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Jay Mastry is in the money again with a win in the Boaters World Tournament of Champions and the Clearwater Crown KT, both held last weekend at the Island Way Restaurant in Clearwater. Debra Gell, fishing on Mastry's Jaybird, carried a 37.73-pound king mackerel to the scales Saturday and held the lead for the two-day event.
Weather was a factor in where Mastry chose to fish. Saturday winds reached nearly 30 knots, and a strong line of storms moved through our area in the early morning. The leeward side of Skyway bridge was a safer haven for his crew to begin its search. At noon the king took a ladyfish that was set back on a long flat line. The fight took Gell nearly 45 minutes to win as the king had stuck a hook high on its head, making it difficult to recover line. The Jaybird drifted nearly 3 miles from the bridge in the strong current and wind before the fish was subdued.
Rob Campbell and Dave Travis on the Bay Pines Marina team boat were rewarded with a 37.62-pound king, good for second place. They were fishing less than 200 yards from where the Mastry team found its winner. Ladyfish also was the bait, but the fight lasted only 15 minutes.
Third place went to Tim Colvard (36.18) and fourth to Tommy Pease (35.66).
There were 216 boats entered with payouts to 40th place. Ninety fish were weighed.
- To get in touch with Larry Blue, call (727) 397-3773 or send him an e-mail, CaptLBlue@aol.com