Fishing: Pruitt, Ball earn third Gene Doyle title PHOTOS

NAPLES — The team of Jeff Ball and Troy Pruitt captured its third Gene Doyle Fishing Tournament grand championship in the adult open division.

At Sunday's awards banquet at the Naples Hilton, the outcome was uncertain until the winners were announced.

After Saturday's fishing, the duo was in second place behind Chris Turner and Rich Gordon, and as they embarked toward their sweet spots off Chokoloskee on Sunday in the event's final stage, they encountered big trouble.

Where conditions on Saturday were mostly calm and clear, strong winds overnight from the south muddied the waters.

With snook, redfish and trout as the tournament's target species, Pruitt and Ball had to spend valuable time Sunday in search of more sight-friendly conditions.

"Finding cleaner water was the trick today," said Pruitt, who as the top individual point scorer also received a bid to the 2011 Florida Keys Outfitters/IGFA Inshore World Championships in Islamorada.

On Saturday, Ball and Pruitt closed out their card by catching four of each species. Sunday was a different story.

"After going to the first couple of spots where we went (Saturday), we saw there was no fishing whatsoever," Pruitt said. "So we crossed those off the list and went to the next spot.

"We found cleaner water and got fish."

The pair boated four redfish and three trout. Because the conditions were so adverse, Pruitt said they could not be choosy in deciding what fish to measure, photograph and enter.

In the Gene Doyle, all participants must photograph the fish they catch against a measuring stick. Once a fish is photographed, it is entered as a catch. It cannot be discarded if a larger fish is caught later in the day.

"We were going to take a picture of anything that swims," Pruitt said.

Pruitt and Ball won the tournament in 2007 and 2008. Pruitt was ecstatic to be able to once again represent the Gene Doyle in the Inshore Worlds, where he has finished second the last two years.

"I can't be more happier to represent the tournament and the Doyle family," he said. "It means so much to me. It's an incredible feeling."

Capt. Matt Malone guided the team of Tom Conroy, Bill Gonnering and Craig Timmins to the adult guided title for the second-consecutive year.

Chad Demarest, in third place and trailing his older sister Gabby after Saturday's fishing, captured the youth open grand championship. The 9-year-old Demarest, a student at Community School, swept all awards in the division, catching the largest snook, redfish and trout.

"It feels good to reel in a fish after battling with it, and to see what it is and how much it measures," Demarest said.

In the youth guided division, Reagan Thalheimer took home the championship plaque. Thalheimer, guided by Capt. Chis McCubbins, also earned the tournament's top female angler award in her division. Christine Kunz was the top female angler in the open division.

* * *

13th annual Gene Doyle Fishing Tournament

April 24-25

Adult Open

Grand Champion: Jeff Ball and Troy Pruitt

Largest snook: Melissa Parsons

Largest redfish: Stuart Widner

Largest trout: Christine Kunz

Adult Guided

Grand Champion: Tom Conroy, Bill Gonnering and Craig Timmins (Capt. Matt Malone, Guide)

Largest snook: Jon Harris (Capt. Andy Werner, Guide)

Largest redfish: Phil Dyskow (Capt. Andrew Bostick, Guide)

Largest trout: Phil Dyskow (Capt. Andrew Bostick, Guide)

Youth Open

Grand Champion: Chad Demarest

Largest snook: Chad Demarest

Largest redfish: Chad Demarest

Largest trout: Chad Demarest

Youth Guided

Grand Champion: Reagan Thalheimer (Capt. Chris McCubbin, Guide)

Largest snook: Heidi McLean (Capt. Matt McLean, Guide)

Largest redfish: Weston Bendell (Capt. Wes Bendell)

Largest trout: No trout caught

Top Female Angler

Open: Christine Kunz

Guided: Reagan Thalheimer

Trash Can Slam: Colin Zieminski

Most Unusual Catch: Ralene DeLuca