When Capt. Chris Kubik and the team aboard Sweet Spot turned loose from Toler’s Cove Marina on their final day of the Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament, the 62’ Spencer was one of only two boats heading offshore that morning.  The other 36 boats chose to lay, waiting until the last day of the tournament to fish their day two.

“I was honestly surprised the majority of the fleet took a lay day on day two,” says Kubik. “Fishing was good on day one, so why sit at the dock?  Go out there and do your best and set the number for the others to beat.”

The fishing had been excellent on the first day of the tournament, with the fleet releasing a total of 74 sailfish and one blue marlin. As the crew aboard Sweet Spot prepared to fish again the next day, they hoped for a similar bite.

Kubik, Holly McAlhany, Michael McAlhany, Jerry Fehlig, Jon Meade, and mates Michael Krivohlavek and Noah McKeaige left the marina under the blanket of an inky sky, with the twinkling of the Charleston skyline slowly melting away in the distance behind them. Sweet Spot currently sat in second place after releasing eight sailfish on their first day of fishing. Bench Mark, the only other boat that had also elected to fish on day two, sat in first place with 11 sailfish releases.

Kubik would have to put his team on the fish to close that gap and to set the new standard for others to beat. They’d need several bites, and a blue marlin sure wouldn’t hurt. Fortunately, Kubik is good under pressure, and he delivered.

Sweet Spot would go on to release three sailfish by 1 PM. Bench Mark released two, so Kubik and his team still had a ways to climb to finally take the lead. The clock ticked on. With under an hour left to fish, a tournament gamechanger made its way into the spread.

“I marked a larger target and told my crew to be ready,” recalls Kubik. “Kriv had the big pitch bait in hand and was ready when the blue marlin came to the right teaser. It was the most confident I had seen him all season. He got the bite and before he even pushed the drag up, he was telling Holly to get in the chair. That was the one we needed, the one that ultimately sealed the deal for us.”

That blue marlin launched the Sweet Spot to the top of the fleet. With 36 boats fishing the next day, you can expect that a captain would grapple with gut-wrenching nerves. Kubik instead kept himself busy. “Sitting at the dock as the club house leader while the fleet is out there fishing is nothing new to me,” says Kubik. “For the most part I don’t let it stress me out. If someone beats me, good for them. They had a great day and good fishing. The biggest thing I try to stress to my crew is keep yourself busy and not to spend all day looking at what’s going on. Otherwise, you will put yourself in an emotional roller coaster.”

Although several boats had exceptional fishing on the final day of the tournament, none were able to catch Kubik and Sweet Spot. Their lead held and Sweet Spot was officially declared the winner of the 2023 Edisto Invitational Billfish Tournament. It was a great way to close out their South Carolina season, one that had some of the best blue water fishing the state has ever seen. “I feel very lucky that of all the years to start fishing in South Carolina, I started this year,” says Kubik. “The fishing was unbelievable. I fished 10 days in Cape Verde and didn’t see fishing like I saw here. It was unreal. One day we saw 12 blue marlin! That’s some mind-blowing fishing. As the summer progressed, the sails picked up where the blue ones left off. I was very happy to be part of it. I hope next year is just as good.”

Of the 12 fish that Sweet Spot released during the Edisto tournament, Holly McAlhany was on the rod for ten of them. She released one blue marlin and nine sailfish in two days of fishing. A member of the Gov Cup’s Advisory Board of Directors, McAlhany is a fierce competitor and one of the most decorated lady anglers in Series history. She won first place lady angler at every Series tournament this summer. That’s right – every single one. “Holly is the core of our program,” says Kubik. “She just learned how to start hooking fish this winter down in Mexico. She has done an amazing job and the sky is the limit for her. Holly is hungry and wants to win!”

Although the Sweet Spot program is less than a year old, the McAlhanys and their friends have had great success fishing tournaments with Kubik at the helm. “The Sweet Spot program is great,” says Kubik. “I feel like I work for some of the best people in the business. Not only do they love to fish, but they are also good people, and know what the most important things in life are. Holly and Michael have given us everything we need to be successful not only in South Carolina, but all over the world. I’m very excited to see what the future holds for the Sweet Spot.”

Sure enough, the near future held some big things for Kubik, including a hometown win for the North Carolina based Captain. Just a few days after we spoke with him for this article, Kubik would lead the Sweet Spot to win the Pirate’s Cove Billfish Tournament, one of North Carolina’s most prestigious events in competitive sport fishing.

Congratulations to Sweet Spot on their win at Edisto, as well as farther up the road. We’re excited to see what’s next for this outstanding team.

Note: All 2023 Series results will be reviewed and finalized in September. Once winners are made official, an announcement will follow.