HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL 

We have much to be Thankful for in 2004

 Arlo Guthrie sings:    

"..you can get anything you want at Alice's restaurant just walk right in its around the back, just 1/2 mile from the railroad track, you can get anything you want at Alice's restaurant..."

11.25.2004 The 2004 SKA season is now history - ushered into the ever dimming light of the past by the tunes of Elvis playing in the background at the Biloxi casinos (Heartbreak Hotel comes immediately to mind) .  Completing the SKA Pro season is always bittersweet, although with the weather issues this season the season finale is more sweet than bitter.  Running 225 miles each day of the event to the west delta, team FishDancer scaled a 34.78 pound fish on day one and got a big fat zero on day two.   The championship 'officially' began on Wednesday evening with the FishDancer team receiving an invite to the Team Donzi banquet at the Beau Rivage Convention Center.  Mike Collins and Dan Upton put on a really nice event for all of the Donzi teams with cocktails, hot food and great camaraderie. On Thursday the team headed off of Mobile in search of more hard tails and were greeted with 4-6' sloppy seas.  After trying in waters from 40 to 120' not a single bait was found so back to the Beau Rivage Marina the team went. Preparing for the first day of competition team FishDancer topped off the fuel and oil, iced down the fishbag and coolers and made the last minute tackle adjustments.  The Captain's meeting was at 7pm and following a good dinner the team headed back to the Beau for rest.    

     'THE' FishDancer with a 34.78 scaled in the dark

Jeff and Terry with huge Blue runners used for bait....catching them and the other fish like Pompano, Snapper, Grouper, Spanish and Bluefish make jigging bait a real fun event.

Friday morning the alarm went off early and team FishDancer found  itself amongst about 200 teams heading to the west delta.  A 110 mile boat ride - behind the Chandeleur Islands, through Babtiste Collette, across the Mississippi River and out of Red Pass into the Gulf - the promise of the West Delta is always exciting.  This morning it was made more exciting by dense fog across Chandeleur Sound and especially at the entrance of Babtiste Collette.  With less than 1/4 mile of visibility and many boats converging on the narrow entrance the team was carefully negotiating by electronics.  Once the entrance was safely navigated the team headed for the WD blocks that had held fish in the past.  Putting out a spread of mullet, hardtails and ribbonfish it wasn't long before FishDancer was hooked up and a decent mid 30s fish quickly came aboard and was placed in the fish bag.  Several more fish were caught and release none appreciably larger than the fish in the bag and at 3:00pm the team decided to head to the scales.  It gets dark in Biloxi right at 5:00pm and the team wanted to avoid running in the dark.

        Jeff with a small Gulf King caught while prefishing                 Nothing is impossible in the gulf - a redfish caught on a ribbonfish rig

   Meeting the sponsors is always a great time.  The Donzi team banquet featured (l to r) Gary Caputi- Contributing writer for Saltwater Sportsman and Hi-Seas representative, Dan Upton - Team Donzi Captain, Mike Collins -CEO of Donzi and Dan Clark VP of Operations for American Fishing Wire.

 Day two of competition the team awoke to a dense fog sitting at the check out line.  Once again about 200 teams were lined up to head to the WD and there was a feeling of high spirits as 6 fish in the 50s were caught in the blocks fished yesterday.  The fog lifted and team FishDancer made the trek back to the same areas fished the day before.  This time no boats were hooked up all day.  It seems that the bite had turned completely off, perhaps by the approaching front.  The best the team could muster was a large redfish caught on a ribbonfish rig.  As it turns out the fishing on the east side was strong with many good fish coming from the ca25 area.  All in all a great time was had by all and we want to thank Donzi, Mercury, Spro/Gamakatsu, Cape Lookout Lures, Yozuri, the staff at the Beau and the SKA for yet another great season.  Next up for team FishDancer is Hog's Breath KMT in January 2005....we are calling all fishgods of the tail end area.....

>>))))))">

11.18.2004  The weather has not been supportive of team FishDancer's plan so far.  The plan included arriving on Wednesday night, prefishing the east side on Thursday and Friday heading to Venice on Saturday to prefish Saturday-Tuesday and arrive back in Biloxi with a full bait well of large blue runners and a solid idea where bait and fish are for the 115 mile run during Friday and Saturday's competition. HA!!! Mother Nature has had some plans of her own.  Upon arriving in Biloxi and launching the boat the team realized maybe their original plan would need alteration.  Winds were up and it was raining hard.  Thursday they stuck their nose out of Dog Key Pass -  awash in breakers - only to find 5-7' seas.  Friday was better and the team had a chance to hit some of the east side rigs out of Horn Island Pass. Finding some bait but no fish - they put the boat back on the trailer and headed onto Cypress Cove Lodge in Venice, LA on Saturday.  Prefishing the West Delta on Saturday the team found bait to be scarce and only a single king.  Upon arrival back at the dock many of the teams had similar experiences - difficult to find bait and few fish.  The forecast for Sunday has small craft advisory's included and an afternoon change in winds and possible storms were predicted.  Fishing early and stopping at many rigs - from 40' to 200', from the WD to the SW Pass - team FishDancer did not get a bite!!!!!  The forecast was correct and the front came through with winds, seas and rain.  It seems that Monday and Tuesday will not be fishable in the West Delta so the team decided to head back to Biloxi.  Current reports from the seas 64 miles off Dauphin Island are 11.5 feet - YIKES.  It seems that the 2005 SKA Nationals will be a true 'crap shoot', with no large concentrations of fish to be yet found - just like the gaming tables inside the Casino, pick a number of a rig and roll those dice.  Stay tuned...... 

11.11.2004 

Willie  Nelson sings (with a few modifications)

"On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is 'catchin' kingfish' with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again
On the road again, Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

On the road again, like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends, Insisting that the 'props' be turnin' our way
And our way, Is on the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is catchin' kingfish with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again.."

The bands of gypsies are heading to Biloxi and anyone who runs the boat, trailer, angling gear and team long distances has gained the respect of team FishDancer.  While sometimes daunting, logistics and preparation for the SKA National Championships will advance the cause of each competitive angling team.  For team FishDancer these logistics include a trip from Fernandina Beach to Biloxi (500 miles of driving and necessary hotel and marina reservations), a trip from Biloxi to Venice (167 miles of driving and necessary hotel and marina reservations), a return trip from Venice to Biloxi and a return trip from Biloxi to Fernandina Beach.  All told about 1500 miles of driving, trailering, as well as 3 hotels and marinas. This year the trip traverses the center of 2004's hurricane alley, with the Escambia Bay section of I-10 down to one lane in each direction.  The folks of this area were hit hard and some 3 months later the evidence of a strong hurricane is clearly evident with debris all over, signs ripped down and many home still with the telltale blue tarp roofs.  The equipment must bet kept in great shape so all tournament reels were stripped and cleaned and then re-spooled with 30 pound mono and 50 pound fluorocarbon leader.  The truck was tuned up and the Mercury Opti-max engines received service and the team is ready to go.  Upon arrival the weather in Biloxi was miserable, rain high winds and big seas as a front passes from the west.  Stay tuned for more reports LIVE from Biloxi....

11.07.04 The SKA National Championship is an event that brings together the best king mackerel angling teams in the land.  From the twelve different divisions the top twenty teams are qualified to compete, in the 23' and under division the top 15 teams qualify to compete and then there are the 100 pro teams who earned an invite to the big dance.  Some 500 teams, each who scaled a minimum of three good quality fish in the local divisions will be competing for fame and fortune in the waters off of Biloxi, Mississippi.  The teams have qualified in divisional competition from North Carolina , South Carolina and Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana as well as Texas.  The professional teams compete in NC, GA, FL, LA and MS and the rank include those teams from as far away as Michigan.   This event requires several key attributes for teams to be successful; great logistics/preparation, finding bait and then finding fish.  Over the next few weeks we will share team FishDancer's routines for each of these key attributes....

                                    Bait is critical to success in the Gulf                                 Which rigs will the fish choose

                         Weed through to find the big fish                                     Have the truck, boat and motors in tip top shape

Jeff and Nancy's Great Cape Hatteras Adventure

Part Two

10.29.2004 Hatteras and the outer banks (OBX) are considered to be a string of barrier islands - upon reflection we believe they are more aptly called a sand bar about 30 miles out in the Atlantic.  Take nothing away from OBX, it still is a beautifully wild place and while signs of development are everywhere, the banks still have the mystique of the past. The Hatteras inlet is notorious for being nasty for sailors (and power boaters) and a mistake here could cost the mariner dearly.  So it was not without a bit of trepidation that 'THE' FishDancer and Captain Jeff headed out Sunday morning to mark a safe passage through the inlet.  

            Barrier island or sand bar?                          'THE' FishDancer aboard the FishDancer in front of Harbor Pointe 

The narrow channel that went from Harbor Pointe to the inlet was well marked and there was shallow water on either side of the markers.  On the way out, about 50 yards from the channel, the team saw a skiff beached on the shallows with an angler and his dog wading the flats in pursuit of their quarry.  We heard of a tale about a large CC that missed a tight left turn earlier in the week exiting Teach's Lair marina that was high and dry aground on the bar, so the team was on the lookout for shallow water.  The channel follows a twisting path for about 4-5 miles until you need to take a 90 degree turn to enter the inlet, prior to making the turn the inlet appears to be awash in breakers, but once the turn was completed the team was pleased to see a well marked and wide inlet with breakers to the right and left.  The team was pleased to have made a safe passage through this inlet and built confidence that they could negotiate it even in the more difficult weather conditions forecasted for the end of the week.  After a quick trip back to the office via ORF airport, the team was back in action on Wednesday, baiting up and prefishing the near shore artificial reefs and bad bottoms. The team found a small kingfish and a few false albacore (little tunny) but that was it.  A combination of cast netting, help from a fellow angler and purchasing bait left the team with about 5 dozen pogies in the hard bait pen at the end of the day Wednesday.  The team was pleased with this effort as the weather forecast was deteriorating fast with 8-10' seas and 25-35 knot winds now predicted for the tournament days Friday and Saturday.

           Small king boat side                          Another small king released                            Little Tunny (false albacore)

Thursday the weather followed the forecast and winds picked up to well over 20 mph and the FishDancer team decided to sit tight for the day, fully expecting the tournament to be delayed at a minimum and possibly rescheduled at worst.  The team worked on a few small odds and ends and took a walk up to the beach to see the ocean conditions.  The team was pleased to see although the seas were big, they were fishable.  Upon returning to the dock, the team was dismayed to find an otter had somehow gotten into the hard bait pen and ate about a dozen of the pogies.  YIKES!!!!!!  As they were new neighbors sharing the docks with two of the better teams along the trail - The Reel Won and Use of Proceeds -  we all got together before the Captain's meeting to discuss the situation we were facing. Attending the Captain's meeting Thursday night the pro teams listened to a rationale of why we were fishing despite the now 9-11' seas  and 25-35mph winds forecasted.  

                 Surf angling crowds enjoying the day                                    Ghosts abound on OBX...can you find Teach's Lair?

Friday morning dawned and the checkout began near 7am and the FishDancer team headed out of the Hatteras inlet.  The new angling strategy was to make a left and run about 6-7 miles toward the cape and fish the Frisco pier area.  After a wet run into the building seas and winds, the team deployed its lines and fished hard the entire day.  They arrived back at the scales with a 25 and 22 pound fish and were pleased with their performance in these tough conditions.  Saturday followed Friday, as it usually does, and the winds and seas continued to build.  Angling between the Hatteras sea buoy and the Frisco pier, the team was unable to land a fish.  One solid knockdown and reel screaming run was experienced BUT, the wind was blowing so hard it blew the line into a passing sea gull who flew high in the air and pulled the hooks from the fish. 

           My Three Sons at the Hatteras Sea Bouy                                        Large and sometimes breaking seas were the norm

So without a fish to weight the team waited until slack tide (4:15pm) and made the run back through the inlet.  With 9' swells in front and behind the FishDancer, the team surfed its way in the trough back to the relative safety of the channel and headed back to Harbor Pointe.  Terry took the boat back that night and 'THE' FishDancer and Captain Jeff cleaned, packed and left Sunday morning for the 800 mile trip back to Peachtree City -- but the Hatteras adventure was not quite over.  

Nancy and Terry after 7 miles of spray in the face                        Captain Jeff and his new best friend Henri Lloyd (raingear)

On the way out of Hatteras, on NC highway 12, at about 7am, the FishDancer team was faced with a long delay as the strong winds and high tides created a wash over of the road near Manteo.  Hatteras and the Ghost of Edward Teach (Blackbeard the Pirate) finally permitted the team to pass after a delay of nearly an hour.  Next up is the SKA National Championships in Biloxi, Mississippi.....we are calling the fish gods of the West Delta area.....

    >>))))))">

 10.19.04  Part One  We were seeking adventure!!!!!  If there is a better way to experience adventure than this we hope we never to find it. 

             Cedar Island 6 hour wait in line               "THE" FishDancer on the Ferry                  Loose Lucy  and In the Rough  

Hauling a 35' boat from Fernandina Beach to Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and upon arrival  navigating the inlet that is know as the crypt keeper for the graveyard of the Atlantic - is more than enough real (or should I say reel) adventure for us.   It all started simply enough; last winter when the SKA Pro Tour schedule was published and included the Teach's Lair event in Hatteras in October.  The team did its research, rented a house with a dock, prepared the logistics and made the entries onto our respective calendars to assure we would be ready for this one.  The months quickly passed and this past weekend Captain Jeff and 'THE' FishDancer hooked up the boat and began their latest adventure, a 600+ mile journey from Fernandina Beach to Hatteras Island. An overnight stop in Savannah was included in this trip due to some business requirements, and the FishDancer team is greatly appreciative to our angling buddies at Boater's Paradise who allowed the team to store the FishDancer overnight behind their fence, protected by the physical fencing, as well as a few canine buddies we would not like to meet in the dark of night,  who roam their parking lot.  

    Once the Savannah leg was completed the team was planning to head for Kinston NC Friday night and then complete the trip in a relaxed manner by taking the Cedar Island Ferry to Ocracoke island and then the Ocracoke ferry to Hatteras.  Hotel reservations were made for Kinston, ferry spots were reserved and everything seemed to be just fine.  The expectation was that we would be at the hotel just as it was getting dark something around 8:00pm.  Upon arrival in Kinston we noticed the hotel we made reservations with was not exactly what was pictured on the internet so we went across the street to another hotel and checked in.  Early the next morning the team arose and went to check the boat and truck, all was well except the passenger side window was open.  Fearing the worst  - that everything inside the vehicle and boat was gone - we inspected the contents and were relieved to find that they were intact.  It seems that during the confusion of changing hotels and finding a parking spot for the 65' long truck, boat and trailer rig, the team simply forgot to roll up the window!!!  Fortunately the fish gods were looking after team FishDancer that night.   Hitting the road for the 3 hour trip to the Cedar Island Ferry, the team decided to take a chance and arrive for the noon ferry hoping we might get to Hatteras a bit earlier than our scheduled 3pm ferry would allow.  Arriving at 11:30am the ferry was loading and we were informed that we would not make the noon ferry - so we settled in for the wait, first in line for the 3:00pm ferry. The Cedar Island ferry is a car carrying ferry which runs about 23 miles through Pamlico Sound from Cedar Island to Ocracoke.  A scenic ride at about 10 knots it takes 2.5 hours to make the transit and we were looking forward to a leisurely trip across.  Cedar Island is a remote place some 40 miles from Beaufort and there is not much in between.   As there is not much to do, we were pleased to find that there was a restaurant at the ferry landing so we had a leisurely lunch enjoying the sights of the waterfront.  We learned shortly after the noon ferry departed that the 3:00pm ferry had broken down in Ocracoke and we would have to wait until the 6:00pm ferry to get across!!!  YIKES, 6 hours of waiting at the Cedar Island ferry terminal  - not something we had figured in our planning.  We could have driven back in about 6-7 hours so we decided to wait it out for the ferry.  All in all it was a pleasant wait as many other anglers were stuck in the same predicament and many questions were asked of us from the anglers heading Ocracoke for some fishing.  After a while several other SKA Pro teams found themselves in the same holding pattern - Mike and Susan Kaminsky and their 34' Fountain Loose Lucy and David and Rose Van Lent and their 36' Contender In the Rough - so we had a chance to spend some time with them swapping stories and laughing away most of the wait and ferry ride while enjoying cheese and crackers, adult beverages and some diet sodas.  In between all of this the team continued preparations for the Teach's Lair event -- we tied a few rigs and worked on a few small maintenance issues, Loose Lucy gave us a seminar on how to quickly change a propeller and In The Rough was consulting charts and planning fishing strategy.  Team FishDancer appreciates the invite from these two great angling teams (also husband and wife teams) to spend some time with them.  The ferry finally arrived, we loaded up and headed out into Pamlico sound watching both the sunset onset of darkness.  Landing at Ocracoke at around 8:30pm,  we had literally 1-2 INCHES of room to move the rig off the boat but the professional NC Ferry staff know what they are doing and following their directions everything ran like clockwork, although the clock was 6 hours behind.  Once on Ocracoke island we needed to navigate the rig from the south end of the island to the north - some 14 miles - to the next ferry landing.  Since our team was let off the ferry first we raced to keep our position for the next ferry and made it without incident.  Unfortunately In The Rough missed the next ferry and had to wait another 30-45 minutes.  Upon landing in Hatteras we needed to drive some 13 miles to Buxton where a hotel room was awaiting us as the house we rented was from Sunday to Sunday.  Finding a place to park the rig we hit the sack around 11:30pm, tired and hungry but on Hatteras and excited about the week to come. The team rose about 7:30am the next day and immediately went to find a place to have breakfast.  Luckily there was a local restaurant The Diamond Shoals right next door and after a solid breakfast of bacon, eggs, bisquits (sic) and coffee, the team was again on the road back to Hatteras to launch the boat and get settled into the house.  Using the facilities at Oden's dock the FishDancer was successfully launched, fueled ($2.40 per gallon) and docked at the appropriate dock for our rental home -  Harbor Pointe.  During the great Cedar Island ferry debacle, discussing  the strategies of running the inlet with Mike and David they indicated it can get hairy - and fast. So "THE" FishDancer and Captain Jeff wanted to try and mark the inlet on the GPS for safety's sake and to see firsthand what all of the chatter was about this place.  Check back later this week for part two of the adventure as well as some pictures ....  we are calling all fish gods of the greater Outer Banks area.....

11.14.2004  Fishing the SKA Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour is a challenge; competing against the best of the best, negotiating the myriad travel/logistical hurdles required and then there are the many angling challenges from bait, to fish, to equipment, boats, motors and trailers.  At 4:00am this morning team FishDancer arose, most of the team members did not sleep much, if at all, in preparation of a tough day on the water. Seas were projected to be 4-6' inshore and much bigger offshore but the team exhibited the steely determination needed to be successful along this elite circuit.  Due to many factors, not the least of which was 2 previous weather events for this tournament, the team was forced to dock the FishDancer some 15 miles away from the Savannah River downtown area.  At 4:45am sharp the team was motoring in the creeks and ICW leading to the Savannah River by chart plotter and halogen spot light.  Captain Jeff despises running in the dark, but it was unfortunately necessary, and so it was done.  Pulling up to the Westin hotel on the river at 5:45am to meet the bait man, Terry and 'THE' FishDancer noticed that all boats were still tied to the dock and few teams were loading their gear.  The tournament had been cancelled for today due to the small craft advisory posted by NOAA!!!!!  A good call no doubt, but now the challenges are only magnified with dwindling fishing days remaining in the season, tired and frustrated anglers discussing the vagaries of mother nature and her wrath upon their pocketbooks  - as well as the tournament trail staring at the Hatteras Pro event in October and Nationals in November.  Anyone who thinks running a tournament or angling trail is easy should call "Captain Camo" or the SKA and ask them.  The call will be made for Sunday at 4pm this afternoon, so it's time for a nap and then the anglers get to start all over again......oh and  by the way no fish or bait have been found, so its anyone's guess as to where to go.....the joys of competitive angling........calling fish, bait and weather gods to assist us in any way......PLEASE

9.27.04   Due to the hurricanes there have been weeks of no fishing but there is always baseball.  Congratulations to the 2004 Atlanta Braves - NL Eastern Division Champions for an unprecedented 13th consecutive season.  

o

As Jeanne is bearing down on Florida, 'THE' FishDancer and Captain Jeff have boarded up the condo, buttoned down the boat/gear and headed to Atlanta......sing along with the team  ".....Jeanne....   Jeanne......   GO AWAY SOON....."

9.21.2004 The weather gods are not happy.  During the past several years the members of team FishDancer have traveled the southeast to compete in the SKA Yamaha Professional Tournament Trail.  They have visited the cities of Biloxi, Mississippi, Venice, Louisiana, Fort Pierce, Florida and fished the waters near many of the areas hit hard by one of the most active hurricane seasons in decades.  The team's thoughts and prayers go out to all of those families and fishing teams directly affected by these storms.  Its heartbreaking to the team to see pictures of the destruction of the Fort Pierce City Marina, amazing to see the I-10 bridges over Escambia Bay washed away and sad to know that many of our angling competitors lost homes, boats and other property - the only upside is that the team is not aware of any injuries and worse for friends, associates and fellow competitors from these storms.  On the home front, the preparations for 4 potential storms have been difficult and somewhat frustrating - boarding up and preparing the boat, returning only to find that there is another storm brewing in the Atlantic.    After reviewing the 11am NHC and Accu-weather reports on the latest potential storm - Jeanne, 'THE' FishDancer and Captain Jeff decided t make the 6 hour trip to the beach and begin buttoning up their condo and boat. These reports had the storm pointed right at the St. Augustine area for landfall -  YIKES!!!!  Arriving on Amelia Island around 8pm they checked the 5pm reports on the storm and were relieved (although frustrated) that the forecast had Jeanne downgraded to a tropical depression and heading east.  On Saturday morning the team awoke to find Jeannne had re-strengthened into a tropical storm and again had an E/NE drift which put the island back into play.    Hurricane Frances has already postponed the upcoming Savannah Saltwater Shootout until next Saturday and Sunday and the forecast for Jeanne coupled with a strong NE flow from a high pressure system further north have the seas predicted at 5-9 feet through Wednesday, making for yet another possible weather situation for this event.  The latest information on the SKA website indicates that a decision regarding the status of this event, the 4th stop in the 2004 SKA pro tour,  will be made this coming Monday.  Sooner or later the seas will calm, the weather will return to some sense of normalcy and team FishDancer will be back at it in search of a big fish.  In the meantime, the team's thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this freakish weather. 

9.11.04 never forget......

9.5.04 Big news has broken on the kingfish tournament trail.  Genmar  has teamed up with Wal*Mart and will be hosting the 2005 FLW  kingfish tour.   As posted on the FLW website, Irwin L. Jacobs,  CEO of Genmar and  chairman of FLW outdoors announced the new kingfish tournament trail on August 26th indicating the new trail was in response to the "....overwhelming demand for professional saltwater tournaments....".   The kingfish angling trail has been abuzz with the announcement and there has been much speculation regarding the plans for this trail and its possible affects upon existing local and national tournaments and organizations.    It seems that the new tour will be modeled after the existing SKA Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour.  (Interestingly  enough on August 30th the same Wal*Mart/Genmar partnership announced its intention to launch into the redfish tournament trial with the "...Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series...").

    The SKA Professional tour is a 6 event series open to every team which qualifies along SKA/Mercury divisional trail.  The SKA/Mercury divisional competition runs 13 distinct divisions from North Carolina to Texas and qualification for the SKA Professional division encompasses the best  king fishing teams from divisional competition.  The SKA professional anglers pay $1,000 to fish for a $30,000 first place payday in each event. At the end of each season the top divisional anglers and all professional teams are invited to compete for the SKA National Championship in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Kingfish journal in an interview with Jacobs to discuss the purpose of the new arrangement reported Jacob's as saying  "..The greater goal is to grow the sport, but Jacobs was unapologetic on one point; selling boats and motors. Jacobs’s (sic) not playing with house money – he’s putting up his company’s money in hopes of increasing sales of Genmar boats (Aquasport, Hydra-Sports, Seaswirl and Wellcraft). Jacobs controls both Genmar and the FLW Outdoors. Jacobs noted, “There’s no question that we want people to be responsive to our products.” Plus, he’s mindful of the other sponsors....when asked about the fact that many top teams already have sponsorship deals with other manufacturers and motors, he said, “they can still participate, but the big pay day comes with our products.”  The FLW kingfish trail will have 4 competitive events and a national championship and follow in the path of many of the Southern Kingfish Association's best events.  It has been reported that Fort Pierce, FL (March), Jacksonville, FL(April), Venice, LA (June) and Southport NC (September) with a championship in Biloxi, MS in October.  The 2005 trial will be limited to 100 teams, with a $1,500 entrance fee to compete for a $40,000 first prize.  The big pay day indicated by Jacobs includes a potential for $60,000 bonus money -- $30k for winning in a Genmar product as well as $30k for running Yamaha motors.  As Jabobs indicated above "...the big payout comes with our products..." or those teams who run a Genmar/Yamaha combination.  Team FishDancer will be running a Donzi/Mercury combination in 2005 and has more questions than answers regarding the new trail.  Team FishDancer has spent considerable time discussing the new tour and has exchanged thoughts with several teams competing along  the 2004 SKA Pro and Divisional tours. In the end each team will be required to make its own decision on where to compete (it would be difficult for most to fish both) and gathering information is important to the decision making process, the purpose of this story is to provide information.   Ultimately this announcement has created the need for Team FishDancer to review its reasons for competing.  Team FishDancer seeks competition at the highest level of king fishing in the USA, with the actual competition trumping the possible prizes, media exposure and other perceived benefits.  So the question for the team is which tour will represent the top competition within the ranks of kingfishing?    As SKA competition members since 1998, Team FishDancer has established its reputation within the SKA.  With its start in the 23' and under division, Team FishDancer earned its way into a sponsored role in the open division and qualified for the SKA Professional Division in 2003.  The team has made many friends and enjoyed success at each level  along the SKA trail with its win in the 2003 Port Fourchon Professional event as the teams crowning achievement.  The announced tour policy of all teams paying the same entry fees with the possibility of an unknown number of teams winning $60,000 more than a team fishing a non-preferred boat/motor combination raises a few questions.  Is the trail designed to be about competition and angling skills or rather about a team's choice of boat and motors?  As well the fact that 2005 will be the inaugural year of the trail there are questions remaining about the timing and execution of this trail.  In this sea of tournament trails, it is pleasing to know that the 2004 and 2005 SKA Yamaha Professional Kingfish trail will remain the safe harbor for those teams who have qualified in Donzi, Contender, Yellowfins and other boats.  Team FishDancer will continue to keep this new development on their radar screen and does not yet see a collision course with the team's direction.  2005 is months away and the team is now preparing for the SKA Pro events in Savannah, Hatteras and the 2004 SKA national championships in Biloxi.  

Team FishDancer's thoughts and prayers are extended to those in Florida who have incurred the wrath of Frances.  The team boarded up the beachfront condo for the first time ever and headed up to Atlanta.  Next up is Ivan, hopefully not the terrible.

 >>))))))">

9.1.04 WOW, what a past couple of weeks.  Captain Jeff believes that competitive king fishing combines both agony and ecstasy -- this concept can be telling regarding the make up of those of us who participate in this type of competition.    Hurricane Charley churned across Florida creating true agony for those in its path and following local storm preparation and two days of prefishing -- the team was faced with tough fishing conditions  during the Golden Isles KMT.  Despite this,  all participants in the KMT were in search of the ecstasy of winning the event, a feeling like no other in fishing, especially in a Pro Tour event.  As bait was scarce the team decided to head south to their home waters off of Fernandina Beach.  After stopping at a few locations team FishDancer kept moving in search of a decent fish for the scales.   After stopping at yet another location and deploying the baits, one of the lines started running strongly and the sound and duration of the run indicated that it was a king and a good one at that.  Ecstasy. After clearing all of the lines and turning the boat the team began the kingfish mambo.  With near 200 yards of line gone from the Shimano Trinidad, 'THE' FishDancer was gaining nicely on the fish while Terry motored the boat forward and Captain Jeff was preparing the new SPRO extendable gaff.  Everyone was excited and looking forward to posting a good fish on the scales during an event where 50 points would be great.  Then, just as soon as it started the run stopped.  Reeling in the line the team was disappointed to find the knot that Captain Jeff tied to connect the fluro-carbon leader to the main fishing line had failed and with that so did the team's hopes of a good finish in the tournament. AGONY!!!!! After regrouping, the team put a plan together to run far east where some good fish had been caught the day before.  After checking out with SKA officials, and fishing a man short as Terry had some business to attend to, the team started the 1.5 hour run east toward a favorite offshore hotspot.  At about 40 miles E/SE of the St. Simon's inlet one of the engines began acting up and soon the team had a single engine to make the 40+ mile run back toward shore.  At 9.9 MPH this can be a long ride. AGONY!!!!! Fearing the worst the team was expecting very bad news from their mechanical support team at Chelsea marine in Yulee.  The news was actually much better than expected with a bad alternator creating the engine failure - not a blown power head as the team feared.  All repairs covered under warranty.  Ecstasy.  During the past week the team consummated the sale of the 29' Wellcraft Scarab (AGONY and Ecstasy), began logistics preparations for the Savannah Saltwater Shootout and has their eyes to the sky tracking Hurricane Francis which could alter all plans for the coming KMT.  

One of the most ingenious angling products of the year comes from the makers of fine hooks, jigs, lines and swivels -- SPRO/Gamakatsu.  Even in the roomiest of offshore fishing boats, storage is always a concern; especially when you are trying to stow something that is over 11 feet in length and has a sharpened point on one end, the gaff.  This is one piece of equipment that requires a proper storage system -- on more than one occasion Team FishDancer has heard tales of anglers who needed to stop at the emergency room to have wounds received from loose gaffs tended to, so safety is the first priority when seeking an ample storage system for the gaff.  Aboard the Wellcraft the FishDancer team had a two piece 12' gaff stowed on the portside gunnels and lashed down with 'THE' FishDancer's favorite piece of gear, bungee cords.  While this tie down system had been both convenient and successful for the team -- the new 35' Donzi provided a new challenge to the team for storage of the gaff. Although the hull is longer, the gunnels are more sharply angled than the Wellcraft rendering the current tie down bungee cord system  ineffective, with the gaff sticking out on either end -- something that could quickly become both a safety and angling issue. Team FishDancer prefers to have the gaff at ready, near the bow of the boat, where the majority of the tournament Kings are fought and landed.  This practice has proven itself to be effective with nary a king lost for the want of an appropriately located gaff.   

The ingenious engineers and angling experts at the SPRO company began working on an extendable gaff several years ago.  As members of the SPRO field Staff, Team FishDancer had a chance to test one of the prototypes at the SKA Hog's Breath King mackerel event in Key West during the 2002 season.  Even in the prototype stage the team liked what the folks at SPRO had in mind and it was with great expectation that the team awaited receipt of the final production model. The SPRO telescopic extendable gaff measures a mere 54 inches long when collapsed and a gigantic 11 feet 1 inch when extended to its maximum length -  both a convenience and an engineering marvel for a gaff. These measurements meet BOTH the onboard storage and tournament requirements for Team FishDancer, as SKA rules indicate gaffs may not exceed 12 feet in length.  One of the best features of this product is the ease and speed with which the gaff can be extended fully, with a mere twist and flick of the wrist the gaff fully telescopes to its fullest extension -- something that can be done in a nothing more than a few seconds, actually less time than it would take to remove the bungee cords from the old two piece gaff. The telescopic handle is composed of graphite making it lighter than comparable gaffs and the business end (3 inch hook) is composed of high grade stainless steel a with a pre-sharpened point and is designed to handle fish of up to 100 pounds. SPRO engineers have designed handgrips in the most convenient locations and at the end of the day the SPRO gaff gets treated just as any of the kingfish rods aboard the FishDancer, a simple wash and rise will keep the gaff in fish-landing shape. The SPRO extendable gaff is a must for all anglers as it exceeds the requirements of any gaff and adds a great storage option for any boat.  Team FishDancer believes that soon the SPRO extendable gaff will be the gaff of choice along the SKA tournament trail. Team FishDancer is pleased to be one of the first teams utilizing this amazing gaff and is pleased to see our angling buddies following suit.  Team FishDancer entered the St. Mary's KMT this past weekend but choose not to fish due to weather conditions (5-7' seas).  Congratulations to all who braved the elements and next up for the team is Golden Isles -  we are calling all fish gods of the greater Georgia area......

     x   

            FishDancin' Ballroom Floor                                           Captain Jeff                        Rigging stuff for the Donzi

The FishDancer³ coming home to Amelia Island Yacht Basin

After reviewing many different boats, with many different options, engines and performance ratings, the team has chosen the Donzi 35 zfo.  The new FishDancer is 33' 6" overall, has a beam of 9'2", 22 degrees of deadrise, drafts 33", weighs 8,000 pounds, has 14 gallons of freshwater and a cockpit area of 112 square feet.  This platform offers the FishDancer team the value the team was seeking as well as some nice creature comforts to make the long rides to the fishing grounds more comfortable.  Why did the team choose this hull and motor setup ?  The Donzi 35ZFO sports a  cruising range of approximately 400 miles, while the hull's cruising speed of 40 MPH at 4000 rpm and a top end of 60 mph offers ample speed for the FishDancer team.  The Donzi also has abundant fishing room and  features throughout. 

        225 Optimaxes in action              Capt. Jeff in his office         Office of 'THE' FishDancer         Forward seat and cooler

On deck, insulated 157-quart fish boxes flank both port and starboard sides, easily accommodating required storage. A freshwater sink and large circular     bait tank is molded into the transom.  A large console has a forward, molded-in seat with storage beneath that serves as a 69-quart cooler for food and drinks and a stand-up head and shower, with a full fiberglass liner. The helm features a spacious dash, as well as a lockable equipment box and will be more useful once the RayMarine chart plotter, sonar and radar are installed. The initial break in period on the Optimax 225 motors was uneventful and once passed the hull ran right at 58-60mph with a light load of fuel and Captain Jeff and 'THE' FishDancer aboard.  

            Nancy at the helm                               Helm station before electronics                        Livewell and aft seating

      The team has much to do, install electronics, obtain new graphics, conduct a test fishing run among others and pictures and a full shake down report should be posted by the end of the week.  Wish them luck - they are calling all of the fish gods of the greater Golden Isles area.....

7.17.2004 The deal has been done, the papers signed and now the only thing left is for the team to pick up, christen and splash the 'NEW' FishDancer .   A new FishDancer has been delivered and the team is excited about a new direction for their competitive efforts, however this new direction comes with many bittersweet feelings. One of the toughest decisions for the team to make was to move in a different direction when it comes to both the hull as well as the engines.  After 6 consecutive seasons running Yamaha products and three seasons with the Wellcraft hull, current circumstances  have created both a new direction as well as new opportunities for the team. The team has been highly satisfied with Yamaha products, service, support along the trail as well as the friendships with many fine Yamaha people  established and maintained over the years.  Many FishDancer thanks to Mike Dixon and his pro tour technical staff for their support, assistance and help to the team. Despite the fact that the team will run a different motor set up they look forward to seeing Mike, Artie and the crew at the next SKA Yamaha Pro Tour event in August.  The  choices of competitive boat manufacturers, willing to do a deal within the time constraints the team faced, running Yamaha motors was limited so the team has decided to change engines.  The old FishDancer was the #4 twenty nine foot hull manufactured by Wellcraft after the hull redesign in 2002 and the team was fortunate to be invited to participate as a "B" sponsored team for the manufacturer.  Unfortunately the direction of the manufacturer's sponsorship program  has changed so the opportunity to participate at this level was no longer available.  The team has enjoyed every minute aboard the Wellcraft 29' Scarab Sport Open and will always remember their accomplishments on this hull.  They hope to find her a new home soon - someone will enjoy the value of the deal, the reliability of the engines as well as the "fishability" of the hull.   The teams  also pleased to announced its renewal of their relationship with Loadmaster, SPRO and Gamakatsu and have a new SPRO telescopic gaff to review as well.  Look for pictures and a complete shake down report regarding the new boat in the coming days......

7.7.2004  Technology, competition and performance at the highest level of any activity has a trickle down effect.  This was true back in the 1960s when the USA was racing the USSR to space -  many new technological advances from that race (including Tang) are now part of everyday existence, the same applies for auto racing, pharmaceuticals and other professional sports.  Competitive angling and the SKA trail are not exempt from this phenomenon.  Today's angling innovations have become tomorrow's options for boat buyers.  As late as 2002, who would have thought that high powered, quiet 4 stroke engines would be available to the average anglers, how about triple engine boats and 38 foot center consoles?   Hull design, speed, better handling in all sea conditions have translated into better boats for everyone.  However it is important to understand performance of the companies on the leading edge of this curve.  If we assume that the SKA Yamaha/Professional Kingfish Tour represents the peak of competitive saltwater angling, then the performance of boat and motors along this grueling trail might be predictive of a team's continued success.  Below is a table reflecting the actual SKA/Yamaha Pro Kingfish Tour for the past three SKA seasons:

**data taken from SKA website and includes 02-04 Pro Standings and 2002 and 2003 National Championship standings 

The weakness of this analysis is that it does not account for a team's angling skills, tournament variables  and assumes that ONLY the boat is  predictive of a team's success - with success defined as winning or placing in the money in a Pro event. We all know this not to be true but the data is fun to look at in any event. 

So what does this data indicate?  Here is the FishDancer analysis; Five of twenty three boat manufacturers are represented in the Win column - Contender, Donzi, Fountain, Wellcraft and Yellowfin.  So any team thinking about competing at the highest level of this sport should consider any/all of these boats. Wellcraft leads the pack in percentage of Pro wins with 11% of the total teams and 29% of the wins over the past three seasons.  Fountain is second with 15% of the teams and 21% of the wins and Yellowfin is represented by 7% of the teams and 7% of the wins.   Contender (65 teams) and Donzi (55 teams) represent a higher proportion of the Pro teams respectively - and are represented in wins with 14 and 21% respectively.   When viewed in light of teams placing "in the money" the results change with Contender (34%) and Donzi  (25%) over represented in the "in the money" category, along with Yellowfin (11%)  and Wellcraft (15%) while Fountain lags behind at 12.5%.    Overall 17of the teams (7.52%) are utilizing Evinrude motors, 87 of the teams (38.5%) are running Yamahas, 120 of the teams (53.1%) are with Mercury and  Suzuki has captured 2 teams and less than 1% of the total.  Even with all of this data, the choice of a boat remains a personal one and there seem to be certain boats which have a higher success rate along the trail, but Team FishDancer believes that much of this is directly attributable to team angling skills. However there seems to be some level of correlation regarding boat type and success rate.....so what is a Captain to do?  Stay tuned.

7.4.2004 Decisions, decisions, decisions.  As many faithful readers realize, it has come time for the FishDancer team to upgrade their ride. The team's 2002 Wellcraft 29' Scarab is listed for sale (details below - a steal at $59,999 for the entire boat, motor and trailer package) is priced for a quick sale and the team is considering its options for a new ride.  This decision to move into a new boat is not an easy one as there are many team emotions tied to the Wellcraft.   As was said in the movie Bi-Centennial Man "...you should not invest your emotions in a machine"....but as every team knows it needs to invest itself both financially and emotionally in its ride.  Many exciting events have transpired aboard the current FishDancer; the team's first tournament win,  their first SKA tournament win, their first SKA Professional Tour victory, their first SKA divisional qualification on this boat, their first SKA nationals on this boat and fish caught in the 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 pound range on this boat. So the team is searching for a new ride with mixed emotions and whomever purchases the Scarab will be getting a great ride at a great price and team FishDancer can only hope the new owners will be blessed with the joys provided to the team by this amazing machine!!!!!

The team has researched various boats relative to their angling needs and the choices today are somewhat daunting. The team has reviewed just about every boat that competes along the SKA/Yamaha Professional Kingfish trail - in alphabetical  order;  Baja, Contender, Donzi, Fountain, Hydra-Sports, Palmetto, Wellcraft and Yellowfin and each and every boat is more than capable of meeting our needs, yet each and every one has unique advantages and disadvantages over the others.  Ultimately its a personal choice and here are some of the variables team FishDancer has been reviewing.  First is the engine configuration, doubles or triples?  Engine type; 4 strokes, DFI, EFI, Ox66, HPDI, ETEC? Engine manufacturer is next Yamaha, Mercury, Evinrude, Suzuki? What about engine performance, fuel consumption, maintenance, warranty, service and support along the trail? Next is the boat size 29, 31, 32, 34, 36 and yes perhaps even a 38 foot boat?  Following that is layout, storage, hull type, speed, rough water handling, dependability,  livewell and on and on and on.  YIKES!!!   Don't forget to review trailer configurations, types, sizes and warranty.  Add prices, resale values, financing options, insurance issues, interest rates, selling of the old boat, trade in opportunities and any Captain is likely to go crazy trying to determine what is the best thing to do.  Captain Jeff has been in contact with all members of the FishDancer team, angling friends and mentors as well as consulting with the SKA, boat and engine manufacturers to better gauge what the team's range of options are.    Stay tuned, you might expect there to be some news about a new ride before the next SKA/Yamaha Pro tour event in August.

                             34 pound Cobia                                    32.13 pounder                         View from Cypress Cove

6.04.2004

According to Webster's dictionary:

Main Entry: ¹suck 
Pronunciation: 's&k
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English suken, from Old English sucan; akin to Old High German sugan to suck, Latin sugere
transitive senses

Definitions

4slang : to be objectionable or inadequate

The FishDancer angling team fulfilled every intonation of Mr. Webster's slang definition of the word.  After traveling some 1500 miles roundtrip and 'competing' for two days the team totaled a meager 32.13 points and is currently in 81st position on the SKA Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour.  The team, with only 2 fish weighed trails the first place team (with 4 fish weighed in) by some 93 points.  Line around the props, boat electrical issues, trolling issues, downrigger clip problems as well as a lack of focus plagued the team during the West Delta Kingfish Classic.  The FishDancer team prefished and did not locate any concentrations of big fish, although they were able to land a nice 34 pound cobia which was good for dinner for a few nights.  On day one the team headed to the West Delta and while rig hopping was able to scare up a small West Delta fish, 32.13 pounds.  After fishing 20-25 rigs in the West Delta, it became apparent that the fish were elsewhere.  Following the reports from the other team on day one it seemed the east side of the delta would be the right place to be, so checking out at the picnic table as required at Cypress Cove team FishDancer headed out the South Pass with 'the pack'.  After baiting up and dealing with an annoying electrical problem aboard the boat, the team headed for a deepwater series of rigs and fished hard, but to no avail as only small 15 pounders were caught.  Heading back to the dock fishless is never a good feeling but especially in the Gulf where large concentrations of fish are found and caught.  This event was no exception as many boats reported non-stop action with good sized gulf fish being brought to the scales.  Team FishDancer team convened following the event to discuss their performance and all agreed 'We Sucked!!!!!"   The only saving grace is that many teams seem to run through rough patches like that experience this week and the FishDancer team will NOT be daunted by their current performance and placing in the standings.  The team may finish dead last but one thing is for sure, bad angling will not be the cause.  The team will rest up and prepare for their next event.  Stay tuned, calling all of the fish gods and our angling mentors..................... 

            Terry and Jeff working on the rigs                                 Mikey Likes It team's new rig                                    The City Rigs 

5-30-04 From Venice, Italy to Venice, Louisiana, 'THE' FishDancer and Captain Jeff have had an interesting 2004 and its only May.  The FishDancer team will be heading west and making the long trip to Venice, LA in anticipation of the 2nd leg of the SKA/Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour.  The SKA divisional 7 event, the West Delta Kingfish Classic will be held in conjunction with the pro event as next week several teams will begin to fill the small bayou city of Venice in Plaquemines Parish.

two fish of this size would be perfect for the scales

"Plaquemines Parish (home of Venice, Louisiana) is located in Southeast Louisiana, along the Mississippi River and its Delta, with a long coastline along the Gulf of Mexico, and just south of Orleans Parish, within the New Orleans Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). It has thriving industrial and residential communities and is conveniently situated to take advantage of the benefits of New Orleans; cultural and commercial activity in addition to the quiet suburban and rural living that Plaquemines Parish offers.  The rich delta that makes up Plaquemines Parish was created over 700 years ago when the Mississippi River shifted 50 miles east from its ancestral banks and created a landmass and wetlands that is unique in the entire world. The delta building process, which deposits rich, alluvial sediment in the gulf creates the natural levees, hardwood swamps, open marshes, lakes and bayous that characterize the landscape of Plaquemines Parish. Nearly 14 % of United State wetlands are contained in Plaquemines Parish. Nestled between the sprawling metropolis of New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico, the entire length of Plaquemines Parish is paralleled by the Mississippi River, the world’s third largest river and the most important inland waterway in North America.  Plaquemines is the end of the Great River Road.

       Plaquemines Parish is incredibly rich with an impressive variety of natural resources. Citrus farms line both sides of the Mississippi River for over 20 miles and produce an enormous amount of tasty tangerines, oranges, satsumas, melons, and world famous "Creole" tomatoes. Citrus and vegetable stands abound throughout the parish as well as numerous marinas and fishing boats that emphasize the agricultural and fishing heritage.  Fueling a large percentage of the world's mineral and petroleum industries, our immense salt and sulphur deposits yield millions of tons per year and are only excelled by our wealth of natural gas and oil reserves which are found in huge pockets on land and in our coastal waters.  Blessed with a diversified and very proud culture, our population of over 25,000 Acadian,  Croation, Creole, German, Filipinos, Spanish and Vietnamese decent have migrated here in the last 300 years and are bound in their love of this vibrant land. Exporting over 60 million dollars of commercial seafood and Aqua-culture annually, Plaquemines Parish natives ship oysters, shrimp, crabs, snapper, menhaden, bluefin & yellowfin tuna, crawfish and more around the world."  We are calling all of the fishgods of the WD and ST area.....

The wily King mackerel, Scomberomorus Cavalla, is a fish that is abundant in the Gulf of Mexico, especially in the Western Gulf.  There are several reasons for their abundance in this area -  including the 4,000 oil platforms providing a great food chain, abundance of bait and less pressure upon these fish as the anglers of the area target the tunas, marlin and bottom fish that are equally available, and in many kitchens taste better than the mackerel. This unique set of circumstances sets up for King Mackerel tournament teams as nearly perfect as anywhere lese along the SKA/Yamaha professional kingfish trail.  So it is with great excitement that the FishDancer angling team is in full preparation mode for the upcoming 4th Annual West Delta Kingfish Invitational.  Held in Venice, LA on June 4th and 5th the event will bring to the West Delta about 100 of the best king mackerel teams in the country and coupled with the availability of bait and fish, the leader board should be a good one.  Recently the tournament director predicted it might take 115 points to win this event -  WOW!!!!

Fishing this event requires some special preparations as Venice, LA is an 11 drive from Fernandina Beach, so the team is planning to pre-position the FishDancer over the Memorial Day weekend, driving over Friday and Saturday, settle into Venice and then enjoy a week of fishing.  Included in the plan is some prefishing for Kings, bait fishing for big blue runners as well as maybe a blue water trip or two to high speed troll for tuna.  The team will be sure to visit the rig where the big girl came from as well as some deeper water rigs tot he S/SW during the week.  Stay tuned as the team is calling all of the Fish gods from the greater West Delta area to favor us with two good fish......

5.15.2004 One of the best ways for an angler to assure a good catch is to entice the sought after species with live bait.  Few fish can resist the natural instinct to snack upon their favorite baitfish and when presented in the proper manner, many times live baits can determine the success of a day on the water.  In SKA tournament angling many of the tournament winning fish are caught with live baits.  This past Sunday 'THE' FishDancer and Captain Jeff headed east from Fernandina Beach in search of a kingfish to weigh for the ongoing Offshore Blitz tournament.  They did not get a bite although they jigged up some great baits -  greenies, cigar minnows, blue runners, leatherbacks (aka hornbellies) and a pogy or two.  However the kingfish are not yet present at HH, FA, FB and a few other local near shore spots.  So to top off the day the two fished the high tide at the St. Mary's North Jetty and decided to troll for Spanish with a planer and a Clark spoon.  Pogies were thick in 30' of water - in fact so thick that Nancy actually snagged one with her Clark spoon - and soon the FishDancer team had a few fish to top off a nice Sunday on the water.  Sometimes the live baits work and sometimes they don't.  Next up for the team in the West Delta Kingfish Classic held in Venice , Louisiana.  

                A studly North Florida Blue runner                           Bait was thick in some spots                                     Cigar Minnow of good size

             Greenies were easy to catch                           Bait was so thick in some spots it could be snagged               Leatherback (aka hornbelly)

Captain Jeff and 'THE' FishDancer with a couple of Spaniards caught at St Mary's Jettie

Scombroid Factoids

How do you win the Angler of the Year award?  What does it take to be in the top ten of the Pro Division?  How many fish have been caught? What are the largest fish caught and what is the average?  Below you will find a table representing the SKA Yamaha Professional Kingfish tour results for the past 4 seasons.  There seems to be a growing number of fish, larger fish and increased competition along the trail. 

The data above was collected from published results within the Professional Division from SKA website, the analysis is completed by FishDancer

King mackerel tournament committees, sanctioning bodies, sponsors and competitors alike are always affected by variable factors which affect their success. Each tournament is competition for a limited amount of attention and disposable income to bring success to their events and as competitors we are lucky to have a wide range of choices from which to choose from.  So what can be done to attract more anglers to any event?  

The Fishery;  First and foremost is the fishery itself.  Many events are scheduled during a timeframe when fishing for King Mackerel may not be at its peak in a particular area.  Needing to run 50 miles offshore in the hopes of getting a decent fish makes it more difficult for teams to sign up early and then weather becomes a determining factor in the total number of entries. The FishDancer team loves to fish the Gulf of Mexico as the fish are larger and more plentiful and is pleased to see that some of the local events have been moved back to facilitate a stronger bite closer to shore.  Tournament directors can count on more small boat participation if the fish are inshore and the weather is forecasted to be calm.  At the end of the day the angler is fishing to catch fish and if a Herculean run is required then participation seems to be lower.

The Schedule;  How any tournament relates to the other events scheduled around it is critical to its success.  The SKA was forced to cancel the KingMaster 100 this season due to a lack of participation but it is the schedule that might contribute to the low turnout.  A mere two weeks later the Venice, LA Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour event is scheduled and the FishDancer team could not make both of the trips so we decided to focus upon the Pro Divisional event in Venice. I think other team did so as well.  Tournaments held just before or just after any event have a direct affect upon the participation -- it is difficult to find a weekend where there is not a KMT being held somewhere.

The Prizes;  Any competitive angling team can tell you which events have great prizes, which ones have good payouts and which ones seem to lag far behind.  The FishDancer team believes that events which offer great and varied prize structures will continue to attract the most teams to fish their event.  The SKA's division IV has always been one of our favorites, with good payouts in the open, 23 and under as well as lady angler categories.  Sapelo, Two Way, Halfmoon and the St. Mary's events coupled with the Golden Isles Professional and divisional event give the divisional angler a great chance to win some prizes.  Cash and trophies almost always keep the attention of KMT anglers.

Dependability; KMTs are designed to be fun for the participants, promote our sport, enhance the local community and contribute to local charities.  Not all events are created equally.  Some have profit as their primary motive and many tournament decisions are made strictly with the eye on the dollar.  While there is nothing wrong with this -- after all capitalism is the American economic system.  The FishDancer experience is that the events that best are those which keep the angler and the local community in mind.  Finally keep in mind that the reputation and integrity of the tournament director is critical to the event's success -- we would rather fish any event where we knew the track record of the tournament committee.  Recent events have again demonstrated the importance of supporting events worthy of your hard earned money. The FishDancer team is looking forward to the upcoming Venice, Louisiana Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour event in early June, 2004.  We are calling all fish gods of the West Delta area......

                 'THE' FishDancer with the 25.25 pounder                                                  Beautiful Jupiter Lighthouse a nice sight after running the inlet

4.30.2004  The 2004 SKA/Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour was started this past weekend in Fort Pierce Florida.  The first event along the trail was met with good weather and a new wrinkle in SKA tournament fishing -  TV coverage.  The check out was held in a 'shotgun start format' -- all teams showed their numbers between 6:00 and 6:45am and then held just outside the Fort Pierce inlet awaiting the 'blast off' signal.  A helicopter was in the air to take footage of the start -- so it was with some excitement that the FishDancer team awaited Jack's countdown and blasted off South in search of a good fish.  It was no easy task to for the team to get to this stage of the season.  

 Fishing with some of the best - Fish Fever's new Baja and the Workman's Strike Zone - Terry and Jeff couldn't entice a fish to bite on day two

After a previous weekend prefishing weather blow out, the team planned to assembled in Fort Pierce on Wednesday night with the plan to bait fish early on Thursday morning.  Clearing the inlet the team wanted to head to some 'secret' bait numbers well to the north and stopped on the way at the 10A buoy to take a quick look for bait.  After a few minutes and only some small sardines to be had the team turned the bow N/NE and started to get up on plane -- the FishDancer's twin Yamaha 250s were not too happy as one of the engines surged and dropped in rpms -- NOT GOOD.  A quick call to the Yamaha support team had us lined up with the real pros of engines - the Yamaha techs. Team FishDancer was pleased to have one of the best of the best -  Arthur, a top Yamaha Tech who services both the SKA pros as well as the BASS tour participants.  The initial diagnosis was some sort of fuel supply problem and the fuel system was promptly reviewed.  New Racor fuel/water separators installed, a check of the mechanical fuel pumps revealed nothing unusual and the final step was replacing the anti-siphon valves at the fuel tank pick ups.  A quick sea trial and as Arthur indicated the engines ran "....like a scaled dog..."!! All was ready -- unfortunately it was about 6pm and the team has no bait as the day was spent trouble shooting the engines. Following a quick phone call to the bait man 3 dozen blue runners would be awaiting us at the dock at 5:15am -- ours for a mere $75 per dozen!!!  We thought gas prices were high ($2.37 per gallon at the dock and $2.04 at the gas station) - but had little choice so the deal was done.  The plan was to head some 27-30 miles South to 60-90 feet of water and get a good fish.  
    Once the 'blast off signal' was given the team headed S/SE into a 3-5' sea and began the trek to the fishing spot.  While on the way the engines began acting up a bit -- but the team made it to the spot and put out the lines.  Once the fishing began a phone call was made to Arthur who was diagnosing the problem for us on the water -- he asked us the run the ICW (aka the ditch) back but thought we would be OK fishing a full day.  With that the team was focused upon their tasks at hand.  As one of the lines began the framiliar zzzzzzzzzzzzziiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnggggggg  sound, the trio of seasoned anglers - Nancy, Jeff and Terry performed a perfect kingfish mambo and put a decent fish on the deck -- it was estimated at 25-28 pounds.  After a full day on the water the team made the long trek back the scale with the engine issue getting worse with each passing minute -- in fact the team was now in jeopardy of missing the weigh in cut off time.  With some luck, skill and pushing of the proverbial envelope, the team arrived at the scale and was pleased to find out the fish weighed 25.25 pound and had the team well positioned in 15th place for the second day of the professional aggregate event.  But much work would be needed to get the engines up to speed.  Arthur work miracles and replaced the electronic fuel pump - fixed a voltage issue and provided some encouragement to the team.  At 7:45pm as the sun was setting the FishDancer was running down the ditch at 54 MPH wit both Yamaha 250s growling like they were brand new. Thank you Arthur.  It was 9pm the boat needed to be cleaned, fueled, oiled and the tackle prepared for the next day's activities. The team decided to fish North where the tournament leading fish were caught.  The day progressed well and the team checked out a few inshore and offshore fish havens but a bite could not be found.  While the engines ran great and the team tried everything it knew to entice a strike it wasn't to be.  So after the first event of the season Team FishDancer has one decent fish on the board and now focus changes to the next event.    Thanks to the fine folks at Yamaha support, Loadmaster trailers and the SKA/Yamaha Pro Tour the team is on to the next stop -- Venice, La.  Calling the fish gods from the West Delta area.....

4.22.04 Even the best made plans of man are destined to go awry -- this thought is particularly true for most SKA angling teams.  Usually during any event a few things go in an unexpected or unanticipated direction and how the team reacts to these unexpected events can predetermine the outcome of the entire event, sometimes days or weeks in advance.  With 63 SKA kingfish tournaments under their belts the team is accustomed to adaptation to these unexpected events. One of 'Captain' Jeff's favorite sayings "...flexibility is the key" has -- once again -- become reality for the team. "THE" FishDancer and Captain Jeff had devised a plan to haul the boat down to Fort Pierce, get settled in and do some fishing and bait scouting this past weekend.  As the Greater Fort Lauderdale KMT was being held some 80 miles to the South the FishDancer team figured it could fish near Fort Pierce and North and combine the knowledge with that learned from the results of the Fort Lauderdale KMT and have a good idea of where bait and fish concentrations were for the upcoming Fort Pierce KMT.  All went well and the team has accomplished their objective -  but not exactly as planned.  Mother Nature had some ideas of her own this weekend.

The winds were blowing about 20mph from the east when the FishDancer stuck its bow outside of the Fort Pierce inlet.  Seas conditions were marginal -- with 4-6' stacked waves and larger swells rolling in on top.  Water conditions were dirty both Saturday and Sunday and the team decided not to beat up themselves or their equipment and decided to head south to watch the Fort Lauderdale KMT weigh in on Sunday.  The previous day some 65 teams battled high winds, blue water offshore and dirty water inshore and few fish as only 13 fish were weighed in.  A 38+ was leading caught on the Loose Lucy and 10th place was a 15+ pounder.  On Sunday the winds stiffened to the high 20s and the seas remained tall at 5-7'.  The weigh in saw a 44.89 pound fish brought to the scales by the Getcha' Some team -- this fish would eventually win the event and place the team atop the division ten standings with 90.33 points after two of five scheduled events.  After the weigh in the team expressed its desire to qualify for the 2004 SKA National Championships in Biloxi and they are well on their way.  Many of the teams fishing the Fort Lauderdale event ran more than 50 miles to fish and the conditions -- strong high pressure, winds, waves and bright sunshine seemed to bring all of the exogenous factors in line making the angling difficult.  The two days of fishing resulted in approximately 20 fish being weighed and will cause many teams fishing this weekend in Fort Pierce to review their current plans. Team FishDancer will look to bait up on Thursday and be ready to make the right decisions seeking two good fish.  As always they are calling the fish gods of the greater East Central and Southeast Florida areas to smile upon them.....stay tuned for more reports and a few pictures....

4.20.04 The SKA/Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour is all about results, there are no do-overs, gimmies nor mulligans. Every team that com