SOUTHPORT, N.C. – The wind kicked up unexpectedly and made the already rolling seas even rougher. Day one of the final regular-season Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour event wasn’t supposed to be this difficult. Making a 40-mile run and braving the treacherous water was Team Nailhead, which weighed in the day’s heaviest king mackerel.
The first half of the opening round was good to a handful of teams, but it was downright brutal for others. Only 37 of the 89 boats weighed in a fish, and only 13 of those pushed the 20-pound mark.
Pulling both pogies and ribbonfish, Team Nailhead caught two sizeable kingfish, but the day didn’t start out as planned.
Capt. Johnny Walker and his crew overcame engine problems while running to their intended fishing spot off Morehead City, N.C. “We just turned and went out the inlet and went with Plan B that we had for the second day,” said Walker. “It didn’t really affect our fishing; it just affected how far we could go at full speed.”
A gusty northeast wind, compounded by the distant influence of Hurricane Helene, had stirred the Atlantic, but Walker described the conditions as workable.
“The seas were big, but the wind didn’t have them chopped up really bad. It was kind of a big swell, so it wasn’t terrible. Luckily we got this one. We popped our first one (which weighed approximately 20 pounds) at about 9:30 this morning, and then we just kept fishing in the general area. We got this one at about 1 p.m., and at that point we figured we were done for the day.”
Crewman Danny Parker fought the fish for about 30 minutes, and Randy Bell gaffed it. “He kept getting under the boat because the wind kept knocking us back on top of him. We were scrambling around, and we were all on the edge for a little while.”
The exact weight of the day’s heaviest fish was 42 pounds, 9 ounces. It bit a slow-trolled ribbonfish that was presented near the bottom of the water column in about 40 feet of water. With a fish that size, the 40-mile run certainly looked like the right decision, but the four-member team certainly paid the price for it.
“It was really tough out there today,” added Walker, a Gainesville, Ga., native. “I think we’ll stay around here tomorrow. We’ll be looking for something that we can use for Saturday. I just hope it keeps us in the top five. That fish right there will get us to the championship for sure.”
Team Kellogg’s second
Team Kellogg’s, captained by Bryan Edwards of Little River, S.C., grabbed second place with a kingfish weighing 35 pounds, 10 ounces. The team stayed close to the launch and fished the river channel, resisting the urge to make the 120-mile run to Morehead City.
They caught a variety of fish including Spanish mackerel and several sharks, but only one kingfish. That one king will be more than enough to secure their berth in the upcoming Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship in Charleston, S.C.
“Our plan tomorrow might be to sleep late,” said Edwards. “We were hoping for a 40(-pounder), but this will do just fine. There’s not a lot of radio chatter going on right now, which tells us it’s pretty slow out there. People were just disgusted.”
Their fish bit on a slow-trolled double-pogie rig.
Team Lured Away third
One of the last boats to weigh in, Team Lured Away, led by Capt. Robert Schoenfeld of Conroe, Texas, placed third with a kingfish weighing 28 pounds, 14 ounces. The team fished just one spot the entire day, catching only two king mackerels.
“We’ve got to find a bigger fish tomorrow,” said Schoenfeld. “I figure we’ll need about 3 or 4 more pounds to make the top five.”
If they do make it to Saturday’s final round, it would be their third top-five finish in only eight tournaments. Sitting in seventh place in the points race coming into this event, Team Lured Away also has a legitimate shot at claiming the year-end points title.
Hogg Heaven fourth
Team Hogg Heaven, captained by Jason Hogg of Mount Pleasant, S.C., took fourth place with a fish weighing 27 pounds, 8 ounces.
The team made an 80-mile run south, but it was well worth it.
“We went out to get a good fish,” said Hogg. “A lot of guys went south, but we passed them and kept on going. Thank goodness for the Intracoastal Waterway. That’s how we got back.”
Team Castrol looks to secure points title
Team Castrol, captained by Nick Parrish of Jacksonville, Fla., caught a kingfish weighing 24 pounds, 10 ounces and placed fifth Thursday. The team led the points race coming into the event and will look to secure the title tomorrow.
“We’re going to take that chance tomorrow and see what happens.”
Opening round continues Friday
The second half of opening-round competition in Southport begins Friday as the field of 89 boats takes off from South Harbor Village at 7 a.m. Eastern time. Teams are fishing for the heaviest fish over the first two days to determine the top five to advance to Saturday’s finals. For many teams, Friday offers the last chance at qualifying for the no-entry-fee Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour Championship.