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[Aggie 81]

Got it. I'm waiting for the rest of the story.
_________________
Aggie 81'

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."
Steve Prefontaine

[gulftrout]

[gulftrout]

We tie the boat up and Frank and I head down to the weigh in. Within 30 minutes or so a few boats start to trickle in to the weigh in at Dolphin Docks. Most of the early boats are outboards and probably weekend warriors. No one is bringing in anything exceptional. There is an occasional fish brought in that is getting close to 30 lbs. but none as big as either of my two largest. With 20 minutes left until the final weigh in I head down back to the dock to untie the "Bold Venture" and I will finally get to see what our three 'Greenbacks" weigh. As I am leaving the slip I see Culpepper entering the Port Aransas Harbor. I figure I will slip in behind him and see what he has before I unload my catch. Much to my surprise he slowly idles past Dolphin Docks straight down the Deep Sea Headquarters to tie his boat up for the day. When I back into the weigh in slip at Dolphin Docks there is only five minutes until the cut off time. I notice Captain Bil has arrived and is probably curious to what I have to weigh in. When we are securely tied to the dock I hop down and lift the lid of the cooler. I pull what I figure will be the best one out and Frank grabs the other two. When mine is placed on the scales the weight dial stops at 38! The weight is recorded and that fish is removed. Frank then sets the second largest one on the scale at it weighs 37 Lbs. I start to get excited when I see this. Up until this point no one has even come close to knocking Captain Bil off the largest stringer award. At this time all three fish are placed on the scale and the final total is 103 lbs. I let out a yell as Bil looks on with a disgusted look on his face. He still wins the heaviest fish of the tournament but as Captain Jim Harmon had told me several times, "Anyone can luck into one large fish, but the true test of being the true winner is bringing in the largest stringer!!!

[gulftrout]

Here is a picture of the largest Kingfish that has ever been landed on a boat I was running. Over a 17 year career, luck would have it that Sidney "Sparky" Sparks would have this honor of being the angler that landed the fish. Pictured is the 58 lb. "King" Sparky caught on May 22, 1987.

[gulftrout]

Here is a picture of the Deep Sea Roundup record for kingfish. This record held for many years and was brought to the docks by Captain Tom Buckner. This fish weighed 51.4 lbs. The angler was Sam Mitchell.

[gulftrout]

Here is a picture of Sidney "Sparky" Sparks holding his tournament winning kingfish that was brought to the dock aboard the "Sparky" during the "52nd Annual Deep Sea Roundup" in 1987. There was a cash prize of 1000.00 dollars and "Sparky" donated that money right back into the Port Aransas Boatman's Scholarship fund for a deserving high school student. His award winning catch was featured on the front cover of the 53rd Annual Deep Sea Roundup cover. When I found out "Sparky" was going to be on the cover of the 53rd Roundup Annual, I can honestly say that was my proudest moment ,even to this day of any of my fishing or guiding accomplishments! The first year I ran the "BILLBUSTERS" the angler that chartered the boat was the overall Deep Sea Roundup Champion. He won this award with the largest Ling and second largest Kingfish. He won a bronze sculpture of a "Tail Walking Sailfish". Him winning that award was nice, but to have "Sparky" win this award made me feel like all the money he paid me over a seven year period was well earned!

[gulftrout]

One last picture for tonight Here is Sparky accepting his award during the award ceremony. I was not there. I had left the island for the day long before this time, to grab a little sleep and get ready for the charter the next day. He loved to be the center of attention and I can only imagine the award winning speech he gave that night.

[Aggie 81]

Enjoyed the story. Thanks.
_________________
Aggie 81'

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift."
Steve Prefontaine

[gulftrout]

Sparky liked his "Colorado Cool-aid"!

[gulftrout]

Who ever said there were no big snapper back in the early 90's, did not know what they were talking about! Notice the "BILLBUSTERS" cap. After seven years as captain aboard the "Sparky," I was finally on another "Ride."

[gulftrout]

There is a 39 lb wahoo hanging from the rack in the center of the picture. I sight casted to that little rocket with an ABU 5500C with 20 LB Trilene Big Game line from the bridge. I handed the rod down to the deck and it took a while, but Bob Burke finally got it to the boat.(Bob sure looks winded in this picture) Sparky commented, "Strange looking kingfish." Also in the picture is Sparky's son "Harvey Sparks and my deck hand that year, "Mark Bauer." If Mark sees this, "I apologize!"

[shallowsport]

Maximized that story. Really liked the vintage pictures. Good job GT.

[richard moreland]

Gulftrout
is this the sidney sparks that lived alice.

[gulftrout]

[gulftrout]

Check out this picture of the "Port Aransas Boatmen" from the annual this year. On the front row, 2nd from the left is Captain Cliff Strain". This is the same Cliff Strain that just won a very special award from his teaching career here at Flour Bluff High School.(I think he is at Flour Bluff ISD) I'm pretty sure at the time of this picture he was either not a teacher yet or had just became one. I remember the second year I was running the "Sparky" I had decided to give the boat a major bottom overhaul to remove the small blisters that had developed in the gelcoat of the bottom of the boat. This is very common and they had just come out with a material that was supposed to fix this problem once and for all. Well, I was talked in to getting the bottom sand blasted to remove all the old bottom paint instead of grinding it off. I almost threw up when I saw the bottom of the "Sparky" after the sandblasting. Cliff was working for "Half-Fast" Boat works doing any and everything Bob Dubose needed done. He looked at the hull and commented, "Don't worry I'll fix this mess. He completely saved the day with his hard work in repairing the damage done by the sandblasters.