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U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament
October 3 - October 5
The 46th Annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament is right around the corner. This year’s tournament will be October 3rd -5th at Brunswick County’s Dutchman Creek Park. The U.S. Open is one of the largest king mackerel tournaments on the East Coast of the United States and part of the SKA (Southern Kingfish Association) Tournament Trail. In 2023, the tournament attracted 558 boats and paid out over $410,000. The Tournament has an all cash guaranteed prize structure that is not based on participation numbers. It pays 55 places in its primary prize category including $25,000 for the largest king mackerel. There are also forty sponsors who add supplementary cash prizes to the event.
Three notable prizes include the Daily Aggregate Weight Prizes, Senior Angler and Junior Angler Awards. The Daily Aggregate Weight Prizes are sponsored by Sea/Tow and Dosher Memorial Hospital and Junior Angler Awards are sponsored by Coastal Pediatric Dentistry and Novant Health. Each day a $1,000 Aggregate Prize will be given to the boat that catches the most poundage from combining the weights from two or three fish. The Junior Angler Aggregate prizes are daily and total $1,000 while the overall senior aggregate is a two-day total with a $500 award.
A few changes and additions have been made by the Tournament Board of Directors for the 2024 tournament. The tournament is moving to a lines in the water format and away from physical checkouts, on Saturday the entertainment and awards ceremony have been relocated to the deck at Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill to give it more of a festive atmosphere and ThePaperFin will be at the tournament on Friday & Saturday to make ink-free fish prints for entrants weighing in fish.
Food Court – The tournament Food Court will be open on Thursday, from 12pm-7pm and Friday from 12:00pm – 5pm featuring Easy Eats (hot dogs, chips, drinks) and Saturday from 11pm-6pm featuring Wallace Catering (Burgers, BBQ, sausage/peppers/onions, fried & grilled chicken sandwich, Calabash style fried shrimp or fish and shrimp and grits.
Sponsor Showcase- Visit the Grand Patron Sponsor Showcase at Dutchman Creek Park October 3rd – 5th . Grand Patron sponsors BEMC, Better Beach Rentals, Builders FirstSource, Dutchman Creek Bait & Tackle, Garmin, Hamilton Realty eXp Realty, Novant Health, Mocean Construction, SKA, TotalEnergies, LLC, and SeaTow and will be on talking about their product or service during the tournament.
Registration – Early Bird Registration – Online, postmarked or at Chamber’s Welcome Center by midnight on Friday, September 13th . Online Registration – Available until 11pm on October 1st. Onsite Registration – October 3rd from 10am-9pm at Dutchman Creek Park (4750 Fish Factory Road).
Packet Pickup – All registrants must come to Packet Pickup at Dutchman Creek Park between 10am-9pm on Thursday, October 3rd. The Doorsmen will perform at the Park from 4pm-7pm, veteran rockers keeping it Funky. The Captain’s Meeting will be held in person and virtually on Thursday, October 3rd at 7pm at Dutchman Creek Park or on www.usopenkmtlive.com It is strongly advised that all captains tune in or attend this meeting, as any rule changes or necessary clarifications will be announced at the meeting.
Weigh ins – Watch the tournament participants weigh their catch in person at Dutchman Creek or online. PointClickFish.com will stream offloading dock and weigh-ins at the scales LIVE from the tournament during peak weigh-ins on Friday from 2pm-5pm and Saturday from 2pm-4pm. You can pick up the link to the live feed at http://www.usopenkmtlive.com/.
Merchandise – The tournament merchandise is very popular and is available online at www.sptokimerchandise.com and in person sales Monday – Friday from 8:30am-5pm at the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center from August 25th to October 1st . The tournament will sell merchandise at the tournament headquarters (Dutchman Creek Park) October 3rd – 5th or until it sells out.
The Awards Ceremony will be held in person on the deck at Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill, 4907 Fish Factory Road beginning at 8:00pm on Saturday, October 5th. Prior to the awards ceremony All Starz Band (Jazz, Funk Soul, R&B, Blues and more) will perform at the Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill deck from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Parking will be available at Dutchman Creek Park and Shoreline Baptist Church.
Tournament details are available on our website, www.usopenkmt.com, or for a brochure contact the Southport-Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce, 4433 Long Beach Road, SE, Southport, NC 28461. (910) 457-5787 or (800) 457-6964 or e-mail us at [email protected].
QUICK DETAILS
46th Annual U.S. Open King Mackerel Tournament
One of the Largest King Mackerel Tournaments on East Coast
An event of the Southport Oak Island Area Chamber of Commerce
October 3rd – Registration 10am-9pm
Dutchman Creek Park, 4750 Fish Factory Road, Oak Island
4:00pm-7:00pm Entertainment – The Doorsman
In Person & Virtual Captain’s Meeting – 7:00pm
October 4th & October 5th – Fishing
Spectators Welcome
Dutchman Creek Park, 4750 Fish Factory Road
Live Streaming Offloading & Weigh-In 2:00pm-scales close
October 5th –
5:00pm – 8:00pm
Entertainment – All Starz Band
Awards Ceremony
Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill, 4750 Fish Factory Road,
In Person & Virtual –8:00pm
First Place – $25,000 Cash
Guaranteed Payout – 100+ cash prizes totaling over $100,000
2023 Total Cash Prizes Paid over $410,000.