Southern discomfort

Weather could scramble plans for Redfish Series teams

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – With more south wind forecast for the final day of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series event in Punta Gorda, teams can count on two things: redfish enjoying a day of high water feeding and a bumpy trip to and from the bite.

On Florida’s Gulf Coast, southerly winds hold back outgoing tides and bolster the incoming cycle. The latter pushes unusually high water levels across inshore shallows and that gives redfish lots of new feeding opportunities. Anglers benefit from increased access to areas typically limited by low water levels, but they pay the toll when the south wind churns boating channels.

Sitting in the top spot with 29 pounds, 6 ounces, Roger Crafton of Boca Grande, Fla. and John Ochs of Englewood, Fla. have turned in the most consistent performances. They weighed 14 pounds, 14 ounces on day one and 14-8 on day two.

Crafton said that because of the wind, he and Ochs will forego their low water spots along channel edges and over deeper potholes. Instead, they’ll devote their day to working high water spots over shallow grass beds.

“With the incoming tide and a south wind blowing, the tide’s going to get real high real quick – I don’t think we’re going to have much low water this morning,” he said. “We’re going to adjust our game plan a little bit and not fish some of the areas we fish when the water’s shallower. We’re going to go right to our high water spots.”

The leaders will fish Berkley Gulp! shrimp on jigheads slowly across the grass. Crafton said they’ll stake out with their Power Pole and fish each spot slowly and thoroughly.

In third place with 27-04, Jason Coffrin and Ed Arsenault, both of Sarasota, Fla. will fish potholes about 80 miles north of Punta Gorda. Having fished this area on days one and two, the anglers are confident in its potential. Challenging weather is the only uncertainty.

“With the wind getting even worse, we just have to get there – I think that’s the main concern,” Coffrin said. “Once we got there both days, we’d get our fish and come home. Basically, what it comes down to is the run there and back.”

Seeking to improve their fourth place spot, Randy Hendrick of Clearwater, Fla. and Chris Wittman of Fort Myers, Fla. will make the same 2-hour run to the lower end of Pine Island Sound that they made during the two qualifying days. Targeting the drop-off edge of sand bar, they’ll fish a mixture of suspending hard baits and Berkley Gulp! shrimp in five to six feet of water.

“The only thing different about today is that we’re going to stick more fish,” Wittman said. “We took it easy on them the last couple of days and only took what we needed to get to where we are. Today we’re going to try and hook more fish.”

Talent and local knowledge runs deep in this top-five field, but if Crafton and Ochs can boat another solid limit, they’ll be hard to beat. However, the second place team of Warren Girle and Billy Harris turned in the event’s biggest limit – 15 pounds, 2 ounces – on day two. Should they find two more heavy reds, they could steal the show.

Logistics

All teams compete during the first two days, and the top five teams based on accumulated weight advance to day three. Final standings are determined by the total weight from all three days.

Saturday’s weigh-ins start at 4 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store located at 3811 Tamiami Trail, Punta Gorda. Take-offs and weigh-ins are free, and the community is invited to attend the festivities.

The Punta Gorda FLW Redfish Series event is hosted by the City of Punta Gorda.

The top award of $50,000 includes $20,000 cash plus a $15,000 cash bonus from Ranger Boats and a $15,000 cash bonus from Yamaha or Evinrude if contingency guidelines are met.

The top 50 teams in each division of the 2008 FLW Redfish Series, based on Land O’Lakes Team of the Year points standings at the end of the season, will advance to the $300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Biloxi, Miss. The winning team at the championship will earn as much as $100,000.

Saturday’s conditions:

Sunrise: 6:58 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 72

Expected high temperature: 85

Water temperature: 65

Wind: SSW 15 mph

Humidity: 65

Day’s outlook: Partly cloudy, isolated afternoon thunderstorms