Liquid Fire Fishing Team wins the $40,000 First Place Prize in Yamaha Pro Tour Stop In Jensen Beach, FL!!
By Jack Holmes
Jensen Beach, FL—To say Mark Henderson was a happy camper is an understatement. His Liquid Fire Fishing Team of Chris Waters, Joshua Henderson and Crockett Henderson weighed a fourth place 39.55 on the first day of the second stop of the Yamaha Professional Kingfish Tour in Jensen Beach, Florida, then caught the biggest king of his life, a 50.56 on day two, for a 90.11 first place aggregate.
Let’s digress for just a moment. Thanks to Rob Ferris, the Liquid Fire Fishing Team was offered an opportunity to fish the new 23’ tournament edition Sea Craft a week before the tours kickoff event in Key West. The team agreed but wasn’t sure if they could compete for the rest of the year. The team finished 11th so they made the commitment to continue and Sea Craft, who was excited with their efforts, once again asked if he would fish another event with the boat. They agreed. It may be one of the best decisions he and the company ever made.
The North Carolina based Liquid Fire Fishing Team fished day one just north of the Loran Tower, 16 miles from the tournament site, in 75 to 85 feet of water. “We caught a lot of fish,” said Henderson who had four other fish on board each just larger than the next one. In fact many challenged his judgment on the one he weighed, thinking he left the biggest of the group on the dock. “She ate a blue runner trolled 62 feet down at 2 o’clock and we did weight the right king.”
The seas were every bit 3 to 5 foot on Friday, blowing out of the east and making the inlets very tricky, but everyone knew the weather man had predicted relatively calm seas on Saturday. He was wrong! Seas were even rougher with some saying they ran to 6 foot.
Finding the water to their liking at the Tower, the team went back to the same spot. “It was about the same time the biggest king we’ve ever caught ate a long lined blue runner,” Henderson went on to say. “Joshua, who caught the first days fish, did a great job on the 50 pounder. As soon as she came in the boat, I called Rob Ferris, who I learned was already at the dock, to tell him we had a slab and was coming in.”
“We couldn’t be more happy with the new Mercury powered Sea Craft” he added. “And to see my son Crockett on stage to win junior angler honors was an event the family will never forget.”
The Liquid Fire Fishing Team won the top prize of $40,000 plus picked up another $2,800 and a $3,700 Yamaha outboard in the Francis Langford event.
The best thing is that Sea Craft executives were on hand taking pictures at the dock and joining in the victory. It’ been a win, win, for all concerned and possibly the best roll out of a new model ever at Sea Craft. |
