Sneads Ferry Rotary KMT 2004
The 13th annual Sneads Ferry Rotary Club King Mackerel Tournament fielded 170 boats that caught a total of 75 kings and 3 dolphin, with a total weight of over 1500 lbs. The tournament, hosted by New River Marina, enjoyed favorable weather and a solid king bite.
First place went to “Shock Wave.” Capt. Harold Hill, Jeff Hill, and Ronnie Adams, from Goldsboro, brought in a 41.08 lb. king. Harold Hill has fished the Sneads Ferry tournament several times, and his highest previous finish in the tournament was fourth. He is both a USAA and a SKA member. The winning king was caught at East Rock, about 20 miles from Beaufort, on a live menhaden set on a starboard topline. Ronnie Adams was the angler. The king ran approximately 100 yards and took about 20 minutes to land.
The first prize for this year’s tournament was a 21′ Contender with a 300hp Yamaha and a Magic Tilt trailer, plus the cash difference between the 21′ and the 23′ Contender that was advertised (the 23′ was not ready at tournament time so the prize equivalency was met by the sponsors). The boat was furnished by both Power Marine Outfitters, owned by Rick Wells and Dale Powell, and Contender boats. “Shock Wave” also won the TWT, bringing in an extra $5993. Capt. Hill was the top senior angler, and this prize brought in an additional $500. Harold Hill said of the win, “It’s about time we got the big one in a major tournament.”
Second place went to the North Carolina Sportsman boat. Capt. Ty Conti, Mike Webb, and Andy Boyd brought in a 33.77 lb. king from the east side of Cape Lookout, about 30 miles off Atlantic Beach. The king bit on a speckled trout and brought the team almost $16,000 in prize money.
“Sweet Melissa,” and Reed Lewis, took third place with a 33.22 lb. king. Thrid place brought “Sweet Melissa” a little over $8,000. Henry Moore on the “Bobcat” took fourth with a 32.21 lb. king. Benson Ybanez, fishing on “Open Wide,” rounded out the top five with a 32.20 lb. king.
The Lady Angler award went to Tracy Moore, from Clinton, fishing on the “Bobcat.” Tracy Moore, a USAA and a SKA member, caught the 32.21 lb. king at Christmas Rock on a cigar minnow. Her crew was Capt. Henry Moore Jr., Henry Moore III, and Rusty Smith.
The Junior Angler award went to Matt Lee on the “Open Wide.” Lee, from Swansboro, caught his winning fish about 13 miles off of New River Inlet on a menhaden. Second place in the Junior Angler went to Kristie Holloman with a 29.48 lb. king. She was fishing on the “Rock Steady” out of Selma. Hunter Sanders took third place in the Junior Angler with a 25.75 lb. king. Sanders was fishing on the “Reel Screamer” out of Grimesland.
The winner of the 23′ and under division was Joby Fountain, out of Jacksonville, NC, fishing on the “Bait Chaser.” He brought in a 30.99 lb. king.
In the dolphin category, first and third place went to Desiree Glover on the “Katie B.” The weights were 8.51 lbs. and 7.93 lbs. Second place went to Larry Small on the “Sea Ho” with an 8.33 lb. dolphin.
Proceeds from the tournament benefit the community of Sneads Ferry with scholarships, help for the elderly and needy, and other programs. For a complete list of the official results, you can visit www.sneadsferrykmt.com.
