Topsail KMT 2004
The 19th Annual, 2004 Topsail Offshore Fishing Club’s King Mackerel Tournament, with the fishing day on August 21, had a weather forecast that called for three to four foot seas, but those on the winner’s board Sunday spoke of a more realistic four to six, especially in the inlets. The water was cloudy to three miles offshore, and though visibility improved beyond that, grass posed a problem for those farther out. Between the rough water and the interference, competitors found their hunt for kings to be a long and unforgiving one. Out of the 143 boats competing, 19 kings made it to the weigh-in.
“Sea Drag’n,” the 28′ Privateer captained by Al Morris Jr., became the boat to beat when angler Lauren Morris, also awarded Lady Angler of the tournament, landed her 34.26 lb. king. The “Sea Drag’n” crew also consisted of Carol and Al Morris Sr. Morris Jr., from Wilmington, guided his vessel offshore early, but the turbulent seas led to a crew decision to come back inside. His winning king was caught 13 miles past Cape Lookout and 2 miles off Core Banks in 47 feet of water on a plain pogy rig on the flat line. Morris Jr., who won the Topsail king tourney in 1996, earned $17,323 for his top king. He later said, “We were just in the right place at the right time.” Morris also added that the win would not have been possible without the support of Coastal Carolina Marine and Mercury, his two biggest sponsors.
Capt. Jason Vuncannon motored his 26′ Hydrasport, “Steel’s The Deal,” about 22 miles off Wrightsville Beach. Crew Ben Dewar, Robbie Wheeler, and John Howell, all from Fuquay Varina, pulled in the 24.06 lb. second place fish on a cigar minnow. Despite having trouble catching bait, “Steel’s The Deal” earned $7,958 for their finish.
Capt. Wayne Hewitt and Chris Cooper, fishing on “The Germinator” out of Wilmington, earned $5,102 for their third place fish. Caught on a live menhaden off of the 30/30, “The Germinator” bagged a 23.64 lb. king. Jeff Crouch, from Bolivia, NC, captained “Strickly Business” to land a 23 lb. fourth place, and “North Carolina Sportsman Magazine,” captained by Ty Conti, pulled in a 21.58 lb. king near Drum Inlet for fifth.
Capt. Larry Gillikin, of “Reel Time,” caught sixth place (21.06 lb.) in 60 feet of water on a naked pogy north of Cape Lookout Shoals. Richard Tudor captained “Power Marine” approximately 12 miles off Bogue Inlet to catch seventh (20.72 lb.) on a pogy with a Cape Fear skirt in 63 feet of water. John Lewis captained “Second Chanze” west of Bear Inlet Rock for his eighth place fish (18.34 lb.), caught on a double pogy at 4:30 p.m. “‘Bout Time!,” captained by Bob Watson, found ninth (15.32 lb.) at the 30/30 on a live pogy. Captain James Butts, of “Jimmy Mack,” caught tenth (15.26 lb.) on a pogy in 65 feet of water at Drum Inlet.
Winners in the 23’and Under Division were Captain Marc Hairston’s “Bad Habit” and Captain Parrish Sasser’s “Tie One On.” Angler Kristy Godwin landed her 20.16 lb. king for “Bad Habit” on a live pogy in 37 feet of water at a wreck near Station Rock. Sasser landed his 15.68 lb. king on a cigar minnow trolled 7 miles off Topsail Beach. Will Bridges (age 14), of “Sandra Dee,” won Junior Angler with his 13.12 lb. king caught at the southwest ledges on a green and red beaded pogy.
For more information on the tournament results, you can visit www.tofc.com.
