Gulf fishing team wins local tournament with a pair of giant red snapper

Over 20 boats ventured offshore during last weekend’s Suncoast Snapper Slapper tournament out of Marina Jacks in Sarasota.

And with it, a beautiful few days of weather, allowing some to head deep in the multi-day, multi-species fishing tournament. The goal for teams was to get the biggest snapper species as well as a few other species they could enter in separate divisions. The biggest in each would bring home a nice cash prize.

Team Big Nasty and Captain Derek Molle had their focus set on red snapper first. Molle and the team have been busy fishing in four tournaments over the past few months, each one providing a different challenge, one of which is the time requirements for Molle.

“It may be a three-day and two-night tournament, but it’s more than that,” said Molle, who is also an inshore charter captain. “It’s getting all the rods rigged, catching bait, prepping before the tournament. Then after you’re coming back to weigh in, and then after the weigh in, you’re cleaning the boat and cleaning fish. It’s a long time away from family.”

For this tournament, Captain Derek once again joined Rob Davenport aboard Davenport’s 42-foot Freeman. Leaving after a shotgun start early Thursday, their first stop was 140 miles offshore, a trip made quick in the calm seas aboard the fast 42-foot Freeman. When they started fishing, Captain Derek used a variety of baits and tackle, with some of their fish coming on Slow Pitch jigging setups.

“We wanted to focus on red snapper first since that was the main division,” Derek said. “We went straight for them and got some good ones, thinking they might be tournament winners. At that point, we stopped red snapper fishing.”

With their main focus solidified, the team went to catch other species for the tournament.

“We tried to fill other categories, but they weren’t quite big enough to be tournament placers. We headed way south to get mutton snapper and got on them pretty good, but just not the big ones,” Derek explained.

“The bite was slow Thursday night. Friday, we went out deep to get some queen snapper and we did, just not the big ones we needed,” he added. “We got a really cool Warsaw grouper, though, and a 20-pound kitty mitchell grouper, but they just barely weren’t big enough to place.”

Back at the scales Saturday, after two and a half days of fishing, the team saw a few other quality fish weighed in.

Team Plan B would take the tuna division with a 20.5-pound blackfin tuna. Team Carl Black would weigh in the largest wahoo at 42 pounds.

Team Pipe Layer would wow the crowd with a 61.2-pound black grouper while Limitless would weigh in an 85-pound Warsaw grouper.

Derek and Team Big Nasty would bring their pair of big red snapper to the scales. With the big one at almost 28 pounds and another at 25 caught by Crystal Davenport, their pair placed first and would bring home $4,700 for the combination and $1,400 for the biggest single fish. They also had a side bet of $3,000.

But with all the venturing around they did, the team used 1,100 gallons of fuel.

“Each team member got $180 after covering expenses,” the captain said with a laugh. “But we don’t do this for money. It’s a great time fishing with great people for fun.”