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Local teams sweep at tournament
By TERRY TOMALIN © St. Petersburg Times, published July 8, 2000 David Gause spent every day of the past two months searching for tarpon in Boca Grande Pass. "I wanted to be dialed-in when the tournament came around," the Tarpon Springs resident said. "I had a feeling it would pay off." Shortly before 9 a.m. Friday, Gause found his fish. "It only took 18 minutes to bring in," he said. "But I knew we had a winner." The 148-pound tarpon edged the early leader, a 147-pounder caught on the first day of the $228,000 Catch the King tournament. "There were still several hours left to fish, so we sat around sweating it out," said Gause, who won the event two years ago. "But I had told the guys the night before that we would be going home with a check in hand. Sure enough, we did." Gause and fellow anglers Aaron Diaz, Chris Carrere, Eric Obeck, Mike Davis and Steve Smith took home $77,422.50 of the purse. The second-place fish, caught by Richard Knox, a charter boat captain from Pasco County, was worth $53,437.50. The third-place tarpon, a 144-pounder caught by a Pinellas County team lead by Capt. Ray Van Horn, earned $23,617.50. The team of Dave Markett, a Tampa captain, took home $13,147.50 for its fourth-place catch and effectively shut out the Boca Grande guides from the competition. "It took us awhile to find a combination that worked," said Gause, who builds custom boats with his father in Pinellas County. "A jig with a chartreuse head and clear tail did the trick." There were 31 teams that paid the $5,500 entry fee for the tournament, which is a qualifying event for the Inshore Game Fish Association's Invitational Tournament of Champions in the Florida Keys in March. Gause and his crew will fish against 40 teams from around the world. Millers Marina, sponsor of Catch the King, has scheduled another high-profile event for 2001, the Mega Money Tarpon Tournament,which has a $1-million purse. Wednesday and Thursday, the Boca Grande Chamber of Commerce will host what is billed as the "world's richest" tarpon tournament. Last year, a 157-pounder caught by Linda Foster aboard the Miss Sarah paid $100,000.
 © St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved. 
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