Green Sea, SC – Competitors gathered at Grassy Bay Turf Farms in South Carolina on March 22 and 23 to cast in the CSCA’s opening tournament of 2025. The field was in excellent condition, but the atmospheric conditions left a bit to be desired. Winds shifted and slowed almost constantly, and as a result, the event was a game of staying strong and focussed even as distances could be dissappointing.
Locals Chris Sheffer and his son Cruz kicked off each round of casting, as this was their first appearance at a tournament. The former, an avid surf fisherman, approached the 150 yard mark, while 13 year old Cruz surprisingly threw sinkers over 200 feet.
John Mroczka and Butch Lloyd, Delmarva-area natives, made the trek down through the Carolinas and landed within feet of each other in the Senior class, which was won by casting legend Tommy Farmer who, although he had not cast competitively in a year, unleashed his high-swing pendulum cast like it was still second nature.
Conner Brown, a member of the USA Surf Casting Team, came away with the best overall distance of 816’ 11”. As expected, this was achieved using the 175 gram sinker which seems to be the best match for Brown’s level of strength and height.
Special thanks to Shannon Allen, wife of competitor Bobby Rae Allen, who brought a flat top grill onto the field to prepare hamburgers for lunch on both days… perhaps the best hamburgers in the history of surf casting.
Results
| Name | Class | 100 gram | 125 gram | 150 gram | 175 gram |
| Cruz Sheffer | Junior | 208′ 0″ | |||
| Chris Shaffer | B | 410′ 6″ | |||
| Andy Helton | A | 377′ 6″ | 499′ 7″ | ||
| John Mroczka | Senior | 533′ 4″ | 514′ 10″ | ||
| Butch Lloyd | Senior | 514′ 1″ | 476′ 7″ | ||
| Matt Tuers | AA | 613′ 11″ | 619′ 0″ | 521′ 9″ | |
| Bobby Rae Allen | AAA | 696′ 9″ | 648′ 5″ | ||
| Tommy Farmer | Senior | 715′ 4″ | |||
| Connor Brown | Elite | 753′ 1″ | 750′ 10″ | 775′ 10″ | 815′ 11″ |