Here’s who’s catching big fish as king mackerel tournament season is winding down
The king mackerel tournament season is winding down, and the championship of the Kingfish Cup, the brainchild of Capt. Brant McMullan of Ocean Isle Fishing Center, was staged last weekend out of the OIFC.
A field of 29 boats qualified for the championship event by competing in the four tournaments that comprise the Kingfish Cup circuit, the Jolly Mon, East Coast Got ‘Em On, Rumble in the Jungle and Fall Brawl.
There were two fishing days, last Friday and Saturday, with boats able to weigh their largest king both days for a two-fish aggregate.
Weather and sea conditions both days limited boats to where they could fish, and many wound up fishing at The Jungle, a live bottom area located straight out of Little River in 65 feet of water.
“The weather wasn’t ideal, we had an east wind and a big swell, and there was some rain around,” said McMullan. “There were plenty of fish caught, but the big ones can be finicky and they didn’t like the conditions.”
One of the boats that fished The Jungle was Brew Crew, a 25-foot Contender and one of the two smallest boats in the field. The team slow-trolled live menhaden to land kings weighing 28.05 and 23.9 pounds for an aggregate of 51.95 pounds to win the championship. Robert Malkmus and crew took home $26,006.
Second-place team, East Coast Sports headed by Randall Edens, took the first-day lead with a 29.8-pound king but followed that up with 17.25-pounder to finish with a 47.05-pound aggregate. Edens and crew racked up in prize money though, taking home a whopping $97,474.
Outnumbered finished third with a 45.55-pound aggregate, Kryptek was fourth with 45.05 pounds and Clearly Hooked was fifth with 41.95 pounds.
McMullan prefers the two-fish aggregate in a championship tournament.
“The aggregate is going to weed out the pure luck,” said McMullan. “Catching two quality fish is a lot harder than catching one.”
The championship concluded the fourth season of the Kingfish Cup, which is known for its hefty payouts.
“We started with 100 boats, and 29 boats qualified for the championship,” said McMullan. “A total of $215,000 was awarded for the championship alone. For the year we paid over $400,000.”
There is a ton of king mackerel tournament action along the northeast South Carolina and southeast North Carolina coast each June through November, making the area the mecca of kingfishing if you will.
“Going back to the Arthur Smith tournament in Little River (in the 1970s), that got it all started,” said McMullan. “From Myrtle Beach to Wilmington, we are the heartbeat of the competitive king mackerel world. We’ve got three times as many participating teams as anywhere from Texas to Cape Hatteras. There are a lot of fishermen around here.”
Kingfish Elimination Series
The inaugural season of the Kingfish Elimination Series, a bracket-style, single-elimination series targeting king mackerel, is in the books.
There were two divisions, the Carolina Division (South Carolina) and the South Division (North Carolina) that started with 32-team brackets with the boats competing head-to-head in tournament style.
In the Carolina Division, (South Carolina) XTRATUFF owned by Bryan Baxter of Charleston won the championship over Cool Cat owned by Chris Prince of Hilton Head in the head-to-head championship match.
In the South Division (North Carolina), Hammer Down, owned by Austin Henderson of Wilmington, won over Wahooligans,, owned by Billy Doss of Southport.
Series founder Trask Cunningham noted one more event will be held this November, the King Kong Showdown set for Nov. 21. The tournament, limited to the first 20 entries and with no boundaries, will be held out of Ocean Isle Fishing Center.
MarshWalk Mafia
The Marshalls Marine MarshWalk Mafia Inshore Slam Tournament is a live release event set for the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk on Nov. 21.
Entry fee is $100 per team up to three anglers. Fishing starts at 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 21. Captains meeting is set for Nov. 20, 5:30 p.m. at Murrells Inlet Fishing Charters.
The tournament is targeting spotted seatrout (speckled trout), red drum (redfish) and flounder. The heaviest aggregate of the three species wins, and all fish weighed in will be released.
The tournament will be based out of MIFC on the MarshWalk between Wahoo’s and Drunken Jacks. Call Capt. Jason Burton (843) 421-2870 or Capt. Englis Glover (843) 655-5459 for more information.
Speckled Studs Trout Tournament
The 5th annual tournament is a fundraiser for the Student Angler League Tournament Trail and will be held Dec. 5 out of Marlin Quay Marina.
The event is hosted by O-Fish-Al Expeditions and YAK Outdoor Guides. For more information, contact Capt. Dan Connolly at 843-241-7022.