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By LARRY BLUE
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 30, 2001
It's an honor to wear the title of King of the Beach. The Old Salt's Tournament drew 335 fishing teams trying to take home that award.
Saturday morning somewhere off Blind Pass Drop, on Gary Haag's boat Haagar, Larry Carr and his teammates may have been thinking about taking home that title when he heard his reel sing out from the strain of a big king mackerel. Thirty-five minutes later, Sama Ramadan stuck the gaff in Carr's fish. The 38.24-pound king was more than adequate to take first prize of $10,000, Calcutta prize money of $7,650, the tournament trophy and the coveted title King of the Beach.
Johnny Wood said he had a one-bite, one-fish day. Nothing wrong with that, because it was good enough for second place and a check for $5,500. Wood found his king mackerel (33.52) just off Egmont Key.
The anglers on Hammer Um went farther offshore to catch a third-place fish, about 103 miles to the Middle Grounds. Brian Alstrom led Dave Monda to his 30.58-pound king.
Denise Holloway's 7.80-pounder was worth $1,000, first prize for Split-tails in the women's division.
Cody Chevis, 12, on Island Way, held on to the youth angler position with a 21.40-pounder.
A boat motor and trailer went to the 10th-place finisher, Bull Gator's Ron Berdell, whose fish weighed 27.38.
Eighty-six fish were weighed in and the tournament paid out to 25th place.
This week is the Treasure Island Charities' Suncoast Kingfish Classic at Gators on the Pass, John's Pass.
- To report tournament information, contact Capt. Larry Blue at (727) 397-3773 or email him at CaptLBlue@aol.com.