One of the smallest boats in the 2022 South Carolina Wahoo Series came home with the tournament's top prize of $35,000. Fish Sticks, a 23-foot Seacraft captained by Gifford Scott of John's Island, was the winning boat in the tournament that wrapped up April 17.
Virtually assured of a top-five finish after using two of their three fishing days, Scott and his crew headed offshore on April 11 for their final fishing day and caught a 71.6-pound wahoo that catapulted them to the top spot.
Fish Sticks is the winning boat in the 2022 S.C. Wahoo Series, landing this 42.7-pound wahoo on April 3. Pictured are Drew DeMasi (from left), Palmer Freshly and Kinley Durant. Provided/Capt. Gifford Scott
Fish Sticks' winning weight was 177.4 pounds in the tournament in which a team's two heaviest fish out of three days of fishing count toward the aggregate total. The crew landed a 105.8-pound wahoo on March 28, caught a 42.7-pound catch on April 3 before adding the fish that moved them ahead of Kalli Kat, captained by Larry Mullis or Ridgeville. Kalli Kat finished its' fishing on March 14 with 167.0 pounds, landing a 99.7-pound wahoo on its final day.
"You have to pick your days, and that's what this tournament is designed for. It worked out well this year," Scott said of being a small boat participant.
Scott, a 34-year-old fishing guide (scflatsfishing.com), has fished the S.C. Wahoo Series a number of years but only the last three in his 23 Seacraft. His crew members who rotated days on the boat during the competition included Drew DeMasi, Cotes Simons Jr., Joe Benton, Ethan Frye, Palmer Freshly and Kinley Durant.
"I thought this was one of the great heavyweight battles. They were fighting to the end. We had an outstanding year with some really nice fish," said S.C. Wahoo Series chairman Marc Pincus. The tournament had 162 entries.
Scott knew his team was in position to do well after their first fish day, March 28, when they boated the 105.8-pound wahoo, one of two hundred-pound wahoo caught during the tournament.
"It was not the nicest day in the world. I would call it moderate but tolerable," he said. "We got out there and had one hit trolling but didn't get it and then that one hit on a lure.
"The fish took a good bit of line so we had an idea it would be a nice fish. We haven't caught one that big ever, but we've caught some decent fish. Cotes was on the rod when we gaffed it and got it onboard," Scott continued.
"When that fish came up to the surface and we saw it, the whole boat went real quiet. Drew did a good job leadering the fish and Joe gaffed it. When we got it onboard, I think there was an additional 10 seconds or so of quiet disbelief, then excitement. It was pretty wild. We came right in and weighed it."
Scott said he had caught a 96-pound wahoo last year and knew it was in that size range "but to have it break 100 pounds was a real treat."
The second fish, a 42.7-pound catch on April 3, moved Fish Sticks into third place and Scott said he felt confident they would stay in the top 11 (who earned checks) but their total was still beatable.
April 11, Fish Sticks' final fishing day, started out windy with lots of competition.
"There were 69 boats that were fishing the tournament that day and that doesn't include other boats that were out there fishing, so it was pretty crowded," Scott said. "It was real busy with a lot of people trying to catch fish in a pretty small area. And the bite didn't last long for us."
They lost a fish early, checked their rig and then went back over the spot and got another hit which turned out to be the 71.6-pound fish. They fished a little longer and caught one more fish before heading to Toler's Cove to weigh their catch.
"It wasn't a super long fish, but a really fat fish, so it was kind of hard to judge. We were confident we would move up but weren't sure how high," Scott said. And, he added, even after finding out they had move into the top spot there still were other boats with an opportunity to catch them.
"I love the format. It's super competitive with different sized boats. We were in pretty good shape, but it's a pretty nerve-wracking tournament," Scott said.
Scott said one of the good things about fishing a smaller boat was they didn't burn as much expensive fuel as some of their bigger competitors.
In addition to the $35,000 grand prize, Fish Sticks earned an additional $4,000 for finishing second in the heaviest wahoo TWT (tournament within a tournament).
Second-place Kallie Kat won a total of $17,700.
The biggest winner was third-place finisher Reel Labor, captained by Mark Pate of Chapin, with 162.3 pounds, including the the largest wahoo in series history, 119.3 pounds. Reel Labor won a total of $45,500 – $10,000 for finishing third; $22,000 for winning the High Roller TWT (biggest fish in the tournament); $6,900 for winning the Wahoo TWT; and $6,600 for winning the First Day TWT.
Also finishing in the money were: It Ain't Easy, Jon Cameron, Murrells Inlet, 143.5, $7,000; Midnight Rider, Adam Brown, Murrells Inlet, 128.5, $5,500; The Cure, Clinton Beck, John's Island, 127.0, $4,000; Stranglehold, Chas Shiels, Statesboro, Ga., 119.1, $2,500; Riff Raff, Rob Holmes, Mount Pleasant, 113.1, $2,000; No Name, Ted Joye, Charleston, 108.2, $1,500; Stocks and Blonds, Michael Schiess, Pawleys Island, 107.5, $1,200; Fish Meister, Russell Spathold, Calabash, 107.4, $1,000.
Full Hookups out of Beaufort won the Mahi TWT and $7,900 with a 35.5-pound catch; High Yield took home $8,700 with a 31.9-pound blackfin in the Tuna TWT; and Mas Pescado won the Amberjack TWT and $3,000 with a 56.2-pound catch.
Kalli Mullis, aboard Kalli Kat out of Ridgeville, was the top youth (167.0 pounds) and top lady angler (99.7 pounds). Jack Walker, aboard Vitamin Sea, was the top senior with a 43.6-pound wahoo.
Daily big fish winners included: Day 1, Reel Labor, 119.3; Day 2, The Cure, 88.4; and Day 3, Swedish Fish, 71.4.
S.C. Mahi Series
The captain's meeting for the 2022 S.C. Mahi Series (scmahiseries.com) will be held from 1-4 p.m. April 30 at the Pioneer Boat Factory, located at 208 Upchurch Lane in Walterboro.
Fish days are May 1-28, with boats allowed to choose two fishing days and weigh two mahi (dolphinfish) each day. A boat's two heaviest dolphin count toward the $15,000 winner's prize.
Charleston Inshore Anglers
The Charleston Inshore Anglers' 29th annual "Big Ed" Sheepshead Tournament will be fished April 30. The captain's meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. April 28 at American Legion Post 147, located at 968 Folly Road. The weigh-in also will take place at Post 147 from 4-5 p.m. April 30. The entry fee for the tournament is $40. Contact Kevin Mischke at 843-324-1006; Nick Kvestad at 843-557-2811 or Gene Broderick at 843-224-6826.
America's Boating Club
America's Boating Club Charleston will hold boating safety classes April 30 and May 14 at 1376 Orange Grove Road, Charleston. Classes begin at 9 a.m. and end around 4 p.m. Successful participants earn the S.C. Department of Natural Resources Boater Education Card. The cost is $25 for adults and youth 12-18 are free. Call 843-312-2876 or email dauntlessness.
