SOUTHPORT, N.C. – When the kingfishing is this slow, that $100,000 first-place award certainly is a good motivator. On day two of the Wal-Mart FLW Kingfish Tour event in Southport, only 35 teams in the 89-boat field brought a king mackerel to the scale. None of them were heavy enough to unseat Team Nailhead, but Team Fish Meister, captained by Dean Spatholt, certainly applied some pressure.
Fish Meister’s fat king was caught near the 1700 block of Morehead City, N.C., and weighed 41 pounds, 5 ounces. It took over two hours to complete the 90-mile, one-way trip, but the team’s gamble paid off.
“When we got that fish in the boat, we knew it was time to come home,” said crewman Dennis Watson of Calabash, N.C. “It was just nice to get a fish.”
Russell Spatholt reeled in the giant predator at around 1 p.m. It was caught using a mullet on the shotgun line approximately 100 feet back.
“We thought that was a 31-pound fish,” Watson quipped. “We were so excited we didn’t really even look at it. We just threw it on the ice. It’s all or nothing tomorrow.”
Team Nailhead gathers bait
Team Nailhead, captained by Johnny Walker of Gainesville, Ga., maintained its lead today after weighing in a 42-pound, 9-ounce king on day one. In reality, the team didn’t even need to go out today, but Walker wanted to make sure things were running smoothly for tomorrow.
“We piddled around and got us some bait for tomorrow,” said Walker. “We had some engine problems yesterday, and we got that taken care of.”
Walker said the plan on day three is to revisit the stomping grounds where the 42-pounder was caught Wednesday. When they return they’ll have a complete arsenal of bluefish, ribbonfish and pogies at their disposal. Walker also noted that they were the only boat fishing that spot on day one.
“The goal tomorrow is to catch a decent fish, maybe a mid-20s or so. Maybe we’ll get lucky and catch another big one.”
Hooligan hooks a 35-pounder
Team Hooligan, captained by Joe Winslow of Sunset Beach, N.C., joined the top five with a kingfish weighing 35 pounds, 14 ounces. The team will begin Saturday’s final round as the third seed, just 4 ounces ahead of Team Kellogg’s.
Although Winslow is technically the captain of the team, he was unable to compete in the event, and Alan Ambrose stepped in as the acting captain. They, too, made a long run in search of a sizeable keeper. They chose to fish the east side of Cape Lookout, roughly 140 miles away.
“We didn’t even have time to look at the fish; that was the most nerve-wracking moment,” said Ambrose. “We were about to run out of time and gas.”
The fish bit the shotgun line on a pogie in about 10 feet of water. Ambrose reeled the fish in and crewman Fred Coyne gaffed it. Incredibly, Team Hooligan released two other fish of similar size. Despite the painful journey, the team is probably crazy enough to return to Cape Lookout tomorrow.
“I feel like there’s fish there. Whether we get them to bite, who knows?”
Team Kellogg’s drops to fourth
Team Kellogg’s, captained by Bryan Edwards out of Little River, S.C., fell to fourth place as two teams surpassed its day-one catch of 35 pounds, 10 ounces.
“Today we ran about 20 miles down the beach looking for more pogies,” said Edwards. “We found some more bait, and then we went back to our first spot. We sat there the whole day and never saw a bite. There were 30 boats out there today; it was pitiful.”
Edwards and his crew do not plan to return to the river channel tomorrow. Instead they plan on visiting some spots where they can finagle some “high teenagers.”
“An 18 to 22(-pounder) would be nice. I guarantee that Fish Meister is going running again tomorrow. It’s all or nothing with that team. You either see them at the top, or you don’t see them at all.”
Team Lured Away hangs on to fifth
Team Lured Away, led by Capt. Robert Schoenfeld of Conroe, Texas, barely hung on to the last qualifying position with its day-one fish, which weighed 28 pounds, 14 ounces.
Team Marcia-D came up just 3 ounces short with a 28-pound, 11-ounce mackerel and finished the tournament in sixth place. Team Double J also gave a valiant effort with a 27-pound, 5-ounce fish, finishing in eighth place.
Final round Saturday
The top five boats will take off at 7 a.m. Eastern time Saturday from South Harbor Village for the final round of competition. The winner – and a potential $100,000 check – will be determined by combined opening-round and final-round weight.
Saturday’s final weigh-in begins at approximately 4 p.m. Eastern time at the Wal-Mart store located at 1675 N. Howe Road in Southport.