Carolina cold front
Adverse weather set to arrive by early afternoon
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. – If it’s any consolation, yesterday was the perfect day to sample the mackerel-rich coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. But for Walmart FLW Kingfish Tour anglers, the season’s final qualifier begins today.
Complete with blue-bird skies, Thursday’s high temperature was a balmy 85 degrees. Day one of the three-day tournament commenced Friday under pleasant conditions as well, but a cold front is on the way. By mid-afternoon the Chamber of Commerce weather will be replaced with showers. The expected high temperature for day two is only 61 degrees.
That being said, the situation is the same for everyone, and the circumstances have not dampened spirits. Catching one solid fish early today could very well be enough to make the final round of five boats.
Capt. Cecil Holcomb of Team Reel Destruction is well aware of the pending cold front. He said the fishing in the area has been good, and the tournament’s best fish will likely be caught in the next eight hours. The seas will be calm for most of the day today, which could lead to some long runs.
“It’s that time of the year,” said Holcomb. “I really think there will be a 50(-pounder) and maybe even a 60 caught today. It’s been that good.”
Holcomb’s Raleigh, N.C.-based team said most of the bigger fish will come from north and east of the takeoff in Wrightsville Beach. Some teams will run to Morehead City, and some will even trek 150 miles each way to Hatteras.
“That area is known as the East Side. The big fish are definitely there. But if you stay here, you can be fishing in 30 minutes and try your luck with seven hours of fishing instead of three.”
In addition to the tournament at hand, many teams are still searching for valuable points that could give them a berth into the no-entry-fee FLW Kingfish Tour Championship held in Biloxi, Miss., Nov. 11-14. Remember, no fish equals no points.
One team to keep an eye on would be Team Hooligan, lead by Capt. Joe Winslow. Winslow and crew won the 2006 event held out of Southport, N.C., as well as the 2007 Kingfish Tour Championship. Team Slip N Slide, led by Capt. Tom Aberle, also looks like an early favorite. Hailing from nearby Wilmington, 
N.C., Aberle and his crew have four top-10 finishes – including a victory at Venice, La., in 2005 and a second-place finish at the 2005 Morehead City qualifying event.
Logistics
Teams will take off from Seapath Yacht Club located at 330 Causeway Drive in Wrightsville Beach at 7 each morning. The scales will open at 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and will be held at the Seapath Yacht Club. Sunday’s final weigh-in will take place at 4:45 p.m. at the Seapath Yacht Club.
The full field will compete Friday and Saturday then be cut to the top five teams for Sunday. Winners are determined based upon the heaviest kingfish from Friday or Saturday plus the heaviest kingfish from Sunday.
The winning team earns $40,000 cash. If the team captain is the original owner of a Hydra-Sports, Scarab, Seaswirl or Wellcraft boat that is used during the tournament, the team also receives a $30,000 bonus. Additionally, if the winning captain is the original owner of a qualifying Yamaha or Evinrude outboard that is used during the tournament, the team will receive another $30,000 bonus for a total award of $100,000.
Every team that receives weight credit in a tournament earns points that determine final standings. Two hundred points are awarded to the winner, 199 points for second, 198 points for third, and so on. The top 50 teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 7:19 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 60 degrees
Expected high temperature: 77 degrees
Seas: 4-5 feet
Wind: NE at 9 mph
Maximum humidity: 72 percent
Day’s outlook: partly cloudy with afternoon showers