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LATITUDES’
61.52 AGGREGATE IS BEST
IN SAVANNAH!
by Jack Holmes
Savannah,
Georgia - There were
teams that needed a
couple of good fish
to stay in the chase
for “Angler of
the Year” but it
didn’t happen.
Mother Nature just wouldn’t
give up her big fish
this weekend. Fishing
was still good but teenagers
and low- to mid-20’s
dominated the leaderboard
setting the stage for
a do-or-die finish for
the Pros in Morehead
City.
Richard
Stankiewicz was having
a so-so season. Certainly
not the one he is capable
of having, at least
until this weekend.
However, because of
a death in the family,
Richard sent his team
and they came through,
swelling the team’s
bank account by $40,000.
Nathan Stewart headed
up the team of Hampton
Khaley and David Garber,
pushed their limits
to the max, and came
through with a 26.35
and the event’s
biggest king, a 35.22,
for a 61.52 two-fish
aggregate. Two fish
also make a big difference,
pushing the Latitudes
from 51st to 20th in
the overall standings.
Richard certainly has
the opportunity to equal
last year’s 14th
place overall or better.
They fish a Mercury
powered Donzi.
Chris
Jonsson’s Side
Job team was sitting
back in 44th, that is
until this weekend.
He moved to 22nd. Jonsson,
Brad Richards, Otis
Humphrey and Zach Jonsson
scaled a 22.43 and a
great 30.19 for 52.62
much needed points.
The Mercury powered
Yellowfin team is having
a much better season
than last, and should
be a top 20 team this
year. In case you’re
not aware of the talent
that fishes the Pros,
a top 20 finish is a
major accomplishment.
You can
imagine how proud Russell
Stuart, Captain of the
Seafood Kitchen team,
was when he watched
his son pick up first
place honors. But dad
did just fine also,
earning third with his
Mercury powered Donzi.
With Rocky Cusack and
Buddy Dingman Jr., Stuart
scaled a 27.96 and a
23.45 for 51.41 points.
For the past several
years Stuart’s
Seafood Kitchen has
been a top contender
in the Pro ranks.
After
the teams arrived in
Savannah, it was determined
that because of the
gas shortage due to
Hurricane Katrina to
shorten the event to
one day and allow the
teams to weigh their
two fish on that day.
The overwhelming support
of the decision led
to the event’s
success. Over 15,000
spectators showed up
on River Street in downtown
Savannah for the music,
the arts and craft show,
the great restaurants
and shopping and of
course the Yamaha Professional
Kingfish Tour weigh-in.
Savannah is a great
city!
The 1998
National Champion Forrest
Taylor and his Team
Furuno / That’s
My Dog team of David
Hooks Jr., William Taylor
and Josh Baker picked
up fourth place with
a 51.20 aggregate. This
Mercury powered Yellowfin
team scaled a 23.64
and a 27.56 and moved
into 23rd place with
just six fish. William
Taylor was our Top Senior
Angler in this event.
Now they move to home
waters which should
improve their overall
standings for the year.
The rookie
team, Borderline Crazy,
had a good tournament
that moved them from
38th to 13th. This Mercury
powered Donzi team headed
by Eric Davis is a team
to keep your eyes on.
Davis, Patrick Galloway,
Mike Minter and Matt
Amie scaled a 23.66
and a 26.82 for 50.48
fifth place points.
In fact
five rookie teams find
themselves in the top
20 along with four more
teams who are into year
two in the Pros. Make
no mistake, these are
the best kingfish anglers
in the country.
Scott
Elliott has been near
the top of the standings
all season and his team
is now poised to win
it all in Morehead City.
This weekend his Use
of Proceeds team, Ted
Davis, David Monda and
Jon Pearman, earned
sixth thanks to an 18.59
and 30.05. His team
is in third overall
just nine points out
of the lead.
Mike Jones’
½ Lit scaled
a 30 and a 16.67 to
earn seventh. Ken Wrangell,
Tim Moore and Mike Edwards
helped the Mercury powered
Fountain team get a
check and move up in
the standings. The final
event in Morehead, Jones’
hometown, will have
a big effect on their
final standings.
Tommy
Rady, Mark Titus, Carl
Titus and Nelson Railey,
otherwise known in fishing
circles as the Barely
Legal team earned eighth
in Savannah with a 46.66
aggregate. The Mercury
powered Donzi team scaled
a 25.76 and a 20.90.
They are now in 12th
place in the standings
just two places shy
of where they finished
last year. Great consistency!
The 2002
Angler of the Year and
National Champion, Ed
Mecchella, found his
team of Shawn Mecchella
and Marc Pincus in ninth
thanks to a 46.14 aggregate.
They remained in 15th
place in the overall
standings.
Tenth
place fell to the Rat
Pak with 46.09 points.
Darren Ratley, Jay Robertson,
Bret Hayes, John Mott
and Sonny Mills make
up the Mercury powered
Fountain team.
The R
& W Fishing Team
earned 44.86 points
to capture 11th and
give Rhonda Morris her
first Pro Lady Angler
win. Will Lamneck, Morris
and Randy Comans make
up the Donzi team.
Team Palmetto
/ Boater’s World
sponsored Mikey Likes
It earned 12th with
a 44.66 aggregate. Mike
Sr., Michael, Carolyn,
and Billy Hubbard make
up the Yamaha powered
Palmetto team.
Miller
Tyme is having a spectacular
season. They are now
in fourth overall in
the standings just 12.86
out of first after scoring
a 13th place 44.26 in
Savannah. Joseph Miller,
Doug Miller, Monty Peters,
Chris Blackwell, Mark
Blackwell and Brian
Black make up the Yamaha
powered Contender team.
They finished 48th overall
last season and here
they are, knocking on
Angler of the Year’s
door. Regardless of
their finish, this has
been a tremendous season
from this highly talented
team.
The Kwazar
Wolf team of Stacey
Wester, Field Hucks
and Brian Justice picked
up 14th with 42.69 points
while George Roberts’s
Smooth Ride earned 15th.
On board were Clayton
Kirby, Thomas Meyers,
Jayson Cain, Rick Stoker
and K. Blake Roberts.
They had a 42.44 aggregate.
Terry
Johnson’s Final
Strike team held onto
the top slot in the
overall standings after
four events with a seven
fish aggregate of 239.26
and still have a 15.83
drop fish but all the
teams in the top ten
have their sights set
on knocking them off.
Morehead City, the site
of the final Pro event,
should present us with
one of the best finishes
ever.
Thanks
to everyone in Savannah
who helped make this
a great event.
FINAL STANDINGS:
7. ½
LIT 30.00 ……
16.67 …………….
46.67
Fountain … Mercury
Michael Jones
Ken Wrangell
Tim Moore
Mike Edwards
10. RAT
PAK 21.38 ….. 24.71
…………………
46.09
Fountain …. Mercury
Darren Ratley
Jay Robertson
Bret Hayes
John Mott
Sonny Mills
15. SMOOTH
RIDE 21.40 ……..
21.04 ………………..
42.44
Fountain … Mercury
George Roberts
Clayton Kirby
Thomas Meyers
Jason Cain
Rick Stoker
K. Blake Roberts
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