Onslow Bay Open 2006
Weather forecasters predicted that Saturday, September 23, would be a nice fall day on the Atlantic Ocean, providing good conditions for the 6th annual Onslow Bay Open King Mackerel Tournament. The anticipated 10 knot breeze would complement the 3-5 foot seas with widely spaced swells to make fishing very comfortable.
However, the forecasters weren’t exactly right. “When I got up at 4:00 Friday morning and heard the wind whistling through the pines, I knew the weatherman blew it,” said Tournament Chairman Capt. Stan Jarusinski.
With 20+ knot winds stacking a confused chop atop sizable ocean swells, fishing the Onslow Bay Open was significantly less comfortable than most anglers expected. The top boats in the event, however, overcame the tough conditions to weigh big kings.
Jacksonville, NC’s “Reel Weiner” team took first place and a check for $7,265.50 by hauling a 33.68 lb. king to the scales. Capt. Ned Mercer, Frank Goertz, and Ernie Gurganus battled 6-7 foot seas Saturday aboard the 30′ Fountain powered by 200 Mercury EFI’s to catch the winning fish.
The “Reel Weiner” was trolling along some grouper numbers Mercer had between Lookout Shoals and the 1700 Rock when the weighty king hit. A naked pogy pulled on top fooled the fish into striking around 11:00. When the fish bit, Goertz grabbed the rod, and the king took off. For much of the 20 minute fight, the mackerel stayed deep, taking Goertz around the gunwales of the Fountain twice. After its last run, the fish surfaced. Goertz brought it to the boat, and Mercer was able to plant the gaff in it and swing it aboard.
Mercer, Goertz, and Gurganus left the docks Saturday morning planning to cross Lookout Shoals, then troll along a series of grouper-holding ledges towards the 1700 Rock. They had reached their final ledge, turned around, and were trolling back towards the shoals when they got the winning bite. The team got only two other bites all day long, both sharks.
Continuing a long streak of tournament successes, the “Miss Teny,” from Walstonburg, NC, weighed a 26.81 lb. king to capture second place in the Onslow Bay Open. Capt. Ashley Jones and his brother Scott were fishing with teammate Randy Chase aboard the 23′ Mercury-powered Palmetto on Saturday. A check for $3,747.50 rewarded the team for dealing with the tough sea conditions.
A naked pogy fooled the “Miss Teny” king into biting around 9:00 Saturday morning. The crew was trolling around the 1700 Rock in what Ashley Jones described as “fishable, but not comfortable” seas. The crew was fighting a cobia when the second place fish bit. The crew cut off the cobia to focus on the potentially valuable mackerel, and this turned out to be an excellent decision.
The “Dig It IV,” from Raleigh, took third place with a 23.16 lb. king. Tony Carroll, his son Bryant, Tony’s cousin Greg Carroll, and his son Daniel were all fishing Saturday aboard the “Dig It IV,” a 36′ Contender powered by three 275 hp Mercury Verados. A check for $1988.50 went back to Raleigh with the Carroll family. Daniel Carroll pocketed an additional $500 as top Junior Angler in the event.
The “Dig It IV” king bit a naked pogy 40 feet deep on the downrigger. The big Contender was trolling around the 1700 Rock when the fish attacked the bait around 2:20 Saturday afternoon. Greg Carroll was on the rod, and after striking the king took 200 yards of line from him. The king went on two more strong runs before Tony Carroll gaffed it and brought it aboard.
The “Dig It IV” team would like to thank sponsors Power Marine Outfitters, New River Marina, Contender Boats, and Mercury Outboard Motors.
Fourth place went to Al Morris, Jr. and the Raleigh, NC “Sea Drag’N” team for a 22.96 lb. fish. Al Morris, Sr. usually fishes on the 28′ Mercury-powered Privateer with his son, but he stayed on land Saturday due to the rough conditions.
Trolling in about 80′ of water east of Lookout Shoals, the “Sea Drag’N” got a solid hit on a naked pogy around 11:00. The fight lasted around 30 minutes, and Morris, Jr. described the fish to his father as a “real battler.”
A 21.91 lb. king mackerel secured fifth place and a check for $879.50 for the Smithfield, NC, team “Nail It.” Todd Casey, Tim Casey, and Tim’s son Sterling Casey were aboard the Mercury-powered 234 Mako, and they fought 4-6′ seas with an occasional 8′ wave to bring home fifth.
The Casey team’s king hit a naked pogy around 7:30 Saturday morning. The crew had originally planned to go to the 1700 rock, but rough seas forced them to abandon that plan. They caught the nearly 22 lb. king at the Dead Tree Hole. The fish was foul hooked in the tail, and angler Tim Casey thought is was bigger when it made its initial 200 yard run. After a fairly quick 15 minute fight, the king revealed itself to Todd Casey’s gaff.
The Onslow Bay Open King Mackerel Tournament is staffed entirely by volunteers. This arrangement allows even more money to go to the tournament’s many beneficiaries. This event is strongly focused on raising money for children in need, and it funds a wide variety of children’s charities.
The Boys and Girls Home of NC, Camp E Ma Henwu, Camp Sunshine, Children’s Flight for Hope, FOP Carteret County Shop with a Cop, Miracle Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center, and the Onslow County Christmas Cheer Program all receive much needed support from the money raised at the Onslow Bay Open.
Without sponsors Yamaha Outboard Motors, TowBoat US, Andy’s Cheesesteaks and Cheeseburgers, and The Reel Outdoors, there is no way the Onslow Bay Open could provide its anglers with a great fishing tournament and its beneficiaries with great support.
For more info on the OBO KMT, you can visit www.obokmt.us.
