On the Brink, a newly formed pro fishing team made up of Richmond Hill residents, broke a record and took first place in the Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) Yamaha pro Tour event in Jensen Beach, Florida earlier this month. They took home $65,000 in cash and prizes for the win.
The team’s 58.58 pound kingfish not only broke the Jensen Beach record, but it currently stands as the biggest kingfish on record caught by an amateur or professional so far this season.
"And I expect that record to hold up," Captain Kelley Clements said. "A 60 pound catch on a kingfish just doesn’t happen. We’ve been told we’re now in the running for SKA Angler of the Year."
Clements’ team is comprised of veteran pro fisherman Ellis Phillips, formerly of Double Gobble and King of Kings, Richmond Hill contractor Tracy Shaw, Michael Moseley, owner of Paul & Sons Auto Parts in Savannah and Rusty Rogers, who owns JR Rogers Construction Company and is also part of the Double J fishing team. Clements is the president of Brinks Home Security. This was the first time they all had fished together. They did so in Clements' brand new 38 foot, triple Verado powered Fountain, sponsored by Brinks, AT&T’s Real Yellow Pages and Gordon’s Storage.
"I’ve been looking for a fish like this for twenty years now," Phillips said. In addition to the top prize, Phillips was honored by the SKA at the event as Top Senior Angler.
Clements said their big catch came early during day two of the pro tourney. The team had some luck with a 38 pound catch in the Jupiter Beach area during day one, so they decided to return there the morning of day two. Less than two hours into it, and with only their second dropped line, On the Brink caught their prize fish.
"As soon as the fish hit the deck of the boat, we knew we were winners," Clements said. "It was the biggest kingfish any of us had ever seen. Michael fought the fish for about twenty five minutes after nearly dumping the reel. She went down and was really hard to get up."
Clements said the prize money from this event is more than enough to fund the remaining 12 pro tournaments this season. He said his rookie team is aiming to take both the Angler of the Year award as well as the top prize in the SKA National Championship, which takes place in Biloxi, Mississippi in November.