Last march into the marshland
Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series anglers commence final day of competition on Louisiana Gulf Coast
COCODRIE, La. – With the chance of isolated thunderstorms looming in the distance, the top-five Redfish Series team finalists departed the confines of Coco Marina early Saturday morning for the vast expanse of Louisiana’s coastal waters. Their goal: to snare a tournament title and walk away with a cash award upwards of $50,000.
However, it won’t be easy. For starters, the entire field is separated by little over 1 pound which means that one mistake, one misstep, will undoubtedly cost a tournament title. In addition, a few of the teams are making extremely long runs – up to 100 miles in some cases – in order to get to their preferred locations. As a result, if inclement weather does blow through, those teams risk being stranded, missing their check-in time and forfeiting their day’s catch.
And then there is the pressure of fishing in a high-stakes tournament final against some of the best redfishing teams the nation has to offer. In the end, some teams will be able to handle it well and others won’t.
With the teams so close together in total weight, the only question remaining is which team can put the entire puzzle together on the final and most crucial day of competition.
Currently, the Texas team of James and John Lloyd is in first place with a total two-day catch of 32 pounds. However, the team of Tadd VanDemark and Kevin Shaw, winner of last month’s Redfish Series Western Division event at Port Aransas, Texas, is hot on their heels in second place with a total weight of 31 pounds, 5 ounces.
Rounding out the top-five finalists are: Ray Chagnard and Edward Adams both of Metairie, La. (four redfish, 31 pounds, 5 ounces); John Henninger and Chris Henninger, both of Jacksonville, Fla. (four redfish, 30 pounds, 15 ounces); and Todd DuFour and Alden Bourgeois, both of Marrero, La. (four redfish, 30 pounds, 11 ounces).
The competition
Now that the full field of 104 boats has been whittled down to the top-five finalists, the remaining teams will hit the water today in search of the heaviest two-fish stringer they can find. Per tournament rules, each fish must fall into a 16- to 27-inch slot limit to qualify for weigh-in. The team that records the largest weight in today’s competition, combined with their weights from Thursday and Friday, will be declared the winner.
The first-place team is guaranteed at least $25,000 cash. However, if a member of the winning team is also the original owner of a Ranger, Champion, Wellcraft or Hydra-Sports boat used during the tournament, the team will receive an additional $12,500 bonus. Also, if a member of the winning team is the original owner of a qualifying Yamaha or Evinrude outboard that is used during the tournament, the team receives another $12,500 bonus from Yamaha for total award of $50,000. For complete Redfish Series contingency information, click here.
Teams also will be vying for valuable points toward a berth into the no-entry-fee, $300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship in Orange Beach, Ala., Oct. 18-20.
Saturday’s weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. Central time at the Wal-Mart store located at 1633 Martin Luther King Boulevard in Houma, La.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:06 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 76 degrees
Expected high temperature: 91 degrees
Water temperature: 82-85 degrees
Tides (at Cocodrie, La.): high 11:36 a.m., low 11:12 p.m.
Wind: East-northeast at 6 mph
Maximum humidity: 63 percent
Day’s outlook: Partly cloudy with chance of isolated thunderstorms