2007 Report & Summary

"Outlaw" Steals Miami

Team "Outlaw" with their brand new Contender

Sunday March 25, 2007 - Miami, FL - After two days of hard fishing only one team could claim the brand new Yamaha-powered Contender up for grabs in the inaugural Kingfish Masters.

Day 1 was a short day for "Outlaw." Their boat had a steering problem and they had to be towed back to the dock. Obviously, they did not weigh any fish. In fact, they weren't even sure if they could go out fishing on Day 2. With a simple hose fitting, they were back in business for Sunday's action.

Sunday saw subdued winds as all the teams left for a great day of fishing. Reports were brisk as the calmer winds allowed teams to run further and fish different areas. But there was a surprise dockside; "Outlaw" was back early... very early. At 11:00 am they returned and waited until the scales opened at 2:00 pm. Once the scales opened, they did not hesitate and walked up the red carpet with a heavy fish bag. On stage, they opened the bag and heaved out a slob 46.71-pound kingfish. They waited patiently as each team came to the scales and weighed-in. But none could top their catch. In the end, they stayed atop the leaderboard and won 1st Place.

"Team Concept" from North Carolina took 2nd place with a nice 40.05-pound king and "Native Son's" first day 37.29-pound fish rounded out the top three.

"This is the best SKA event I have been to," exclaimed Tommy Gates, captain of "Outlaw." "And I'm not just saying that because we won!" he added. Although their was a computer glitch which delayed the awards by an hour, the tournament was a complete success. Over 90 boats competed and all vowed to be back for the 2008 installment.

For complete standings of all teams, click here.

Day 1 Report

Saturday March 24, 2007 - Miami, FL - The weather in Miami was less-than-desirable. A steady dose of 20-knot winds kept all eyes and ears on the weather reports. The dire-hard spirit of the SKA and local Miami anglers could not be deterred as they all opted to head out and fish in the inaugural Yamaha/Contender Kingfish Masters.

94 teams joined the competition in this fledgling event. "There would have been over 130 boats," commented Marty Bistrong of Contender. "This is a spectacular turnout even considering the weather," he added. The dockside tournament headquarter was a beehive of activity. Sponsor tents, factory support trailers from Yamaha, Mercury, and the SKA plus food and drink tents lined the area which attracted hundreds of spectators. The on/off showers also kept things interesting dockside.

Slowly, teams came in to weight their quarry in a steady stream of boats. In the end, it was the team on "Native Son" who took the early lead with a 37.29-pound king.

Friends and family at home also enjoyed the activity with a real-time live video feed. Anyone interested in watching the weigh-in live can check out the live stream here.

Check the site for more updates and final standings on Sunday.

Standings as of Saturday, MAR 24, 2007, 6:27 pm

Complete Standings
Only top kingfish shown