Beach and from Fort Pierce, Mike Faurot, Mike Carter, Chris Nelson and Danny Mariano.
By Ed Killer for CAM
The seventh annual Frances Langford Memorial Fishing Tournament switched to a new venue in downtown Jensen Beach, but drew just 31 boats. Aboard most were specialists in catching big kingfish as the event was sanctioned by the Southern Kingfish Association. Most anglers that topped the leader board reported a good solid bite in the 100 feet of water off Juno Beach where they were able to encounter several kings over 40 pounds and some pretty plump blackfin tuna as well.
Team Knot Scared of Fort Pierce, in need of a boat before the event, teamed up with Leon Wilcox of Royal Palm Beach Saturday to find the 49.62-pound winning kingfish. With Wilcox, is Mike Carter, Mike Faurot, Chris Nelson and Joey Mariano.
“We were in about 110 feet of water off Jupiter when that fish ate a live blue runner fished on a kite line,” said Carter, who was the angler on the fish. “We had four or five good fish and had plenty of action all day complete with sharks and bonitos and more.”
Faurot said the team owed its win to supporters such as M & M Marine, Interstate Batteries of Palm City, Nelson Family Farms in Fort Pierce and, most of all, Wilcox.
“We couldn’t have done it without them,” he said.
Billy Wummer of West Palm Beach led the well-known Spiced Rum II tournament team to a close second in the kingfish category with a 47.68-pounder, but believed it to be a much greater deficit from what he heard the winning fish was supposed to weigh. Angler Sherrie Bestwick reeled in the big king and also was on the rod for the tournament-best 27.35-pound blackfin tuna. Spiced Rum is sponsored by Admiral Nelson’s rum, Tito’s Vodka, Gill Media, Tuppen’s Marine, Latham Marine, Contender Boats and Yamaha Outboards. Joining Wummer and Bestwick were Bestwick’s son Wayne and Freddie Joseph.