King of the James Crowns Go to Noah Dowis and Brandon Jackson
by Ron Presley,
Photos courtesy of King of the James
The Big Fish title was earned by John Belverio with a 78.77-pound blue.
The October 20-21, 2023 King of the James (KOJ) tournament was the 4th annual event to be held on the tidal waters of the James River near Richmond, VA. Tournament Director, Matthew Miles and Assistant Director Trey Thorpe reported that the event attracted 111 boats representing 10 different states.
Anglers were met with tougher fishing conditions than in years past. The competitors had to deal with a major cold front that passed through during the day 1 weigh-in at Osborne Landing. Colder temperatures, rain, and strong west winds resulted in additional challenges on day 2.
KOJ is a 2-day catch and release tournament. Anglers were allowed a maximum of 2 fish per boat each day with no more than 2 catfish allowed in the boat at any time. The winners were determined by the total weight of 4 fish.
Competing teams could fish the James River and her tributaries east of the I-95 Bridge to West of the James River Bridge (Hwy 17). The boundaries included the Appomattox and Chickahominy Rivers with Little Creek Reservoir being off-limits.
At the end of the competition, it required more than 200 pounds in 4 fish to be among the top 3 teams.
First Place
Noah Dowis and Brandon Jackson made the trip from South Carolina to fish the KOJ and take home the 2023 Crowns. They had a 2-day, 4-fish total of 208 pounds to claim the title.
Dowis and Jackson arrived on Sunday preceding the tournament. They rode around scanning for fish structure. They were looking for changes in the bottom such as points, ledges, and humps. They marked areas where they would begin fishing on tournament day.
“We just stuck to our plan and fished a specific ledge on the main river channel,” reported Dowis. “The fish were moving up and down that channel feeding. We would idle down the ledge and scan for big fish. When we marked the ones we wanted, I’d set a waypoint. Then we would precision anchor about 90 to 100 feet away and cast to them.”
The ledge that Dowis and Jackson were anchored on was about 300 yards long and they caught fish all over that ledge. They reported that the bite really fired up each day at about 7:00 a.m. and would last until about 10:00 a.m.
“We fished water that ranged from 25 to 35 feet deep,” noted Jackson. “Our bigger fish were coming from the deeper 35-foot-deep water in the middle of the channel. Eel and fresh gizzard shad was the key to getting those big bites we needed to pull off the win.”
“The KOJ is a great tournament,” concluded Dowis. “It’s run by some really good guys. In addition to thanking them for putting it on, we want to thank Apex Tackle Co., Whisker Seeker Triple Threat Hooks, James River Tackle Co., Mad Katz, Katfish Clothing, and Red Sky Outdoors for our sinkers.”
Second Place
The runner-up spot went to Adam Cook and Jay Berns. They brought a day one total of about 80 pounds to the scales and added more than 120 pounds on day 2 to claim second place with 201 pounds.
Prefishing had the team starting day one with high hopes because of the fish they had found. They had developed a strategy to start in about 35 feet of water on some off-shore wood structure where they found fish holding tight to it.
“We had a weird pressure swing early that morning,” reported Cook. “It had a few fish on the move that was being caught but the fish we were targeting in cover were tight-lipped.”
“With a few breakoffs Cook and Berns finished day 1 with about 80 pounds. They were just 20 pounds out of the lead.
“The day-two forecast called for 15 to 20 mph winds sustained out of the west,” recalled Cook. “Given the prefrontal conditions, I knew this would challenge many anglers. But it would give us an advantage if we could stay patient and get set up correctly. I was right as we caught our first fish at 62 pounds just 30 minutes into the day.”
Their day-two strategy produced many culls of various sizes. As the tide was about to shift Cook and Berns made a run to find moving water. The move paid off and they targeted and caught another fish in the 60-pound range and it wasn’t even 8 a.m. yet.
“We knew it was time to be selective and find an upgrade,” noted Cook. “We started graphing miles of offshore structure finding many good fish but none that were show stoppers. We spot-locked the whole tournament and set up on structure holding fish. Occasionally we would walk baits back into the structure.”
The team encountered trolling motor issues from fighting the wind and it prevented them from fishing as they planned. They made some good calls during the day and combined with day one were able to earn the second place spot.
“Most of our over 30-pound fish were caught on eel,” concluded Cook. “All of our fish were caught offshore in 28 to 41 feet of water.”
Cook and Berns thanked Ripping Lips Fishing, Anvil Fishing, Katfish, Fat Fish Designz, Wicked Cuts Beef Jerky, and SmackDown Rod Holders for their support.
Big Fish
The Big Fish honors were earned by John Belverio, Jake Baker, and Jon Watson of Virginia. Belverio boated the 78.77-pound beast and then took special care to revive it and watch it swim away on the release. The big fish helped the team earn 12th place in the overall competition.
Youth Angler
The Youth Angler Prize was sponsored by Mrs. Donna Hough, in memory of her late husband Buster Hough, an avid Catfisherman and advocate of the sport. The award went to youth anglers Gavin Davis and Tyler Stidham. The boys are pictured with Buster and Donna Hough’s grandson Walker Coleman on the left and tournament director, Matthew Miles on the right.
Remaining Top Ten
3rd Place – Micheal Blanks, Angela H Blanks 200.85 pounds
4th Place – Anthony Murphy, Mike Thomas 191.51 pounds
5th Place – Bill Sutton, Mac Moneta 173.23
6th Place – Kenneth Bennett, John Pappas, Michael Burruss, Billy Wright 159.02
7th Place – Jack Davis, Gavin Davis, Tyler Stidham 155.79
8th Place – J.C. Coleman, Jarrett Coleman 154.9
9th Place – Richard Mills, Cierra Mills 152.34
10th Place- Joey Baird, Bryan Dent 148.71
Final Thoughts
“I credit the tournament’s success to great sponsors and faithful volunteers,” noted tournament director Matthew Miles. “B’n’M Fishing headlined the tournament and several participants walked away with some great B’n’M rods.”
Miles also thanked MadKatz, Team Keatts Planer Boards, 4 Reel Fishing, Dirty South Dragging Weights, Nic’s Knacks, BoatDaze Outfitters, The Lilly Pad Restaurant, Coastal Consultants, LLC, Ironside Fishing Hooks, Riverbottom Reproductions, Tidal James Catfish Club, and Heroes Outdoor Therapy (H.O.T.) for their support of the KOJ.
“The tournament was a great success,” concluded Miles. “I am lucky to be surrounded by such great people.”
For more information on KOJ visit their Facebook page.
