big win!

The Gameday team is having a great season so far. In this event they earned second place, which was an aggregate. On day one the Rodeffer’s, Dave, W.D., and Ryan, snagged a 32.84 then came back on day two and scaled the second biggest king in the tournament, a 42.68 for 75.52 points.  What’s ironic is they would have won second anyway based on one big fish.

“We were fishing south of Daytona in 60 to 65 feet of water,” said W.D. “We caught the 42 with a blue runner about nine-thirty.” The Gameday team won the Sapelo event, finished second here, plus fourth in the Two Way.

The Gameday is a Mercury powered Yellowfin. They are currently 16th in Division Five and 1st in Division Four Open Class.

Sotally Tober earned third with a 39.08. As an SKA member and reader of Angler Magazine, you’ll remember Bo Steverson fishing this boat. Bo passed away due to a fatal motorcycle accident last year. Most wives would have put the boat up for sale but not Dawn Steverson. Because of the family she’s now running the boat and taking the kids fishing. “I also have a friend who is taking them hunting also. Everything Bo had them involved in, I’m still doing,” Dawn told me.

On the first day of the event the Sotally Tober team scaled the 39.08 and found themselves atop the leader board. “Kenny Crawford actually told us about this spot at the Elton Bottom,” Dawn explained. “We caught her about one o’clock using a blue runner in 115 feet of water.”

Dawn is an incredible wife, keeping Bo’s passions alive for the family. She was the event’s Top Lady Angler. Great job and good luck in future events.

Reel Quick’s Jerry and Jeremy Carter, plus Jim Thomas picked up fourth place with a 39-pound king.  Like the Traveller, they too were at the Red Tops. “The Reel Panic team called us in,” Jerry informed me. “We had a runner way back and that’s the one she hit. By ten thirty I had her in the boat.”

The Reel Quick is a Mercury powered Contender and is in eighth place in the Open Class overall standings.

Fifth place went to another Class boat, the Fore Play, a Yamaha powered Sea Pro.

Scott Frye, Lou Smith, Cameron Frye, Ed Oldham, and Dan Kehrt teamed to scale a 36.06. “We were fishing east of the Elton Bottom,” said Frye. “Lou caught her on a ribbonfish down forty feet at twelve forty-five.

They also won second place money in the Class of 23.

William, Kaysee, and Korrie Pujadas picked up sixth fishing the Seabones. “We were another of the teams who were fishing the Red Tops,” said William. “We caught ours on a goggle eye and had her in the boat a little after seven.” She weighed 36.66.

The Seabones is a Yamaha powered Marlago. Kaysee was the events second place Lady Angler.

Reel Panic was a Red Tops fishing team also. Bobby, Bill, and Greg Haspel, plus Chuck DeGrove scaled a 36.18 to earn seventh.
They caught theirs at ten o’clock using a ribbonfish.

Let’s Go finished eighth thanks to a 36.10-pound king. The team consists of Rob, Chuck, and Byron Darner, plus Mike Murphy.

“We were south of Matansas fishing in forty feet of water,” said Rob. “We had her to the boat by seven-thirty and caught her on a pogy. We had some good ten dollar blue runners but all we caught on them were a tarpon.”

The Let’s Go team broke down on Friday but a friend lent them their boat for Saturday fishing. That’s a great friend!

Byron was the events Top Junior Angler plus the SKA’s Top Junior. Let’s Go also took third in the Class of 23.

Ninth place went to the Division Five leader in the Open Class, Kenny Crawford on the AT&T Real Yellow Pages. Crawford, Cindy Farlow, Bill Walsh, plus Matthew and Robbie Farlow, scaled a 35.02 caught at the Red Tops using a goggle eye on day two.

Cindy Farlow won third place in the Ladies Division and her son Matthew was the event’s second place Junior Angler.

Rounding out the top ten was Russ Ost, Steve Moritz, George Harms, and Stephen Dudka, on the Reel Passion, a Yamaha powered Cobia. They caught a 34.60 and are now ninth overall in the Division’s Open Class.

As expected this was again a world-class event. The weather couldn’t have been better but it was extremely hot. Congratulations to all who competed. See you in St Augustine