Jetties fish nip creek fish in Speckled Studs Trout Tournament out of Murrells Inlet

The top two finishers in the 6th Annual Speckled Studs Trout Tournament wound up in a battle of which area of Murrells Inlet would produce the biggest two-fish aggregate of spotted seatrout – the jetties or the creeks?

While both teams used live shrimp as the bait of choice, the Marlin Quay team of Capt. Dan Connolly and Nick Skodras stuck with the jetties and landed the big trout of the live-release tournament, a 6.45-pounder, a fish that propelled them to the winning aggregate of 10.85 pounds in the tournament staged out of Marlin Quay Marina.

The Wet Dreams team of Capt. Nick Wofford and Capt. Chris Ossman found a hot spot holding big trout while pre-fishing in the creeks and fished most of the day there but came up just short with a two-fish aggregate of 9.96 pounds.

It’s been quite a stretch for Connolly, the owner-operator of O-Fish-Al Expeditions out of Marlin Quay Marina and the founder of the tournament. On Nov. 20, Connolly and two partners also claimed first place in the MarshWalk Mafia Inshore Slam Tournament, staged by Murrells Inlet Fishing Charters on the other side of the inlet.

Connolly and Skodras won this tournament over the field of 15 boats despite missing out on Connolly’s No. 1 preferred fishing spot at the start of day following the numbered shotgun start.

“I’ll (attribute) a lot of it to luck,” said Connolly. “My original spot was taken and I didn’t think we were going to be able to pull it off. We lucked out and caught both fish in the same spot.”

Fishing at another, undisclosed spot along the jetties, Connolly was the angler on the tournament-best 6.45-pounder late in the falling tide. Then near dead low tide Skodras hooked up with a good fish and landed it around 2 p.m. With two excellent fish in the live well, the duo ran the Key West 230 Bay Reef straight to the weigh-in to ensure the required live release of both fish.

With the total pushing 11 pounds they felt good about their chances.

“I thought if anybody beats 11 pounds of fish, they deserve it,” said Connolly.

Wofford, a charter captain with Murrells Inlet Fishing Charters, and Ossman, owner operator of Fine Catch Fishing Charters in Little River, came within a pound of doing just that.

Wofford and Ossman drew first boat to leave at the shotgun shot and decided to give it a whirl at the jetties first.

“We were the first to leave so we thought we probably need to go to the jetties to try,” said Ossman. “We had an over-slot red, flounder and sheepshead. We called it there and ran inside where we pre-fished, (a spot) that has an oyster bed with a deep drop-off with a shelly bottom that ranges from 3-6 feet (deep). Pre-fishing we did two drifts and caught a 21 and a 23 (inch trout). Once we got to our spot it was game on.”

The duo wound up catching 10 trout over 20 inches, and at least six over 23 inches. The two biggest were right at 25 inches and weighed 5.07 and 4.89 pounds, good for the 9.96-pound aggregate and second place.

“I joked with Dan, he needs to spot us a pound or two for fishing in the creeks,” said Ossman.

The Marshall’s Marine/Southern Anglers Radio Show team of Englis “Capt. E” Glover, Tony Carter and Ken Moore rounded out the top three with a 7.09-pound aggregate. Uno Mas finished fourth (6.39 pounds) and Tide Chaser fifth (5.35 pounds).

Six-year-old Harper Goodwin weighed in a 2.71-pound trout to win both the Youth Angler Big Fish and Lady Angler Big Fish awards aboard Tide Chaser.

Uno Mas weighed in the largest black drum, a 7.26-pounder, and the largest redfish, a 3.31-pounder. Wild Thang weighed in the largest flounder, a 1.74-pounder.

“It was 100 percent live release,” said Connolly. “Every fish swam away that was weighed in.”

The tournament was a benefit to Capt. Rayburn Poston’s Student Angler League Tournament Trail (SALTT), with 10 percent of entry fees and all raffle funds from the Captains Meeting going to the non-profit organization.

SALTT Event

The Student Angler League Tournament Trail staged its second event of the 2021-22 school year on Dec. 11 in Georgetown.

Each event on the trail is based out of the Carroll Campbell Marine Complex on the Sampit River. The student anglers, from elementary to high school, can target bass or red drum in SALTT events.

• Following are the top finishers:
• Middle School Redfish Division: Aden Day of Conway weighed in two fish for a 5.46-pound aggregate including the Big Fish at 2.82 pounds. No other student anglers weighed fish in the division.
• High School Redfish Division: Joseph Falcon of Waccamaw weighed in two fish for an 8.45-pound aggregate including the Big Fish of 4.52 pounds. Cubby Weaver finished second with two fish weighing 7.76 pounds. Oliver Bomar was third with two fish weighing 7.05 pounds.
• Elementary School Bass Division: Hartley Davis of Andrews won with one fish weighing 1.81 pounds. Elijah Norris of Loris was second with one fish at 1.44 pounds. (Elementary division anglers only weigh in one fish).
• Middle School Bass Division: The duo of Wilson Hewitt of Georgetown and Tucker Howard of Andrews won with a five-fish aggregate of 8.57 pounds. Raleigh and Asher Elliott of the Green Sea Floyds area finished second with five fish weighing 5.99 pounds. Branson and Tucker Howell of Conway finished third with five fish weighing 5.15 pounds. Bryson Gerald of Whittemore Park weighed in the Big Fish with a 2.20-pounder.
• High School Bass Division: The duo of Jacob Martin and Colton Ledford of Conway won with a five-fish aggregate of 12.48 pounds. Brantley Todd and Dalton Hewitt of Georgetown finished second with five fish weighing 10.56 pounds. Cody Wilder and Dalton Williams of Conway took third place with five fish weighing 10.44 pounds, with Wilder catching the Big Fish of 3.63 pounds.

The next SALTT event will be held February 26. A youth bass seminar will be held Feb. 19 at J & K Outdoors in Conway. For more info on SALTT, visit www.SALTTFishing.com.