Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Margate men win King of the Glades tourney
Two-time Kings of the Glades Steve Forssell and Rodd Sayler endured frigid conditions Sunday on Lake Okeechobee to start off the 11th season of South Florida’s biggest bass trail with a victory.
The Margate residents caught five bass weighing a total of 21.14 pounds, including Forssell’s big bass of 6.06, to top an 80-boat field on a day made even colder by winds so strong, a small craft advisory was in effect for the lake.
Fishing out of Clewiston, Forssell and Sayler flipped Gambler creature baits in an area of the lake known as the East Wall to win a total of $2,200 plus a prize package from Bass Addiction Gear in the first of five qualifier events for the 2017 King of the Glades Open Team Bass Tournament Trail (kotgseries.com).
“It was tough. I stuck with the flipping stick all day,” Forssell said. “We were pitching mats on the inside, getting out of the wind, using a 2 1/4¼-ounce weight and a BB Cricket and a Why Not. We caught two of the good ones at 11 and the last good one at 2 o’clock.”
Doug Harris and Carl Bousquet were second at 19.5. Jamie Hartman and Val Osinski were third at 18.79, followed by Tim Celesti and Jason Goon at 12.73 and Rene Gonzalez and Scott Crisafulli at 12.6. The top three teams all qualified for the season-ending Classic in June. The next tournament is Feb. 5 out of Everglades Holiday Park.
of Double Take was the top angler with five sailfish.
of Rehab was the top lady angler with four releases and 14, of Reel Easy was the top junior with three sailfish.
The Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race is Wednesday, with the first class starting at 1 p.m. off Port Everglades Inlet. Visit keywestrace.org.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has free hunter safety internet-completion courses Saturday in Broward County and Sunday in Palm Beach County. To find out the location of the courses, register at myfwc.com/huntersafety or call 561-625-5122.
Craig Lindner Holliday Luke Lulfs, Sailing regatta: Melanie Hunter safety: Bass tournament: Bob Newland
has a small boat bass tournament from first light to 1 p.m. Sunday at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek. The field is limited to 20 teams and at least one team member must be 18 years old. The entry fee is $40 per team, with half the proceeds going to Horses and the Handicapped and the rest shared among the top three teams. Call 954-214-8771 to register.
Crowder tournament:
Former Miami Dolphins linebacker and current radio personality
has the fourth annual Channing Crowder’s Bass Fishing Tournament Jan. 21 at Everglades Holiday Park. The tournament, which benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, pays $10,000 to the winning team based on 100 boats. Entry fee is $250 per boat for two anglers and includes admission to the weigh-in party at
Green Glades Ranch in Weston. Visit ccbasstournament.com or call 954-537-1010 ext. 226.
Crowder Channing Ron Bergeron’s