The 34th Sneads Ferry King Mackerel Tournament
The 34th annual Rotary Club of Sneads Ferry King Mackerel Tournament took place the weekend of August 15–17 out of Sneads Ferry Marina, and the tournament offers the choice of one eligible day of fishing (Saturday or Sunday) in the pursuit of a leaderboard based on a team’s single largest king mackerel, as well as TWTs for Two-Fish Aggregate, Small Boat, Single Engine, High Roller, Winner Take All, Dolphin Division, and a NC Leap 50/50.
Capt. L.H. Turner and Team Motley Crew, fishing out of Sneads Ferry, claimed the top spot with a hefty 42.95 lb. king. Their catch not only secured first place overall but also swept the leaderboard with wins in the Overall TWT and High Roller TWT categories. Turner, joined by mates Jon Henderson and Jerome Henderson, described the moment as a long-awaited milestone, marking their first-ever king tournament win after nearly eight years of fishing together.
Capt. L.H. Turner and Team Motley Crew, fishing out of Sneads Ferry, won the 2025 Rotary Club of Sneads Ferry King Mackerel Tournament with a 42.95 lb. king that hit a live pogie on the east side of the Knuckle Buoy.
Launching out of New River on Saturday with pinned-up pogies, the crew made their first stop west of the shoals in Onslow Bay, where they picked through amberjacks and spanish before relocating. The winning fish struck on the east side of the Knuckle Buoy, just shy of the 1700, hitting a live pogie on the starboard downrigger set at 25 feet.
“She wasn’t long, but she was thick,” Turner recalled, estimating the fish at 30-34 lbs. based on length alone as the fish was in the water. The final weight both surprised the crew and thrilled them. “When we stuck her and saw her come over the bow, I knew she was special,” Turner said. “She was close to seven inches across the back.”
“We’ve fished this event for years and never entered every calcutta,” he said. “This year we went all in, and it paid off.”
Matt Pearce and Joe Arant, of Kenly, NC, and fishing as Team Surf N Turf, landed a 41.70 lb. king mackerel to secure second place overall. Their king hit in the afternoon just north of Bogue Inlet.
Matt Pearce and teammate Joe Arant, of Team Surf N Turf from Kenly, NC, landed a 41.70 lb. king mackerel to secure second place overall, along with runner-up honors in both the TWT and High Roller divisions. Fishing out of Bogue Inlet on Sunday, the pair battled through a rough week of pre-fishing with no king strikes on any of their trips. With limited intel and no hot reports, Pearce relied on instinct and simply committed to fishing hard all day.
While slow trolling a bluefish just north of the inlet at 2:45 p.m., they finally got the bite they’d been hoping for. It was their only king mackerel strike of the entire tournament.
“It was a tough week,” Pearce said, “but that one bite made all the difference.”
Jimmy Everett and Team Mas Agua, fishing out of Sneads Ferry, earned third place honors with a 40.98 lb. king mackerel. Their catch also secured third place in both the Overall TWT and High Roller TWT categories, while teammates Peyton Everett and Brady Smith each claimed top honors in the Lady Angler and Junior Angler divisions. Everett, who co-owns Sneads Ferry Marina and helped host the tournament, was joined by daughter Peyton, son Brady, and neighbors Andy and Jodi Shepherd.
Peyton Everett and Brady Smith helped power Team Mas Agua to a third-place finish at the 2025 Rotary Club of Sneads Ferry King Mackerel Tournament with a 40.98 lb. king caught near Ocrocoke.
Going out of Beaufort Inlet, the crew crossed the shoals on Sunday morning and headed north, working a spot near Ocracoke they’d found during a previous tournament. Within 20 minutes of putting lines in the water, they hooked their winning fish on a live pogie.
“It was one of those rare, easy days,” Everett said. “We didn’t even get to fish much during the week. We were too busy getting the marina ready, but everything came together.”
To see the complete leaderboard and find out more about next year’s tournament, go to SFKMT.com or visit the Facebook page Sneads Ferry Rotary KMT.
