A week prior to the US Open King Mackerel Tournament, I happened to cross paths with Corey Durako of the Blew By U! Fishing Team in front of Lowes grocery and congratulated him on his large wahoo catch earlier this year. We discussed the upcoming US Open KMT and the possibility of sharing tips to help anglers in their quest for a winning/placing king mackerel tournament fish. Corey was in the midst of preparing to make his attempt at landing the Blew By U! Team on the leader board, and I could feel his excitement about his chances, as well as sense his love of competitive fishing events like US Open KMT and SKA events.
Here are Coreyâs tips for success. The team starts out by catching bait early in the week to start a process called âcuringâ pogies. They use a 12-foot cast net and catch a number of pogies, placing them directly into a holding pen called a âBWC Penâ on the side of the boat. This keeps the boat clean and the pogie feces out of the well which can definitely hurt them. Next, they remove the largest baits from the pen and save them for fishing at their own slip or dock. Having some of the hardiest baits for fishing is always a positive advantage to increasing your catch, and not having to catch bait after check out also allows for more fishing time. Thus, youâll have some of the first hooks in the water.
Corey believes that pre-fishing is one of the most important steps to success. The team will fish spots where they have caught fish in past years and look for a hot bite or quality fish, in the 20-pound range, heading into tournament morning. This helps to avoid chasing fish by radio or phone because your confidence can be eroded by not testing your gear or equipment or locating fish a few days prior to the tournament. Pre-fishing and confidence in your boat and equipment help to equal success. The Blew By U! Fishing Team is backed by Mercury Marine, Onslow Bay Boatworks and Intercoastal Floors.
Equipment+preparation+pre-fishing = SUCCESS (eventually):
In following up with Corey after the tournament, I learned the team had caught over 35 fish including five 30-plus pounders during tournament days, with a 36.65 pounder placing them 7th out of 425 boats.
Following are the results for the Top Ten US OPEN KMT Finishers:
1. 47.05 lbs Second Chance / John E. Lewis
2. 45.90 lbs Nauti Lady / Boyce Broadwell
3. 39.55 lbs Rough Book / Brian Malcom
4. 39.25 lbs Lightard Knot / Don H. Boldin
5. 38.65 lbs Knot Work / Jerry Swain
6. 37.15 lbs Dixie Minner / Charles Osborne
7. 36.65 lbs Blew By U! / Corey Durako
8. 35.45 lbs Do Work / Rick Beck
9. 35.20 lbs.Team Searious / James Haas
10. 35.05 lbs Mini Magoo / Joel William Henry