2 weeks Ago
Keys Please, captained by Brennan Arnsdorff of Nevils, Ga., set a South Carolina Wahoo Series record for weight and enjoyed a record payout in the tournament in which anglers were allowed to fish three days between Feb. 17 and April 12, weigh one fish each day and count their heaviest two fish for the top prize.
Keys Please finished with an aggregate weight of 180.8 pounds, beating the previous record of 177.4 pounds set in 2022 by Fish Sticks, captained by Gifford Scott of Johns Island.
Arnsdorff and crew earned weighed a 99.6-pound wahoo on March 23 and an 81.2-pound catch on March 26 and won $80,000.
The 99.6-pound catch was the heaviest fish caught in this year's tournament and earned Amanda Arnsdorff the top lady angler for the tournament. Keys Please's money breakdown included $32,000 as the top boat, $24,500 for finishing first in the High Roller TWT, $7,500 for Big Wahoo, $8,000 for Day 2 big fish and $8,000 for Day 3 big fish.
Second place and $18,500 went to another Georgia Crew, Coastal Pursuit, captained by Richie Proudfoot of Hortense, Ga. Coastal Pursuit caught a 91.4-pound wahoo on Feb.
26 and added a 59.2-pound catch on March 19 for 150.6 pounds.
Coastal Pursuit won $16,000 for finishing second and $2,500 for finishing third in the Big Wahoo TWT. High Roller, captained by Colton Infinger of Ludowici, Ga., was third and won $29,000 with a 130.
7-pound aggregate (97.4 on Feb. 26 and 33.
3 on March 13). The money breakdown was $11,000 for third, $14,000 for High Roller TWT and $4,000 for Big Wahoo. Rounding out the top 10 were: Sacrifice, Ricky Deloach, Richmond Hill, Ga.
, 128.1; Snake Farm, Andrew Nickels, Hodges, 120.2; Double Down, D.
Dawson/R. Billington, 113.1; Ram Ranch, Jackson Davis, St.
Helena Island, 111.6; Reel Labor, Mark Pate, Chapin, 98.8; 50/50, Hunter Bennett, Beaufort, 91.
2; and Full Hookups, Shane Hawkins, St. Helena Island, 86.3.
Other category winners included: Top Senior Angler — Patrick Boyd, Double Down, 74.4 pounds. Top Youth Anglers — Bubba Davis, Carter Simmons, Farrah Arnsdorff.
There also were TWTs for Mahi, Tuna and Amberjack. Double Trouble II, captained by Matthew Beverly of Hollywood, won $9,000 in the mahi division with a 17.6-pound catch; Fully Spooled, captained by Kyle Weiland of Charleston, won $10,000 for a 28.
3-pound blackfin; and Double Deuce, captained by Jason McClendon of Greenwood, won $7,000 for a 48.5-pound amberjack. Registration is now open for the South Carolina Mahi Series .
The captain's meeting will be held from 1-4 p.m. May 4 at the Pioneer Boat Factory, located at 208 Upchurch Lane in Walterboro.
Teams get to pick two fish days between May 5-May 30 with the heaviest two-fish aggregate determining the winner. Last year, Pelagic Prophet, captained by Nick Shreves of Savannah, finished with a 53.8-pound total, nipping Go Jolly, captained by Gabriel Jolly of Charleston, which finished with 53.
4 pounds. The Charleston Inshore Anglers' 32nd annual Big Ed Sheepshead Tournament will be fished April 26. The captain's meeting is 5:30-7:30 p.
m. April 24 at American Legion Post 147, located at 968 Folly Road. The entry fee for the tournament is $40, which includes a tournament T-shirt.
The weigh-in will be conducted from 4-5 p.m. April 26 at American Legion Post 147.
Contacts are: Kevin Mischke 843-324-1006, Doyle Whittington 843-323-6403 or Gene Broderick at 843-224-6826. The S.C.
Department of Natural Resources and Hampton Wildlife Fund has announced A Marvel-Ous Youth Fishing Rodeo on May 3 at Charleston's Colonial Lake. The event is for youth 15 and younger and participants are invited to dress as their favorite hero. Fishing hours are 8:30-11:30 a.
m. This is a catch-and-release event (not a tournament) and instructors will be available to help anglers learn the basics of saltwater fishing. Visit www.
eventbrite.com/o/scdnr-fishing-outreach-18659384739 ..
