2nd Annual Coastal Empire Kingfish Classic Tournament

From the Coastal Empire…as we embarked on the journey of bringing a tournament back to the Coastal Empire; Richmond Hill, Georgia to be exact, the thought never crossed any of our minds about what we would get out of it.  It was about fishing, the passion we all have for it, the idea that each and every one of us knew we could do something awesome at Fort McAllister!  Two separate clubs (and when I say separate, I mean sep-a-rated), both from Richmond Hill, did the unthinkable.  In 2011, the SKA presented the Fort McAllister Sport Fishing Club and the Offshore Outlaws Sport Fishing Club with an opportunity to bring fishing back to the Coastal Empire.  But we didn’t stop there.  With many of us knowing and having fished out of the Islands areas of Savannah, we contacted the Savannah Sport Fishing Club and to no-surprise, were greeted with enthusiasm to engage in our success.  When our premier event was over, we knew we had raised the bar!  For weeks and months, even at Nationals, and well into 2013…people were talking.  They were still excited about the success we had in 2012 and were ecstatic to see what was coming in 2013.  For us; the committee, the clubs, the sponsors, and the ever-hardworking volunteers, we merely enjoyed doing what we do all the time…and that is being a part of the fishing community and knowing we did something exciting for someone else.  You see…we focused on what would make a strong tournament, our Anglers.  If we don’t give back to the ones who make the event, there would be no event.  If we didn’t have a fun, exciting, and huge event…then we wouldn’t obtain the sponsors and help we have received.  And with out the Sponsors support…then we wouldn’t have the CEKC!  We are very excited about our event this year and we look forward to seeing you all very soon!                   Tight Lines – Holly Kesler 

We’re gearing up and getting ready…are you?

The date is set and it’s not changing! The Captain’s Meeting will be held on Friday, May 31 and ‘Fish Day’ will be June 1, 2013.  We know a lot of you may be wondering why we went from a late August date in 2012 to the first tournament of the year in 2013 and here’s why.  The Southern Kingfish Association (SKA as we all know it) works with each Division and the Tournament Directors at the end of every year, compiling tournament dates and working vigorously to provide each tournament the best possible date in their area.  When we were asked what date we would like to have for the 2nd Annual C.E.K.C.; we were given two dates to choose from, the end of August 2013 or the 1st of June.  While we understand June 1st is a little early for our area, we knew the end of August would definitely not be better.  Our Committee met and discussed the pros and cons of each date, determining the June 1st date to be the best.  For those of you who are not thrilled about the date, the best advice we can give is do your research and plan accordingly, ’cause the fish are out there and the competition will be fierce!  If you’re still in doubt, read the archived articles found on the SKA website www.fishska.com!

The Carl Demasi Sports Report aired Saturday, June 2, 2012.  Included in the lineup for the morning Radio Talk show was Holly Kesler (CEKC Tournament Coordinator).  Kelley Clements, CEKC Tournament Director, was contacted to do the interview.  Unfortunately, Mr. Clements was scheduled to be out-of-town and in a location unfriendly to cell service!  The show airs every Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. on local stations AM 1290 and FM 97.7.  The radio show may also be heard on the internet at http://www.newsradio1290wtks.com/main.html.

The Southern Kingfish Association (SKA) is proud to announce the addition of the Coastal Empire Kingfish Classic tournament to the Division 4 schedule, which includes the Georgia coastline. “We are proud to add this tournament to the other four and know tournament fisher people are excited also,” said SKA co-founder and Managing Partner Jack Holmes. “Georgia events came on board with us in ’91 and most of them are still with us today. We have a lot of SKA tournament fisher people who live in this area and fought hard to get an event in their back yard. This may just be the best event in the Georgia division. We know that a lot of effort has gone into the planning. We’re really excited.” For more information on the SKA and its tournament schedule go to www.fishska.com.