Jacksonville, FL – October 17, 2005 – In beautiful weather this weekend 170 paddlers participated in the 2nd Jacksonville Kayak Fishing Classic. With over $30,000 in prizes and gifts awarded, the Classic is the world’s largest and most lucrative kayak fishing tournament to date. The catch-photo-release charity event is run by www.JaxKayakFishing.com, Jacksonville’s kayak fishing community. Over $7500 was raised for Jacksonville children's charities Daniel Memorial, Dignity-U-Wear, and the Hooked-On-School Scholarship Fund.

First place in the Malibu Kayaks slam was won by Frank Gregg of Jacksonville with a 55.5” total that included a 19.5” red, 17.5” trout, and an 18.5” flounder. Gregg, aka the Mayor of Chicopit, prevailed over Blake Beltz by a half inch in his second kayak fishing competition. Don Zagorski and Capt Roger Bump followed in 3rd and 4th places with 53.5”. For his win Gregg took home a fully-rigged Malibu X-Factor kayak and a Vaughn Cochran kayak slam framed print.

Although over 45 entrants came from outside northeast Florida, Jacksonville natives took most of the honors in the biggest fish divisions. Local Donald Sitterson, with a 28” fish, won the Strike-Zone Fishing Biggest Red. Matthew Raybould took the Black Creek Outfitters Biggest Trout with a 21.4” trout. The Dick’s Sporting Goods Biggest Flounder category went to Bob Bandy with a 20.5” flattie.

Rob Benardo of Ponte Vedra Beach took the Salty Feather Biggest Red-On-Fly with a 23” fish, and Bryan George of Palm Coast took honors in the Black Fly Outfitters Biggest Trout-On-Fly with a 19.8” trout. Ryan Jones won the Strike-Zone Fishing Mystery Fish with a 6lb sheepshead. In other fun activities Scott Foley won the Best-Dang-Tackle-Box raffle and Jerry Vojtush won a Malibu Extreme fishing kayak in the raffle.

Many notable anglers participated in the event, including FLA Lure-Angler-of-the-Year Bob Morris and Capt. Roger Bump, both regulars on the FLW Redfish tour. Morris took 4th in the biggest redfish in his first yakfishing competition. “It was definitely an eye-opening experience going after a slam in a kayak. When I caught my red I wasn’t exactly ready for the ride he took me on, and got several lines tangled up while landing him. It was a blast and I can’t wait to do it again.”

Special thanks to the over 70 sponsors behind the Jacksonville Kayak Fishing Classic including: Strike-Zone Fishing, Malibu Kayaks, Dick's Sporting Goods, BlackCreek Outfitters, Salty Feather, Black Fly Outfitter & Fine Art Gallery, Temple Fork Outfitters, Berkley, Abu Garcia, Fenwick, Spider, Stren, Great Atlantic Outfitters, Costa Del Mar, BillyStix Custom Fishing Rods, Rising Fish, Mirrolure, Ft. George Island Surf Shop, Backwater Fishing Adventures, Crack of Dawn, Bending Branches, MTI, Surf To Summit, XTOOLS, Shimano, Outdoors Show, All Wet Sports, Outfitter’s Mapping, BullFrog, Thrifty Outdoors, SeAirSports, Evolution Rods, Jack Link's Beef Jerky, DOA Lures, Malone Auto Racks, CCA, Cannon’s B&T, Capt Dick Enterprises, Gene’s Seafood, Sticky Fingers, Kayak Amelia, Lotus Designs, Army Navy Outdoors, Creative Feathers Studio, B&M Bait&Tackle, Fishing-Connection, Onshore-Offshore, Talic, RAM, Fiddler's Green, SW Cowboy's, Creekside Dinery, Polar Bear Coolers, Lipper Tools, Florida Kayak Fishing, Centre Street Café, Carlisle Paddles, Extrasport, Otter Box, Scotty, Calcutta, Key West Paddle Sports, Kayak Fishing Stuff, Brown’s Creek Fish Camp, Hook1, Daiichi Hooks, GearKeeper, Eagle Claw, Arlington Bait&Tackle, MegaBait, Lowrance, Tsunami, Pier 17 Marine, Pelican, Coastal Kayak Fishing, All KayakFishing.

Strike-Zone Fishing Biggest Red
1st - Donald Sitterson – 28”
2nd - Scott Hallet – 27.25”
3rd - Michael Shannahan – 26.4”
4th - Bob Morris – 25”

Black Creek Outfitters Biggest Trout
1st - Matthew Raybould – 21.4”
2nd - Jeff McLaughlin – 21”
3rd - Layton Braddock – 18.8”
4th - Steve Totten – 18.5”

Dick’s Sporting Goods Biggest Flounder
1st - Bob Bandy – 20.5”
2nd - Thomas Webb - 19.3”
3rd - Greg Chapman – 17.2”
4th - Shane Edgar – 16.9”

Salty Feather Biggest Red-On-Fly
1st - Rob Benardo – 23”
2nd - Greg McCarthy – 21.5”

BlackFly Outfitters Biggest Trout-On-Fly
1st - Bryan George – 19.8”
2nd - Scott Brown – 17.5”

HoosierPaddler’s Best-Dang-Tackle-Box
Scott Foley

Strike-Zone Fishing Mystery Fish
Ryan Jones – 19” Sheepshead

Malibu Extreme Raffle Prize
Jerry Vojtush