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SAO / BD / ProFishionals make it to the Jim Beam Cup Champ

Daddy Dave

Well-known member
Yesterday was a milestone for our ProFishionals Team TA Mahoney / Tire Kingdom. We were doing our best to hook giant tarpon in Boca Grande Pass and qualify for the Jim Beam Cup Championship round of professional tarpon fishing.

On Saturday, the Professional Tarpon Tournament Series championship field was winnowed from 50 to 25 boats and our team squeaked in at #25. Sweltering heat, huge hammerheads and ravenous packs of bull sharks separated hooking a tarpon from landing one. Testosterone was flowing freely as 50 teams tried to fish the same tarpon hole and be one of the few to actually place a release gaff in a silver king.

We released a 130# class fish early on and pulled on 7 others without getting another one boatside. The single release was just enough to get us into the 25 boat eleimination round on Sunday.

Yesterday, we weighed a 137# early, after avoiding two different bull shark attacks. Then, we released a 100# male that spewed sperm all over our boat. Just before the incoming tide started to rip, we hooked another wild male and fought him 40 minutes to the release gaff. He weighed 116# and was barely enough to put is into #4 and the top 5 @ 253# combined for today's PTTS Jim Beam Cup final round.

Please wish us luck this morning....7 - 10 am - and see if you can spot the SAO decal on SunSports when this all airs.
 
Good Luck Dave.

I could not have used the visual of tarpon sperm being spewded on over the boat & its occupants.

I'll watch for you next Sunday night!!! :lol:
 
Best of luck BIG DADDY, me and the boy will be lookin for on Sunshine Network!!!!!!
We need to find some shark repellant for you, maybe take a couple of them snowbirds to throw in as a chew toy to get'em off your poons!!!
Marshrat
 
Well Folks, the smoke has cleared and T A Mahoney / Tire Kingdom / SAO ProFishionals fought our way from 25th on Saturday to a 2nd Place Overall finish in the 2007 PTTS today.

Wild times in the pass...we pulled in 18 tarpon from 7 am until 10 am. Jose was responsible for 6 hookups, Super Jen hooked 5 and Dalan put steel to seven. Sharks ate 6 of them...including one by a massive hammerhead. We legal released three, broke 3 others off on purpose becasue they were small. We caughta 130# class fish early and released it because it would not win the event...we needed a 154#....

With 9 minutes to go, Dalan hooked his final fish. It ran the gauntlet of boats in the Pass, wrapped up with four other hooked fish, never showed itself until we were in sudden death overtime...then a single back flash told us it was over 100#....we finally got a barbless release gaff into the silver king 15 minutes into overtime and tagged him up. The scales stopped at 111...enough for us to clearly claim 2nd place....

On top of all that, My son Dalan, the Marine, proposed on camera to Super Jen at the awards celebration.....

Got me a CHECK, a trophy and another TROPHY on the line. What a Day....!!!
 
Well Capt., Congratulations. I guess your guide rates just went up. And you are worth it. What I great time I have had fishing with you. There is nothing like Tarpon in the Pass with Capt. Dave.
I bet your ready for some stick time in the flat bottom though.

Bob
 
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