Jolly Mon King Classic 2006
The Choplin Marine Jolly Mon King Classic, one of the highest attended KMTs in our area, was held on June 23-25, 2006, at the Ocean Isle Fishing Center. There were 280 boats that fished the event, a tournament that is in its second year of its popular captain’s choice format—pick either Saturday or Sunday as your one day of fishing.
“Twister” and Captain Patrick Bryant were the overall winners of this year’s event. Alex Bryant was the angler of the tournament heavy 38.40 lb. king mackerel. Also onboard was Austin Bryant, who took home the Jolly Mon Senior Angler award. “Twister” is a 25′ Contender powered by twin 150 Yamaha four strokes. The fish brought the Holden Beach, NC, team almost $20,000 in prize money.
The “Twister” team jigged a live well full of bait at a local wreck after leaving Lockwood Folly Inlet Saturday morning, but a dead cigar minnow with a Turbo Rattler accounted for the winning fish.
The fish struck around 8:00am near the Horseshoe. The king hit the bait and then headed in the direction of the boat. Once Alex got the line tight, the king took a good run peeling off about 200 yards of line. Then 25 minutes later the big king was in the boat.
The Bryants continued to fish for another 45 minutes, catching several smaller kings and an 18 lb. dolphin that was only six ounces away from winning the Jolly Mon Dolphin Division. They then headed back to the Ocean Isle Fishing Center where their king was the second one weighed.
Scott Quaintance secured second place and an $11,500+ payout with a 33.20 lb. king. He and partner Chris Gravatte, both of Ocean Isle Beach, were originally planning to fish this event aboard Quaintance’s 34′ Yellowfin “Casual Water,” but they were forced to fish on the substitute 27′ Contender “Eagle One” as the Yellowfin was stuck in Florida undergoing some work.
Quaintance and Gravatte caught their fish at the 30/30 on a long, naked pogy. Quaintance reported that catching bait was tough, but they found a school of small pogies in Snow’s Cut, and then headed out Carolina Beach Inlet. The team could only catch sharks at first, including an estimated 300+ pounder, before their big king bit at 10:30am. They were back at the weigh-in by 2:30.
The “Casual Water” team thanked Radio Shack of Ocean Isle Beach for its sponsorship.
Third place in the event went to Kevin W. Lawson, of Ramsuer, NC, aboard the Suzuki-powered 32’ Wellcraft “Wrench Head.” Their 30.30 lb. king won them a check for over $11,000. Lawson was fishing at the Frying Pan Tower with James and Gene Hollingsworth. The fish bit a naked dead cigar minnow and came to the boat after a 30 minute fight.
Michael Byrd, of Thomasville, NC, captured fourth place with a 30.15 lb. king mackerel worth over $6000. Byrd fished with Eddy Jones aboard the 30′ Wellcraft “Surf N Byrd.” Their fish ate a double dead ballyhoo rig with a blue and white skirt in the Cape Fear River Channel around 2:30pm. Byrd and Jones caught bait before heading out, but their live well failed, forcing them to use the dead ballyhoo.
Laura and Richard Hobbs, of Carolina Beach, NC, brought in fifth place overall, top Lady Angler, and second place in the High Roller TWT with a 29.40 lb. king caught aboard “She’s All That,” a 32’ Fountain. The fish brought them checks for $1890, $500, and $3889 respectively. The couple aren’t strangers to winning money at the Jolly Mon King Classic, as they caught a 38.65 lb. king fish from a 21’ skiff last year to sweep every division of the event and take home $38,000.
This year they coaxed a king to eat a tiny naked pogy at 12:00noon off Georgetown, SC. The couple wanted to thank Fountain Powerboats, Mercury, Myco Trailers, and C&H Lures for their sponsorship.
Top Honors in the 23′ and Under Division went to Paul McIntyre with a 19.25 lb. king worth $625 plus a $625 gift certificate to the GPS store. The fish also brought his team $3103 by winning the 23′ and Under TWT. He was fishing with Chris and Rob McIntyre aboard the 21′ Sailfish “Tiger Rag” out of Highland, MD.
The “Tiger Rag” was one of the few teams that braved squally weather on Sunday. They caught their king at the Jungle around 11:00 am.
The top Junior Angler in this event was Alan Barnes, fishing with his father Brett on the “Hot Rod,” a 25′ Contender out of Wilmington, NC. Their 25.30 lb. fish ate a pogy fished on a long line. They were offshore of the Horseshoe. The 25.30 lb. king also brought the “Hot Rod” team, sponsored by Terminator Wire, the overall seventh place.
Sixth place overall went to Robert Ferris, on the “Mad Mouse” out of Harrisburg, NC, with a 25.75 lb. king. Chris Register, on the Wilmington-based “Main Event,” caught a 25.25 lb. fish for eighth place overall. William Larry Warren, aboard the “Three Stooges and Cher” out of Hampstead, caught a 25.20 lb. king good for ninth. W.T. Russ Jr., an Ocean Isle Beach local, caught the 22.00 lb. tenth place king aboard “Mr. Goodhands.”
In the other fish divisions, an 18.95 lb. dolphin won Chris Register on the “Main Event” a check for $350. And Bill Welborn, aboard the “Bill Z. Fisher,” won $350 for a 43.95 lb. cobia.
The overwhelming majority of the 280 boats that registered for the event fished on Saturday. Saturday morning was pleasant with southeast winds at 10-15 and 2-3 foot seas, with conditions deteriorating slightly to 15-20 knot southeast winds and 3-5 foot seas in the afternoon.
Only 30 of the boats elected to fish Sunday, with conditions described as squally, with wind and rain making fishing a little tough. Only two boats that made the top 20 ventured out on Sunday.
The Jolly Mon King Classic has been held on the Fourth of July weekend in past years, but was moved ahead one week for 2006. Tournament Director Brant McMullan estimates that entries for the event were down about 20% from last year, mostly due to the date change. Many families who regularly fish the Jolly Mon come to the beach for the July fourth weekend, and they could not make it to the event one week early.
McMullan emphasized the family-friendly nature of the Jolly Mon, calling it a great venue for families to compete together. “I want the husbands to try to get their wife and kids and grandparents to fish” McMullan said. McMullan went on to say that two other objectives of the Jolly Mon are to “stimulate the first time tournament fisherman” and “provide more ways for the whole family to win.”
The Jolly Mon King Classic could not be put on without the help of its many sponsors. This year’s title sponsor was Choplin Marine. Other major sponsors for the event include B.B.&T., SeaTow, Magic Tilt Trailers, Guy C. Lee Building Materials, R and R Allstate, The GPS Store, and Elite Homes.
For a complete list of the fish weighed in the 2006 Jolly Mon, you can visit their website at www.oifishingcenter.com.
