Dufour takes slim lead into semifinals of FLW Redfish Open

Rabroker nets co-angler lead with whopping 15-pound, 15-ounce catch on day two as top-30 cut announced

NEW ORLEANS – Heading into day two of competition at the 2008 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Open, pro Todd Dufour of Marrero, La., simply hoped he could duplicate his 14-pound, 14-ounce day-one effort. Well, in the end, he did much more than that. Using a monstrous catch of 16 pounds, 6 ounces – the largest catch of the tournament to date – Dufour jumped from second place to first to storm into the semifinals atop the overall pro leaderboard.

Not surprisingly, Dufour was more than happy with his effort.

“I would have been very happy with 14 pounds today,” said Dufour, a Louisiana Gulf Coast fishing guide. “I never dreamed we’d catch 16 pounds today. But I was able to get to a couple of spots today that I haven’t been able to get to all week. And each day the fishing is just getting better and better. I just hope I can keep this up for four days.”

Dufour said that he and his co-angler partner Larry Kirby of Theodore, Ala., made a 45-minute trek to an area near Lafitte, La., and targeted redfish with a combination of Berkley Gulp Shrimp and Craw Worms in about 1 to 2 feet of water.

“We mostly looked for grass beds and clear water,” said Dufour, a sight-fishing veteran. “I actually have some better fish in dirty water, but those fish just wouldn’t bite. So, at least for today, finding clear water was very important.”

Dufour said the rising water levels have really helped his cause.

“Because I guide, I’m using a bigger boat than some of the guys and that makes it harder to get into some of the areas,” he said. “But with the water levels rising, I was finally able to get to some of my good spots. But I had a little luck as well. We caught both of our better fish today right before we came in. A little luck goes a long way.”

However, despite his success, Dufour knows all too well that the tournament is far from over. Holding onto a 5-ounce lead over his nearest competitor – day-one leader Chad Dufrene – Dufour knows he can’t spend any time dwelling on his past success.

“In my opinion, (Dufrene) is still going to be the guy to beat,” said Dufour, who now boats a two-day total weight of 31 pounds, 4 ounces. “There are other good anglers who could win this as well, but I think Chad is going to be one of the tougher guys to beat over the next couple of days. I feel pretty good with what I brought in today. But honestly, I really wish I brought in today’s weight on Sunday. Because that’s when it really counts.”

Dufrene remains in the hunt

Although Chad Dufrene of Purvis, Miss., lost the top spot on the leaderboard after today’s competition, he said was more than happy with his second-place finish.

“Days like today are just magical,” said Dufrene, who boated a two-day total of 30 pounds, 15 ounces. “I’ve been fishing a long time and it’s very rare to have a day like today.”

According to Dufrene, he and his co-angler partner Henry Morgan of Pearland, Texas, went to their first spot and quickly realized it was not going to be productive.

“We pretty much left right away and headed to our second spot,” said Dufrene. “Once we got there, I caught an 8-pounder within the first 5 minutes. I looked at my partner and said, `Now it’s your turn.’ He looked at me and said, `Give me 3 minutes.'”

Suddenly, another giant redfish emerged.

“I couldn’t cast to it because of the bait I was fishing,” said Dufrene. “Then (Morgan) threw his spoon right at the fish. It was a perfect cast. And he hooked it almost right away. It was beautiful. After he brings the fish into the boat (a 7-pound-plus giant) I look at my watch and see it’s only 9:10 a.m. So I look at my partner and say, `You ready to go back in?’ He says, `Sure.’ We’re back at the marina by 11:50. The day was just perfect. We didn’t disturb any of our fish. The first two fish we caught were perfect fish. And we’re back in early. Days like this just never happen – at least not to me.”

Best of the rest

Third place belonged to Arthur Price, Jr., of New Port Richey, Fla. Price qualified for the semifinals after landing a two-day stringer weighing 29 pounds, 9 ounces.

Alden Bourgeois of Barataria, La., took the fourth qualifying position after netting a two-day stringer weighing 29 pounds, 8 ounces.

Rounding out the top-five pros was John Henninger of Jacksonville, Fla. Henninger recorded a two-day catch weighing 29 pounds, 3 ounces.

“I didn’t throw at a lot of fish today. I was basically just hen pecking,” said Henninger. “But I have to say, this fishery is just phenomenal. It’s truly God’s Country.”

Rabroker nabs top spot in Co-angler Division

On the strength of a total catch of 30 pounds, 9 ounces, Gerald Rabroker of Belton, Texas, not only grabbed the overall lead in the Co-angler Division, but he also posted a better two-day weight than 48 other pro anglers in the process.

“I’ve definitely had two pretty good days,” said Rabroker, who targeted redfish on oyster shell beds using spinnerbaits in about 2 feet of water. “It feels pretty good. I’m really happy.”

Rabroker said that like most of the other co-anglers, he is really enjoying the pro-am format.

“I really like the format because you don’t feel like you’re being left out of the action,” he said. “With this format, you also really learn a lot. I’ve only been fishing competitively for two years and I don’t feel like I’m at the same level as a lot of the other guys. But by being in this tournament, I’m learning a lot. You get to see how the pros fish and that’s what really matters on the co-angler side. It’s also a lot of fun.”

Best of the rest

Day-one co-angler leader Eugene Abadie III of Covington, La., found himself in second place at the end of today’s competition after landing a two-day catch weighing 30 pounds, 8 ounces.

“I had a great day today,” said Abadie. “This (competition) is really close right now so it feels good to be where I’m at. But I’m going to have to fish really hard tomorrow.”

Third place belonged to Henry Morgan of Pearland, Texas. Morgan enters Saturday’s semifinals with a total catch of 29 pounds, 10 ounces.

Barnie White of Brewton, Ala., grabbed the fourth qualifying position with a total catch of 29 pounds, 5 ounces.

Meanwhile, Billy Blackwood of San Antonio, Texas, qualified for the semifinals in fifth place with a total catch of 28 pounds, 15 ounces.

For a complete list of today’s results, click here.

Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Open competition continues during Saturday’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. at Bayou Segnette State Park, located at 7777 Westbank Expressway in Westwego, La.