Far Out Shootout
Tatum Sabota with the 23.25 lb. dolphin that helped the “Salt Times” crew earn first place in the 2013 Far Out Shootout, held May 10-18 out of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center. The ‘phin bit while the team was trolling near the Heel off Ocean Isle.
The only team to catch all three qualifying fish, Matt Sobota and the “Salt Times” crew rode their success to the winners’ circle in the 2013 Far Out Shootout, held May 10-18 out of the Ocean Isle Fishing Center. The dolphin, wahoo, and blackfin tuna they weighed earned 53.05 points, handily enough to best the remainder of the field.
After not seeing much to get excited about on satellite sea temperature charts, Sobota settled on an area near a spot called the Heel that featured some cool, 69 degree water pushed up against warmer, 75 degree ocean. Fishing with a trio of junior anglers and three adults, the team made their way offshore in the morning, setting lines in around 8:00am.
Unable to find a hard temperature break after trolling offshore from 130’ of water to 500’, the anglers returned to some scattered weeds and flying fish they’d come across in around 200’.
They fished the same patch of water between 150’ and 250’ for the remainder of the day, landed a quartet each of dolphin and wahoo, along with their blackfin and a few false albacore.
The junior anglers battled most of the fish, including the 20.85 lb. wahoo, 8.95 lb. blackfin, and 23.25 lb. dolphin that the crew weighed in for their tournament points. In addition to first overall, the “Salt Times” wahoo took home top honors in that division, and their blackfin placed second on the tuna leaderboard.
Ken Ritch and the “Sea PA/OIFC” fishing team scaled only one of the three qualifying species in the event, but the 36.35 lb. dolphin the crew brought to the scales was enough to earn the crew second place overall and, of course, first place in the dolphin division. Their big mahi fell for a long outrigger bait east of the Blackjack Hole.
Bob Newell and the “Black Dog” rounded out the Far Out Shootout’s top three, weighing a 19.05 lb. wahoo and a 17 lb. dolphin to finish right on Ritch’s heels.
A 9.45 lb. blackfin tuna gave top honors in the tuna category to the “Carolina Cat/OIFC” crew.
For more information on the Far Out Shootout and a full leaderboard, visit www.oifc.com.
