Tournament Report: U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament
The 44th annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament was held Oct. 6-8 at Dutchman Creek Park. Despite a week’s postponement due to Hurricane Ian, the tournament attracted 358 boats from 4 states and 113 cities within North Carolina with an estimated 1,600 anglers and a purse of close to $300,000.
Capt. Michael Hayes and his crew, Ted Wendt, wife Susan Hayes, and granddaughter Eva Hayes, of Thomasville, NC, took first place in the tournament with a 42.30 lb. king mackerel. They won a total of $51,051 for their efforts.
They were on their 23’ single-engine center console “Tailgrabber” targeting an area about 4 miles out and in 30’ of water when their big king hit around 10:00 am on Saturday, the second of two days of fishing.
The 42+ lb. king hit a skirted pogie on the medium line and went on an initial 350-yard run.
Susan Hayes, Eva Hayes, Michael Hayes, and Ted Wendt (l-r), of Team Tailgrabber, won the 2022 US Open KMT with a 42.30 lb. king caught off Oak Island in 30′ of water. The king hit a skirted live pogie and brought the team over $50,000 in prize money.
“We knew we had a big fish because as soon as he hit he headed straight offshore,” M. Hayes noted.
The team had to go in pursuit before even being able to pull all of their lines, but ultimately they brought the king to the boat in approximately 20 minutes, and then it took another five minutes to get the fish close enough to gaff.
Michael Hayes was on the wheel and the gaff, and Ted Wendt was the angler.
The team put the fish on ice and kept fishing only a little while longer before heading to the scales.
The second-place team, “God’s Grace,” led by Britton Bass, of Maiden, NC, brought in a king mackerel weighing 38.60 lbs., which won them a combined total of $38,847. Bass was fishing on his 27’ Cape Horn with Justin Helderman and James Helderman.
Justin Helderman, James Helderman, and Britton Bass (l-r), of Team God’s Grace, finished in second place in the US Open KMT with a 38.60 lb. king mackerel caught in 40′ of water off Oak Island on a naked live mullet.
The team started Friday out further in deeper water, but after hours of riding around with little action and nothing to weigh, they headed back in to about 40’ of water off Oak Island. It was now mid-afternoon, and as soon as they put one of the long lines out with a naked live mullet, it was crashed immediately.
The team headed straight for the scales after bringing the king over the gunnel.
In third place was “Daddy Let Me Drive,” led by Capt. Ryan McDade, of Wilmington, NC. Their winning fish weighed in at 36.45 lbs., which won them $15,719.
The winners are determined by the weight of the fish; however, the total prize money is determined by the number of additional categories the anglers choose to enter in the tournament. Capt. Aaron Wilkinson, from Bahama, NC, and the crew of “Wahooligans” weighed in a 30.25 lb. king, winning them 11th place in the tournament, but due to additional categories, their total winnings added up to $43,500.
“Overall, the tournament was a great success, especially with a postponement due to a hurricane,” said Karen Sphar, Executive Vice President of the Southport Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce. “We were delighted to see so many junior anglers in this year, as this is a good indication of a bright future for the sport. We appreciate everyone who participated in the tournament, from the anglers who fished it, to the sponsors, vendors, and volunteers who helped make it happen, and of course our tournament planning committee and Board of Directors, led by Tim Tippett.”
This was the third year the tournament was held at Dutchman Creek Park. Tournament officials worked with Brunswick County Parks & Recreation officials to secure permits to allow temporary dockage at the park. American Marine Construction provided the dock for offloading, Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill provided a location for anglers to re-board their boats after weighing in, and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office provided traffic control on the water.
The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament is one of the largest king mackerel tournaments on the East Coast and has a $2 million economic impact on the region. It is held annually the first week of October and is an event of the Southport Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce.
Full tournament results are available at www.usopenkmt.com, videos of the weigh-ins can be found at www.usopenkmtlive.com, and photos from the weekend are available at the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament Facebook page.
