Topsail KMT 2007
Henry Moore’s “Bobcat” fishing team, out of Clinton, NC, won the 22nd Topsail Offshore King Mackerel Tournament, weighing in a 32.70 lb. king mackerel. The “Bobcat” crew beat out the 99 other boats fishing the event, which was held June 29-July 1 out of Surf City Soundside Park.
Along with Moore, Eric Swain, Tony Midgett, and Michael Marshburn were aboard the 31’ Yamaha-powered Contender on Saturday, June 30, the tournament’s only fishing day.
The “Bobcat” team caught bait easily Saturday morning in the ICW north of New River Inlet. “It was one throw and go,” Moore recalled. With a full livewell, the “Bobcat,” along with several other boats, headed to a hard bottom area 15 miles out of New River inlet in 65’ of water.
“There were three or four of us fishing together,” said Moore. After the crew caught several amberjacks and smaller kings, the tournament’s winning fish bit around 9:30. A naked pogy trolled in the flatline position fooled the 32 lb. mackerel.
Moore grabbed the rod after the strike as the king took off on the surface. After the fish’s first run, the fight went quickly. “It only took about 10 minutes,” Moore explained. “He ran, we chased him down, and he went around the boat one time.” As the fish got closer to the Contender, Morgan handed off the rod and readied the gaff.
“I fought him for a little while, then gave the rod to Eric. When he got close, I stuck him,” added Moore. The “Bobcat’s” battle with the winning king took only 10 minutes from bite to boat, and the fish was in the box by 9:45.
The quick bite at the hard bottom area continued, and the “Bobcat” crew stayed there for the remainder of Saturday’s fishing. “We caught five or six other kings, a couple dolphin, and we had to wade through the amberjacks all day,” Moore said.
The first place finish earned Moore and the “Bobcat” crew a check for over $10,000.
Cape Carteret’s “Liquid Fire” team took second place in the event with a 32.15 lb. king mackerel. Team Capt. Mark Henderson fished the event with his father, Charles Henderson, sons Josh and Crockett Henderson, and brother-in-law Chris Waters aboard the “Liquid Fire,” a Yamaha-powered 25’ Contender.
The family fishing team was trolling 10 miles out of New River Inlet when their king hit at 1:35 on Saturday. “We were just following some bait schools,” Mark Henderson said. The second place king ate a naked bluefish and immediately took off on a solid run as Josh picked up the rod.
“He strolled off a couple hundred yards of line, then sounded,” Henderson described the king’s struggle. “The he came back up, took one more run, and we got on top of him.”
When the “Liquid Fire” crew got a look at their king, it was hooked by just one point of the lead treble hook, and Mark Henderson seized the first opportunity to gaff the poorly hooked king.
“Dad put the boat on him, and fortunately he was close enough that I could get a gaff in his back. Then Chris grabbed his tail, and we brought him over the gunnel. I was scared to bring him over myself because the gaff was just hung in the skin on top of his back.
Like the winning fish, the second place king’s fight was short, and the mackerel was on the Contender’s deck just five minutes after the strike.
The big king not only gave “Liquid Fire” second place overall, it also earned Josh Henderson the Top Junior Angler award in the tournament. In addition to the second place fish, the crew landed several more kings, some dolphin, and many amberjacks over the course of Saturday’s fishing.
Mark Henderson wished to express his gratitude to all of Team Liquid Fire’s sponsors, including Berkley, Tica, Rapala/VMC, Spro/Gamakatsu, Terminator, Stevenson Automotive, James Wells, DDS., Andy’s Restaurant, Fairway Restaurant, and Onslow County Motor Company.
D. Allen Kinney’s “Gambler,” out of Oak Island, weighed the 31.85 lb. third place king mackerel. Kinney fished the event aboard his 28’ Yamaha-powered Hydra Sport with friend Bruce Jones.
“We were fishing on some good, hard bottom in about 55’ of water 14 miles off the beach,” Kinney related. He and Jones were anchored up and chumming when the king struck a live pogy around noon. Kinney grabbed the rod after the strike and began to play the king from the anchored boat.
“I never come off the hook [when fighting a king],” Kinney said. “I just feel like it’s easier to deal with them that way, plus you stand the chance to get another hookup.”
After a long first run, the “Gambler” king was fairly cooperative in coming to the boat. Just 10 minutes after the bite Jones was able to sink a gaff in the tired king and bring it aboard.
The “Gambler” anglers boated several other kings on Saturday, with one around the same size as the third place fish. “I actually weighed the wrong one,” Kinney revealed. “My fish went 31.85, and after they weighed it, I said can I weigh this one? He was 32.15.”
Although Kinney’s second fish was the same weight as the “Liquid Fire” king, “Liquid Fire” weighed in first, so Kinney would have still placed third with the heavier king.
Kinney and Jones caught bait easily Saturday morning in the ocean off Bald Head Island. Kinney wished to express his gratitude towards BlackBarry Marine for the timely assistance they’ve given him with his new boat.
The “Sharon Leigh,” captained by Jeff Morris, of Wilmington, captured the tournament’s fourth place spot, weighing a 30.85 lb. king.
A 28.00 lb. fish put Patrick Overstreet’s “Service Call” team in fifth place.
Phill Cottrell and the “Long Overdue,” a 23’ Sea Craft from Newport, captured the top Class of 23’ honors by landing a 28.20 lb. king mackerel.
Bolivia’s Porshe Johnson, fishing aboard the “Squeeze Play,” took the top Lady Angler prize in the event, weighing in a 26.90 lb. king.
The Topsail Offshore King Mackerel Tournament is put on by the Topsail Offshore Fishing Club, a non profit organization meeting on the first Saturday of every month. The tournament benefits the club’s many charitable causes, including the NCDMF artificial reef program.
Tournament organizer Greg Mosher wished to thank the event’s sponsors East Coast Sports, the Town of Surf City, Tex’s Tackle, and Onslow Bay Boatworks, as well as all the participating anglers.
