Team Koldtogo wins Masters Division of Big Bend Saltwater Classic

A Mexico Beach charter boat captain led the Masters Division at this year's Saltwater Classic.  Team Ventafish out of Tallahassee led the recreational team division with 461 points.

Captain Chuck Guilford and Team Koldtogo won the Master's Division this year with 238 points. 

Guilford is a fourth generation charter boat captain from Mexico Beach who pilots the Charisma.  During the tournament, he fished on the Arrowhead a boat belonging to Langdon Flowers of Flower's Bakery. 

Flowers was a member of Team Koldtogo.

This year's tournament produced many new records, especially in the juniors Division.

Macey Musgrove's 3.85 pound flounder set a new high mark for the juniors.  Junior angler Judson Upshaw set a record with his 23.25 pound grouper.  Caleb Bickerstaff's first place King Mackerel set a junior's record at 28.15 pounds.  This is Bickerstaff's second big year in the tourney.  Last year he took first place in the Black Sea Bass category and fifth place for grouper. Trenton Fewox set a new junior's record with a 6.6 pound Spanish Mackerel.  Last year he took second place for a 1.25 pound whiting.

Ben Munroe broke his own recreational division record from last year with his 7.5 pound Sheephead.  This year he also won the jackpot money.  Last year he was not entered in the jackpot.  Clay Cantley set a tournament record for flounder in the recreational division with his 6.15 pound catch. 

Steve Petty won the $1,000 Big Ass Fish prize sponsored by Skybox Liquors for his 66.35 pound Wahoo.  This year for the first time, SeaTow offered an additional $1,000 for the biggest fish if the angler subscribed to SeaTow's emergency service.  Since Petty did not, the prize rolls over and, if next year's Big Ass Fish winner is a SeaTow customer, he or she will win an additional $2,000.

John Buckner of Tallahassee was this year's Bob Deaton Memorial Trophy winner.  The Deaton trophy is awarded each year to the angler who scores the most individual points.

Once again this year Century boats provided a boat as a door prize anglers entered in the Saltwater Classic.  The 1801 Center Console Yamaha with a 115 h.p. motor and a Magic Tilt trailer went to Alan Whitfield of Macon, GA.

The Saltwater Classic has become a family tradition for many fishermen and several families fished as teams this year.

The Vatter family had three generations on the water.  Grandpa Dave of Wakulla Station fished with son John and grandson Travis of Crawfordville.

The Hope family of Crawfordville also brought three generations to Carrabelle.  Daughter Brittany, who took fourth place for Black Sea Bass fished with her mom and dad, Leslie and Joe and her grandfathers Dale Hope of Crawfordville and Wayne Branlau who traveled down from South Carolina for the contest.

Proceeds from the Saltwater Classic benefit OAR, the Organization for Artificial Reefs, Inc. a private, 501(c) (3) nonprofit group of marine enthusiasts and artificial reef advocates based in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1985, OAR serves the recreational saltwater fishing industry of Florida's Big Bend Gulf Coast by promoting the professional development of public artificial reefs.