On SKA Tournament Trail:
No Limit/AT&T Real Yellow Pages Sets New ACGFA KFC Record!

By Ian Warner
St. Augustine’s Ancient City Gamefish Association has a reputation for putting on a great annual event with big kings and big payouts, and has always been a favorite stop on the Southern Kingfish Association’s Tournament Trail. The 2007 tournament was no exception, with more than 240 teams migrating to Florida’s eastern coastline for a chance at hanging a monster worth $25,000. At the end of day Dr. Hook had the lead with a 37.95-pounder, leaving the tournament wide-open for a big king to steal the show. That set the stage for Captain Trip Fletcher and the No Limit/AT&T Real Yellow Pages team as they pulled a monster 53.20-pound king over the transom, setting a new tournament record and taking the ACGFA Kingfish Challenge.
<br><br>
“He made five huge runs,” said angler Kenny Crawford, recounting the early morning battle. “It was an awesome fight!” At 10 a.m. their tournament-winner hit a blue runner on the long line, and the fight was on with Kenny on the rod while Junior Angler Hunter Fletcher cleared the lines. “He’d be running one direction, turn on a dime, and then run straight towards another boat,” continued Crawford. The king attempted this getaway multiple times to no avail; Doreen Fletcher was behind the wheel of the 36-foot, Yamaha-powered Contender and consistently ran the fish down. Five big runs made for a long fight, and Kenny passed the rod to Captain Fletcher to finish the mossback off.
<br><br>
“When I gaffed him he was half under the boat,” recalled Crawford, “So I thought it was only a 40-pounder.” But an upward tug on the gaff handle forced Crawford to quickly reevaluate his estimate, and with a little help from Captain Fletcher the No Limit / AT&T Real Yellow Pages team was soon appreciating the beautiful sight of a fresh 50-pounder iced down in the fishbox.
<br><br>
Top honors in the tournament earned the group $25,000, and that 53.20 broke Lee Ward’s previous 50.70-pound record, setting a new bar for the ACGFA KFC. As the top SKA boat, Fletcher and his team also earned a $1,000 voucher to fly anywhere courtesy of the SKA’s new sponsor, AirTran. Hunter Fletcher took Top Junior Angler honors and received his plaque at the awards ceremony courtesy of Subway. Plus, Doreen Fletcher took the Top Lady Angler title. After that incredible day on the water Captain Fletcher’s team sits in seventh place with two events to go -- if they can reel in another whopper in Jacksonville they’ll be sitting pretty for the year.
<br><br>
The Haspel family boat, the Reel Panic, with Captain Bobby, Bill and Greg Haspel and John Adkins, took second place with a great day two 41.85-pounder. “He made one 200-yard run, but then he came right to the boat,” and Greg’s waiting gaff, reported Captain Haspel “We’re talking Nationals!” said the excited Captain to SKA’s Jack Holmes on the docks, 41.85 pounds, earning Haspel and his team second place overall.
<br><br>
Easy Money was also tied up at the docks on Sunday, with Captain Joe Tringali and his team jubilantly awaiting the scales. “We’ve got a stud!” exclaimed the excited Captain. The Easy Money weighed a 31.50 on Saturday, bettering that fish would surely put them in the money. When the weighmaster had done his duty the Easy Money team was all smiles, a 40.65-pounder was the leader at that point, and eventually earned Tringali and his team third overall.
<br><br>
With only two tournaments to go in the Southern Kingfish Association’s Division 5 race, the 27th Annual AT&T Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament will be the “make it or break it” event for a lot of these Florida teams. Captain Rachael’s Mad Dog and Captain McRae’s Dr. Hook teams have a dominating lead in each of their respective Classes, nearly 20 pounds each! But with virtually the entirety of Division 5 fishing that next event, those standings are sure to change.
<br><br>
To find out how this race ends, visit www.FishSKA.com.