KEY WEST (May 1, 2004) - Veteran Key West light tackle guide Kenny Harris and his team didn't catch any fish Saturday, but still managed to survive more than 110 angler entrants in a 41-boat field to take top honors in the billfish division at the 16th Annual Key West Classic, presented by the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

The newest Mercury Outboards Redbone event in the 28 tournament series for cystic fibrosis research saw Harris along with his son Clay both of Key West, and angler Bill Glynn, Marshfield, Mass., stay ahead by less than two points with their 146.7 point total.  They had caught two sailfish along with a dolphin on Thursday’s first round and followed up with another dolphin on Friday before blanking on Saturday.

"I know when I'm good and I know when I'm lucky," said Harris, who has captured seven division wins in the Classic's history. "I was good and lucky this tournament."

Ironically, Harris was not even targeting sailfish." I was actually blue marlin fishing," he said. "For me to come away with a win was surprising."

Closing in on them was The Natural, captained by Reece Lewis, with anglers Walt Thomas of Fort Myers, and Ray Chotnowski of Little Torch Key. Their biggest fish on Saturday was a dolphin at 17.9 lbs. less than two pounds shy of what they needed for a win.  They finished in second place with 145.2 points, while Steven Selka and Don Barton of Key West teamed with Aaron Selka of Fort Myers taking third onboard Jon Snider's The Raptor.

In the light tackle division it was the release of a permit that made the difference for the win by the Coolwater, skippered by Capt. Chris Garcia, Key West.  Anglers Roy Marlow and Keith Arthur, both from the United Kingdom scored 360 points from releases of one sailfish, three tarpon and four permit.