45th Annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament Awards Almost $400,000 in Prizes

The tournament attracted 558 boats, missing the highest number of participants in the tournament’s history by three boats set in 2021

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (WWAY) – The record-setting 45rd Annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament was held Oct. 5-7 at Dutchman Creek Park. It attracted 558 boats, missing the highest number of participants in the tournament’s history by three boats set in 2021. Total purse was over $390,000.

With their single-engine vessel, Tripple j, Captain Joe Matthews and his crew, Deanne Matthews and Joey Matthews of Winnabow, N.C. took first place in the tournament with a 43.45 lb., king mackerel. They won a total of $92,320 for their efforts.

The second-place team, Blew By U!, led by Captain Corey Durako of Wilmington, N.C., brought in a king mackerel weighing 41.50 lbs., which won them a combined total of $117,680.

In third place was Strictly Business, led by Captain Jeff Crouch of Oak Island, N.C. Their winning fish weighed in at 38.95 lbs., which won them $71,555.

The winners are determined by the weight of the fish, however, the total prize money is determined by the number of additional categories the anglers choose to enter in the tournament.

“Overall, the tournament was a great success and will go down in the record books as one of the biggest one we’ve had to date in terms of participants and prizes,” said Karen Sphar, executive vice president of the Southport Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce. “We appreciate everyone who participated in the tournament, from the anglers who fished it, to the sponsors, vendors and volunteers who helped make it happen, and of course our tournament planning committee and Board of Directors, led by Carol Magnani.”

This was the fourth time the tournament was held at Dutchman Creek Park. Brunswick County Parks & Recreation officials worked with Tournament officials to ensure a family friendly and fun event was held. Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill provided a location for anglers to re-board their boats after weighing in and the Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office and Oak Island Water Rescue provided marine traffic control on the water.

The U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament is the largest king mackerel tournaments on the East Coast and has a $2 million economic impact on the region. It is held annually the first week of October and is an event of the Southport Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce.

Full tournament results are available at www.usopenkmt.com, video of the weigh-ins can be found at www.usopenkmtlive.com and photos from the weekend are available at the U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament Facebook page.