the
90s THE CLASS OF 23'
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We finally settled on 23 feet as opposed to 25 feet but we asked the industry if LASS OF we could adopt 23 foot boats but measuring it by waterline. We didn’t want them giving us a 21 footer with a bracket and pulpit and calling it a 23 like they’ve done too many times. We also wanted boats that could accommodate twin engines for safety purposes. If boats were traveling relativity long distances offshore they should have two motors for safety purposes. Those who opted to fish close to shore could still use one big block. Donzi was the first to market. Mike Collins from Donzi and their sponsored fishing team worked hard on the project. They introduced a beautiful 23 footer at the Miami International Boat Show complete with a pair of 200 horsepower Mercurys. It carried a price tag of $72,000 and many of the other boat builders scoffed at the
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s boats continued to get larger and larger, many of our members who chose to continue fishing smaller boats felt they were outclassed. Maybe they were, but statistics proved that was totally not the case. They were still winning events, however their numbers were dwindling and boat prices were going up and up. I contacted the boat manufacturers who were sponsors at the time. I indicated that our intent was to develop a class for the small boats and were open to suggestions. After about six months passed they thought that if they were to develop models for this class, which was costly, we needed to set guidelines for their development. I spent some time talking with various members of the SKA who ran these boats. First, we had to develop a length, second, the size of motor or motors, and third, capacity of fuel and size of the teams. I got a lot of information but it wasn’t easy. Geographic areas came into play. Some areas needed only a single engine to compete because distance wasn’t a consideration but in other areas it was the opposite.
id i so much. h idea off a 23 ffooter costing Remember, most of their 23 footers were really 21 or 22 footers. They quit scoffing when Donzi sold fourteen of them that week in Miami. It was now a race among the other builders to develop a model for our market. Some, like Contender, had already started and it wasn’t long before their model exploded on the market and became the number one brand. You must remember that they have a superb dealer network with most of their dealers fishing with us. If you look at the roster of Class
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off 23 teams iit bbecomes apparent that they embraced the formation. It was quite a different story with the tournaments. It took two years before they all signed on to offer Top of page: cash and prizes Sid Steverson, George Summerlin, Danny for the class. I Duncan, Billy McNeely, had to do a lot Bill McNeely, John of lobbying plus Zalud, and William Higgins. the members worked heavily Above: on their part. I Johnny Gay was even dropped an our first Class of 23 Champion. event for nonANGLER | May 2010
compliance, but it was for the teams who fished smaller boats. Starting in 1999 we even separated the Open Class and the Class of 23 at the Championship. It was the first time each class was competing for its own title plus cash and prizes. The Champions since ‘99 are: 1999 Johnny Gay 2000 Danny Duncan 2001 Jerry Dilsaver 2002 David Lau 2003 Robert Olsen 2004 Stephen Barfoot 2005 Stan Jarusinski 2006 Jeremy Bonnell 2007 Mitch Mosley 2008 Randall Edens 2009 Rick Croson Jr. Up until 2008 the Class flourished. Then the recession took its toll. However, we still had naysayers. Fisher people, who for whatever reason, believed that if they had a 21- or 22-footer with a single engine they were at a horrible disadvantage. Why wasn’t the Class made for single engines only? Or some other excuse, but when I would ask them, “What’s the difference between a 21 or 22 footer in the Class of 23 compared to a 25 or 27 competing against the 33 to 37 footers in the Open Class?” No one could ever answer me. From time to time you still see posts on web site chat rooms saying they don’t join SKA because they don’t like the rules. Yet even with tournaments adopting SKA rules for their events, it’s really about Class of 23. Very few ever realized that if you want to play and pick up sponsors, there had to be a reason for them to play. Selling boats, motors, trailers, electronics, and tackle was that reason. If we didn’t buy their products, there was no reason for them to participate. I remember when Triton came out with a beautiful Class boat and a few guys bought them. Not many, but remember they weren’t on board with us. Within six months the dealers had convinced Triton management that calling it a 23 made the boat too pricey. They changed it to a 24 under dealer pressure. The dealers didn’t get it because they weren’t tuned in to competitive fishing. I still get calls from time to time from people who buy or own the 24 wanting me to allow it in the Class. I haven’t allowed it. Their mistake; their loss. I still think had they come on board with us they would have sold a hundred or more boats. May 2010 | ANGLER
The BASS association used to have a motor and boat size limitation but changed that and the marine industry flourished. In fact, they had a cap size of 150 horsepower on their boats. When they changed to big blocks the manufacturers couldn’t sell a 150. Now BASS proposes to go to another class for fisher people who use the old standard, another way to help their sponsors and the fishermen at the same time. To this day some fishermen just don’t get it, but they still fish the tournaments without being a member, still taking advantage of our hard work. We even have anglers fishing the Pros in a Class boat. Mark Henderson won the 2008 Angler of the Year title and he fished part of that season using a Class boat before he got his new Contender. Let’s not forget Randall Edens or Captain Stanman either. There are a whole lot of great Class fishermen. Henderson got a call from Rob Ferris to come fish a new 23’ Sea Craft for the factory in the Key West Pro event in ’08. After finishing tenth, they asked him to fish thee h, boat in Jensen Beach, which he did and won the event. Then for whatever reason they pulled the boat. n Mark went on to win Angler of the Year, but for Contender, not Sea Craft. A tremendous marketing blunder but who cares now, they are out of business. Sad part was it was a beautiful 23. Top to Bottom: David Lau, Joey Boesen, and Robert Collins won the Class in ’02. Snafu with Stephen Barfoot, Spencer Johnson, and Kevin Butler. Your winners in ’04. Jerry Dilsaver won it in ’01. With Jerry was Richard Denning and Bob Black. Robert Olsen, Scott McInerny, and Kelly Whiddon took the crown in ’03.
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There were sure a lot of fishermen who started their careers in a Class boat then graduated to a bigger boat. It has also made a name for fishermen who mayy not have done so in
the bigger class. The Class has certainly stagnated in the past two years because of the recession, but that has happened in p Class also. the Open
In 2009, eight Class boats won individual tournaments. When you consider Open Class boats outnumbered them two or three to one, that says a lot. I love the Class of 223. I think it ma makes for some of the best, tightest fish fishing on our tra trail. One thing Ih have noticed ov over the years is that when a te team does really w well in the Class an and graduates to a bigger boat, fo for some reason uunknown to th hem, they just them,
don’t do as well and they certainly drop out of the spotlight. Reason: they forget what they learned while fishing the Class. Without the range of the bigger boats a Class team has to work harder in the water they are relegated to. When they get bigger boats with more range, off they go, probably passing up the very waters that have served them well over the years. Just an observation. Personally, with all the great brands that are building boats for our market, if I were competing today I would certainly start in the Class of 23. Congratulations to all the teams who have figured this out. ■
Top Left: Stan Jarusinski, Kevin Hill, Greg Ogle, and Charles McClure took first in ’05. Top Right: Randall Edens, Chris Gaddy, and George Edens were winners in 2008. Center Left: The Bonnell’s Vernon, Jeremy, Matthew, Christopher, and Sandra were tops in ’06. Center Right: Blue Water Candy was tops in ’09. Rick Croson, Jodie Gay, and Russell Weaver. Bottom: Pam Behnke gave the number one slot to Mitch Mosley and Eric McMichael in ’07.
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ANGLER | May 2010