Pensacola Bud Light Kingfish Shootout
Posted: June 27th, 2007, 10:08 am
I had a chance to fish the Bud Light Kingfish Shootout in Pensacola last weekend. Weather was unbelievably gorgeous and fishing was good. We didn't catch anything that could be weighed in (requirements to weigh in a fish are much higher than requirements to keep a fish).
One of the most exciting parts was the shotgun start. After driving past the committee boat to get your picture taken with your number, all the boats gathered in the pass for the start. I think there were approximatley 150 inshore boats and 150 offshore boats, not entirely sure though.
Everyone takes off upon command from the committee boat and it is a drag race from there. The SKA boats, large Contendors with 600-900hp were gone in a flash. Everyone else was in a cluster and hauling azzzz, but we managed to stay in the front of it. We were fishing out of a 20' Angler that buddy drives WOT at all times.
To our right was a "Pound 4 Pound", Roy Jones Jr.'s Grady and two our left were several boats much larger than ours, mostly Cape Horns, Fountains and Gradys with atleast 500hp. Somehow we stayed in the front couple boats with the 150 until the turn in the channel when all the wakes came together. Everybody had to had off a little there, but we managed to get out better than most. Some of the larger boats were having cocktails and videotaping the whole thing, I was just holding on for dear life and hoping I didn't fall out and get "manateed." I think Pound 4 Pound was amazed we were running with them as it appeared they were taping us most of the time.
Saturday we ran all the way out to the Nipple. We managed a limit of red snapper, a king, some nice vermillions and some AJ's.
Sunday we didn't run as far but got into some good kingfish action, a nice bonita and caught 4 cobia.
Some pics below:
[/img][/list]the only keeper of the 4 cobes
Me locked up on what we were hoping was a weighable AJ and ended up being about a 12# bonita taken from the bottom.
[/img]
cleaning and celebrating the catch from day 1
making chum for day 2
some trolling on day 2. Not my favorite, and we actually weren't all that succesful at it, but at least it was good company
[/img]
one of the nicer kings.
One of the most exciting parts was the shotgun start. After driving past the committee boat to get your picture taken with your number, all the boats gathered in the pass for the start. I think there were approximatley 150 inshore boats and 150 offshore boats, not entirely sure though.
Everyone takes off upon command from the committee boat and it is a drag race from there. The SKA boats, large Contendors with 600-900hp were gone in a flash. Everyone else was in a cluster and hauling azzzz, but we managed to stay in the front of it. We were fishing out of a 20' Angler that buddy drives WOT at all times.
To our right was a "Pound 4 Pound", Roy Jones Jr.'s Grady and two our left were several boats much larger than ours, mostly Cape Horns, Fountains and Gradys with atleast 500hp. Somehow we stayed in the front couple boats with the 150 until the turn in the channel when all the wakes came together. Everybody had to had off a little there, but we managed to get out better than most. Some of the larger boats were having cocktails and videotaping the whole thing, I was just holding on for dear life and hoping I didn't fall out and get "manateed." I think Pound 4 Pound was amazed we were running with them as it appeared they were taping us most of the time.Saturday we ran all the way out to the Nipple. We managed a limit of red snapper, a king, some nice vermillions and some AJ's.
Sunday we didn't run as far but got into some good kingfish action, a nice bonita and caught 4 cobia.
Some pics below:
[/img][/list]the only keeper of the 4 cobes
Me locked up on what we were hoping was a weighable AJ and ended up being about a 12# bonita taken from the bottom.
[/img]
cleaning and celebrating the catch from day 1
making chum for day 2
some trolling on day 2. Not my favorite, and we actually weren't all that succesful at it, but at least it was good company
[/img]
one of the nicer kings.
