SPORTS

Kitchen Pass tops leaderboard in Boathouse Summer Slam Fishing Tournament with big red snapper

Tina Harbuck
The Destin Log

After the end of the first week of the Boathouse Summer Slam Fishing Tournament, Capt. Travis Ream of the Kitchen Pass leads the Red Snapper Division with a 24.2-pounder. 

The Summer Slam is a 10-week tournament, which kicked off June 1 and runs through Aug. 7. The tournament features three main species, red snapper, gag grouper and greater amberjack.  

Christina Webber shows off her 16.8-pound red snapper caught aboard the ChampionShip with Capt. Matthew Champion on Tuesday. Weighmaster Amber Helton fills in the leaderboard while Webber poses for a few photos.

This is a boat tournament and is divided by federal, state and private entries. 

The angler reeling in the snapper on the Kitchen Pass was Austin Mitchell of Tennessee. 

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Federally permitted boats started catching red snapper on June 1, while the snapper season for state boats and other recreational boats begins June 17 in state waters. State waters is from shore out to nine nautical miles. 

With 27 boats registered as of June 7, event coordinator Amber Helton expects that number to grow the closer it gets to the opening of red snapper in state waters. 

Capt. Travis Ream of the Kitchen Pass caught one of his own on Tuesday, a 22.6-pound red snapper. It was good for a daily in the Summer Slam. The Kitchen Pass leads the Red Snapper Division with a 24.2 pounder caught on Day 4 of the tournament.

In the meantime, 82 fish have been recorded. 

In the Grouper Division, the Maximilian with Capt. Chris Fulford at the helm leads the federal boats with a 32.4 pounder caught by Wyatt Cain of Alabama. The largest on a state boat is a 10.4 pounder on the Lone Star, reeled in by Will Keough of Texas. Leading the private boats is Renegade with a 19 pounder caught by Graham Andrews of Destin. 

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In the Ladies Division, Maximilian leads the red snapper with a 21.8-pound fish caught by Jackie Sheeren of Texas. 

Kaydence Fontenot of Destin shows off his 15.8-pound red snapper he caught aboard the Black Diamond on Day 5 of the Summer Slam.

In the Juniors, the boat Black Diamond tops the red snapper category with a 15.8 pounder caught by Kaydence Fontenot of Destin. The Seahorse has the largest gag grouper, a 11.4 pounder. 

In the Pounders Division, which is a tournament aggregate of fish, Maximilian leads the federal boats with 380.6 pounds of fish. Lone Star tops the state boats with 10.4 pounds and Load the Wagon leads the private boats with 26.2 pounds. 

There is still time to register for the tournament. Boats can enter the tournament anytime throughout the 10-week event. However, they must be registered the day before they fish and plan to weigh in. 

Graham Andrews of Destin shows off his 19-pound grouper he caught aboard the private boat Renegade to get on the leaderboard of the Boathouse Summer Slam.

The scales for the Summer Slam are open daily from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the Boathouse.  

For more information about fishing the Summer Slam or to enter contact, Helton at amber@boathouseoysterbardestin.com.