Redfish Series meets Barry
Fernandina finalists will be impacted by tropical storm
FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – Just barely 24 hours into the Atlantic hurricane season and already the Gulf of Mexico is producing tropical trouble in the form of Tropical Storm Barry, which will trek across Florida today.
The top five teams fishing the final day of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Eastern Division event in Fernandina Beach are going to meet Barry up close and personal in the form of heavy rains and gusty winds.
Forecasts are calling for a couple of inches of rain and northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph. Tropical storm warnings have been issued for parts of Florida’s west coast with the approach of Barry, but not for the East Coast.
This morning, as the finalists suited up for the weather, all were hoping that their new friend Barry would do more to affect “the other guys” from a mental standpoint.
“This weather really doesn’t bother me,” said BP pro David Walker in the downpour. “This is certainly not the first time I’ve fished in this kind of stuff in this business. I fished through an impending tropical storm in a Bassmasters Classic in the Louisiana Delta several years ago … that one was named Barry, too.”
“And what place did you finish in that one?” laughed Walker’s team partner, Jeff Simms.
“Third,” grumbled Walker, which is exactly what place the team was in as of this morning.
With a 1-pound lead, first place anglers Steven Howie and Daniel Benson were actually excited about the weather, mainly because the fish they found yesterday are so close to takeoff.
“We’re only running about 15 minutes from here,” Benson said.
The second-place team of Al Keller and Bill Faulkner are not so lucky: Their fishing hot spot is all the way down to St. Augustine.
“Despite the weather, we’re still going down there,” Faulkner said. “Most of the run is down the protected Intracoastal anyway.”
In fourth place, Scott Guthrie and Rick Murphy are hoping to pounce on someone’s weather woes today.
“We need some of those ahead of us to zero today for us to move up,” Guthrie said. “More than winning the tournament, the Team of the Year is on my mind.”
By Guthrie’s calculations, they must finish fourth place or higher to win the Redfish Series Eastern Division Team of the Year. If they finish fifth, then they will tie and share the title with Cody and Kyle Chivas.
“I want to hold the title, not share it,” Guthrie added.
In terms of the weather’s impact on the fishing, many anglers felt like it would only help their cause.
“In my experience, I’ve always found that these low-pressure systems really turn fish on,” said Daniel Benson. “I think that’s why we caught them so well yesterday: The barometer is dropping.”
“Redfish are like bass in that regard,” Guthrie concurred. “Low skies, overcast and rain tend to make them bite better. I’m not big on the wind, but the low sky makes them less spooky and more aggressive.”
One thing is for sure, Barry will make the final day a wet and wild one.
The final-day weigh-in will begin at 4 p.m. at the Fernandina Beach Wal-Mart located at 1757 S. 14th St. in Fernandina Beach.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:22 a.m.
Tides: high: 10:28 a.m. low: 4:06 p.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 70 degrees
Expected high temperature: 74 degrees
Water temperature: 70-75 degrees
Forecasted winds: NE at 20 to 30 mph
Day’s outlook: heavy rains and windy