PENN International Reel Brings in Giant 405.2-Pound Yellowfin

Few world-fishing records have been as elusive as the yellowfin tuna, standing since 1977 – until now. Fishing on December 6th, Mike Livingston of Sunland, Calif., never thought it possible to hoist up a yellowfin that would potentially topple the previous 33-year old world record of 388 pounds, 12 ounces. However, Livingston caught a giant 405.2-pound giant yellowfin tuna, making good use of the PENN International 30SW, and threatening the 33-year old record.

“I got him on a sardine,” said Livingston, “and a 9/0 Owner Super Mutu hook. I used my PENN reel, which was a gift from a buddy and was blueprinted by Cal Sheets. I custom-wrapped the rod myself. It’s a five and a half-footer, a no-name. After all those years, since 1974, I’ve been out fishing on many boats, and I get this one on a no-name rod! My best yellowfin before was about a 100-pounder.”

“When he struck I had 26 pounds of drag pressure on the reel. I’ve never had a big one hooked before, so I listened when (crewman) Timmy DePhilippis said to put the lever all the way up to full drag. Boy, that took me to my toes! I used all that the reel had and my fingers.”

If the fish is accepted by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) as an official record, it will be the all-time, all-tackle tuna for the yellowfin species. The International Game Fish Association approved the application for the record. Because it was caught in Mexico, the organization's records coordinator says it will take at least 90 days to proclaim it as a record.

Chris Williams Talks About 2010 IFA Redfish Championship

Our tournament was scheduled to be on Friday November 5th and Saturday November 6th 2010. But unfortunately, the weather was so bad Friday that they had to postpone the tournament till Saturday and Sunday. So my partner (Kirk) and I decided to head to our spots to nail down a game plan for the tournament. The North wind was so bad on Friday that all of the water in our A and B spot was completely gone along with the fish and our game plan. Instantly freaked out, we decided to go scout some more. We moved down the shoreline to spot C and low and behold the fish remained in the spot and so did the water! We caught two fish out of the spot to check the weights of the fish and they were solid at 6 lbs a piece. “Perfect!” we thought. Knowing that 6 lbs won’t win the tournament but it will put us in the top 10 if not the top 5, we went with it. So we loaded up the boat and headed home.

Tournament Day 1:
We headed out at first light and started our two hour boat ride to our spot. It was so cold outside that I had on two jackets and a face shield just to keep my nose from freezing and falling off. Once we got close to our spot, we high centered the boat on a mud flat that we couldn’t see and that wasn’t there the day before. Apparently it was dead low tide again and the wind had pushed all the water out of the bay we had to pass through. “Uhh…I thought. It’s going to be a long day.” After about 15 min of grunt work, we got the boat off the flat and proceeded to head into our spot. Now remember, we have to be back to the weigh-in by 3:00 PM, giving us four hours to fish “Assuming” that we have no issues such as getting gas or running aground (which we had to do both). So realistically, we only had about 3 hours to catch our fish for the day and head back. So anyway, back to the story. Upon reaching our first spot, the water was so low we couldn’t get back into the pond where the fish were. “Great, just great” we thought. So we started fishing the shoreline surrounding the pond waiting for the tide to rise so we could force our way back in there. We managed to pick up one fish just milling around waiting so we still felt good about our chances but we not convinced we were going to pick up what we needed to put us in contention for a top 5 finish.

Finally, after about 2 hours the tide had rose enough for us to get back there. This left us about an hour to catch one more fish, if not cull up on the 5 lbs fish we had in the live well. Once we got back there the redfish were everywhere, blowing up the water on both sides of the banks eating small shrimp and minnows. The wind was still howling. It took everything I had to navigate the boat and keep it strait so we could chase these fish. After about 5 casts, I gave up and just proceeded to navigate the boat and let my partner do the sight fishing and the catching. Thankfully, this is a team sport and my partner is a top notch angler! The fish seemed to be a bit spooky but they just couldn’t resist the Z-Man Minnowz we were throwing at them. We boated somewhere around 5 more fish in that pond culling up almost every time. Around 1:45 we called it a day and started heading back to get gas for the ride home. By the way, we left the fish biting.

Man that was hard to do….
We make it back to the weigh in with about 5 min to spare. “Whew! We made it Kirk.” He just smiled and said, “Yes we did.” Jerry the tournament director, calls us up, so up the ramp we go to the stage to weigh in. I weigh my fish first; look around at the cameras and such, instantly getting nervous. Jerry calls out a good weight of 6.07 lbs for the first fish. Kirk is next, he places his fish on the scales and it weighs 5.83 lbs. giving us a day 1 total of 11.90 lbs firmly placing us in 9th place going into day 2. Feeling good about our position and knowing what kind of fish we left in our pond, we went to load the boat up and head home.

Tournament Day 2:
The day started out just like the day before, COLD and WINDY! The time had changed on us so instead of casting off at 7 AM, the take off had been moved up to 6 AM.
“Sweet” we thought, “an extra hour to fish.”
Take off was just like the day before, 2 hour ride to the spot and hopefully we had more water so we could just go straight to our spot. But unfortunately, it was just as it was the day before and we high centered the boat again on the same flat. We even took another line farther out “away” from where we got stuck the day before. Eventually, we moved off the flat and proceeded to get into our spot. This time, I forced us in to the pond. Thank the lord for a 101 lbs thrust trolling motor. Once we were in the pond, the fish were blowing up everywhere but they wouldn’t eat a single thing we through at them. We chased these fish all the way to the back of the pond. As we slowly approached the back of the pond, the fish were everywhere. We power poled down and waited to see what they were doing and how they were moving around the shoreline hoping they would give us a solid pattern to attack. Next thing we knew, a school of about 5 or 6 fish come down the shoreline, right at the boat. Kirk cast in front of the school and waited for them to come to the bait. “Here they come……wait for it……wait for it……….TWITCH! TWITCH! BAM!!! Fish on baby! Fish on!” I just love the feel of a big redfish pulling drag on our Ardent C400 Reels! I went to get the net but Kirk just flipped the fish in the boat. Just goes to show you the strength of the Fetha Styx rods right there. There aren’t many rods out there that allow you to just flip a 6 lb fish in the boat without using a net! I instantly had Kirk another rod while I tend to the fish. Bam! Fish on again. I haven’t even de-hooked the fish he just caught. “That’s what I’m talking about Kirk!”
“Brought your selves” he says in his Cajun accent.

I instantly start laughing, there is just something that cracks me up every time when starts that Cajun accent and lingo. We ended up boating about 5 or 6 fish before the schools calm down and retreat to the shallows where we couldn’t get to them. So we start our trek back down the shoreline to try to cull up on weight. About halfway down the shoreline, I make a blind cast then instantly have to correct the path of the boat with the trolling motor to keep us straight. Then all of a sudden, woah…the rod bout comes out of my hand. I set the hook out of instinct and “Fish on Baby!” Only this time, we won’t take the chance at flipping this one in the boat, he was a pig! Kirk nets him and we both just look at each other. This one is a stud for sure! He grabs the Boga Grip and weigh him, “just over 8 lbs” he says! We are in shock, our hearts are about to beat out of our chests. “Let’s measure him” I say. Low and behold, he is about 1/16th over sized. Instantly, our hearts break. If that fish would have measured it would have put is in the top 4 if not the top 3 for sure. Distraught by the fish being oversized, we toss him back. We eventually pick up a few more fish but nothing that allowed us to cull up. Kirk looks at his watch, “Man 1:00 pm comes fast dude, time to go bro.” So we pack up the boat, suit up for the wet and rough ride back to the weigh in. We get back with about 15 min to spare this time because it wasn’t nearly as rough of a ride back as it was the day before. Upon reaching the docks, our hearts are starting to really get after it. “Man, these fish aren’t what we need to place as high as we want” I say. “Don’t worry about it bro, we got this,” utters Kirk. I smile and say, “Let’s do this.” We bump knuckles and head up to the weigh in with our two fish.

Jerry calls us up again to weigh our fish. “Here we go Kirk.” I’m up first, Jerry calls out the weight of 6.39. Man, I thought that fish was a little bigger than that. Kirk is next, his fish weighed 6.14! Jerry gives us a big congrats and interviews us a bit. “Where did you go, what did you catch them on, how far did you run, how many did you catch.” You know, all the normal questions. Then proceeds to tell us that this weight puts us in 3rd! I’m ecstatic by this point. But knowing that there are still a few teams to weigh in, we head back into the crowd to wait it out. Once all the teams weigh in they have a short intermission. Kirk and I are going through D.T’s. Well, at least I am. Finally, after what seemed like an hour of them totaling up the weights, they start calling out the top 25 teams. They get through the first 15 teams and haven’t called us yet. “Dude, we are in the top 10!” I tell Kirk, he gives me a huge smile. They call out 5 – 10. We haven’t been called yet! I’m freaking out at this point. “Next up is our 5th place team of Kirk Davis and Chris Williams with a two day total of 24.43 lbs!” My heart stops! I’m all smiles at this point. I look at Kirk and he is grinning from ear to ear. We go up to collect our trophies and get interviewed again. Jerry looks at me and asked, “How many miles did you travel to catch those fish?” I responded, “About 120 miles round trip.” Then proceeds to ask Kirk and me some more questions in front of the cameras, I was nervous and ultra excited all at the same time. After some picture taking time for the media and World Fishing Network we head down to the boat to go put it up on the trailer and head home. Once we get to the boat, we look at each other fist bump and say, “Let’s do it again next year bro!” Then we head off into the sunset on the phones with our families telling them the news.

Kelly Phillips Wins IFA Kayak Championship

Kelly Phillips, of Lakeland, Fla., led wire-to-wire, measuring four fish totaling a combined 125 inches in length to win the first-ever championship tournament for the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie on November 13. The event, contested in and around Orange Beach, Ala., which operated out of the Cobalt Restaurant, featured a field of qualifying anglers from each of the six divisions of the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour looking to catch and document the largest redfish and speckled sea trout each day of the two-day catch-photograph-and-release event. Phillips' combined aggregate score gave him a 22.5-inch margin of victory, bringing him the first championship title for the first-year tour.

With the win, Phillips won a new Hobie Mirage Pro Angler Kayak valued at $2,399 plus $200 in first-place prize money, plus an addition $200 for the largest redfish of the tournament, a 43-inch kicker caught on the final day.

With a first-day lead, Phillips took the waters around Orange Beach, followed by a camera crew who were filming for the upcoming IFA television show, set to debut nationally on Versus in 2011. Fishing from a Hobie Pro-Angler Kayak - his first-place prize for winning the tournament at Fernandina earlier this year - Phillips did not succumb to the pressure of fishing in front of an entourage. Using Berkley Gulp! shrimp and Bomber topwater lures, Phillips' performance in front of the camera yielded his second over-40-inch redfish of the event plus a measurable trout.

"The IFA put on a great event; the staff is professional and great to work with. I'm going to be inviting everyone I know to fish the tour next year," said Phillips, who qualified from the Florida East Coast Division. "I want to give Hobie props for making incredible kayaks. The Pro-Angler made the fishing I did much easier due to the stability and being able to move around more quickly and at will. I've been in all kind of kayaks and this is hands down the best."

Second-place finisher, Jason Callaghan, of Crawfordville, Fla., measured a combine 102.50 inches over two days, including a 28.75-inch trout on day one, the largest of the event. With his second-place finish, Callaghan took home a Hobie Mirage Outback kayak valued at $1,749; $150 in second-place prize money plus $200 for the largest speckled sea trout of the event.

In addition to seeking the first-ever championship for the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie, Callaghan, who qualified out of the Gulf Coast Division, was out to settle a bit of sibling rivalry with his brother, Liam Callaghan. Liam, who finished fifth in the championship event, was the Angler of the Year in the Gulf Coast Division, edging out Jason by nine points. Using topwater baits to target large trout, Jason got the better of his brother in the championship event, but Liam captured the Overall Angler of the Year, worth $1,000, with the highest championship finish of the six division winners.

"I am thankful to the IFA for giving us a chance to compete. It's been a fantastic experience," Jason Callaghan said. "I decided to go after my trout early, but nothing went as planned. I didn't have a trout in the first four hours. The second day the wind got crazy and we had to tether our kayaks and huddle up in our windbreakers."

Third-place winner, Timothy Walker, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., measured four fish totaling 100.88 inches, winning a Hobie Quest kayak valued at $949 and $100 in third-place prize money. Qualifying out of the Gulf Coast Division where he finished fifth in the regular-season points standings, Walker caught two big redfish the first day, including a 40.25-inch kicker, but couldn't manage to find similarly sized fish on the final day.

"I went back to the same spot and didn't have the same luck," said Walker, who had a fifth-place finish at Destin, Fla., and a sixth-place finish at Panama City Beach this season. "Luckily I had a couple of other spots that I could run to and managed to catch enough to finish third."

The IFA Redfish Tour continues to draw redfish anglers from Texas to the Carolinas and beyond, offering two-angler teams the opportunity to compete in six different divisions, each offering a three-event regular season. Low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allows anglers to fish close to home and minimize expenses, while still being a part of a premier inshore, catch-and-release redfish tournament organization. The regular-season IFA Kayak Tour redfish/trout tournaments pay twenty places (based on a 100 boat field) plus Big Redfish, Big Trout and Junior Angler Awards. The winners take home a Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler valued at $2399, 2nd place prize will be a Hobie Mirage Outback, valued at $1,749 and 3rd place a Hobie Quest, valued at $949.

For more information or to become a member of the IFA, the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to www.redfishtour.com or www.ifakayakfishingtour.com. To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go towww.hobiefishing.com.

IFA events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry's most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Hobie Fishing, Cabela's, Yamaha Outboards, Rapala, Trigger X, Sufix, Columbia Sportswear, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Wrap This, CW Crab, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Solar Bat, Navionics, Blue Point Fabrication, EGO Nets, Bob's Machine Shop, 321fish.com, Kayak Anlger Magazine, Terminator, VMC Hooks, Loadmaster, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Local sponsors for the 2010 IFA Redfish Tour Championship include the Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission, Caribe Resort and Cobalt Restaurant.

IFA Kayak Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing Championship
2010 Championship Results
Orange Beach, Ala. (Top 23)

1. Kelly Phillips - 125 inches (Hobie Mirage Pro Angler Kayak + $200)

2. Jason Callaghan - 102.50 inches (Hobie Mirage Outback Kayak + $150)

3. Timothy Walker - 100.88 inches (Hobie Quest Kayak + $100)

4. John Chapman - 95 inches ($150)

5. Liam Callaghan - 89.63 inches ($150)

6. Benton Parrott - 88.13 inches ($150)

7. Brendan Bayard - 82.63 inches ($150)

8. Jeff Suber - 82.25 inches ($150)

9. Clint Barghi - 81.75 inches ($150)

10. Blake Beltz - 78.63 inches ($150)

11. Fil Spencer - 73.00 inches ($125)

12. Gairi Williamson - 64.88 inches ($125)

13. Chris Holmes - 64.50 inches ($125)

14. Vincent Rinando - 60.50 inches ($125)

15. John Lee - 46.25 inches ($125)

16. Wayne Lobb - 38.25 inches ($100)

17. Josh MacNaughton - 37.00 inches ($100)

18. Norman Walker - 22.50 inches ($100)

19. Valerie Gonsoulin - 19.50 inches ($100)

20. Barrett Jones - 19.00 inches ($100)

21. Scott Inge - 19.00 inches ($100)

22. Jason Broach - 18.50 inches ($100)

23. Steve Neece - 14.00 inches ($100)


Big Redfish ($200): Kelly Phillips - 43 inches
Big Trout ($200): Jason Callaghan - 28.75 inches

Dufrene/Cedotal Wins 2010 IFA Redfish Tour Championship At Orange Beach

After a three-year-long tournament partnership filled with numerous Top-3 finishes and other accolades, Chad Dufrene, of Purvis, Miss., and Jay Cedotal, of Baton Rouge, La., made their first-ever IFA Redfish Tour tournament win a memorable one. With a two-day, four-redfish total weight of 30.73 pounds, the pair captured the 2010 IFA Redfish Tour Championship at Orange Beach, Ala., on November 7, winning the event by more than three pounds and making a clean sweep of all the contingency awards.

Along with their championship victory, which brought the pair a loaded, 2010 Ranger 173 Ghost rigged with a 115 HP, 4-stroke Yamaha outboard, Power Pole shallow water anchor, MK trolling motor, HB electronics, Bob's Machine Shop Ultralight jackplate and Blue Point Fabrication metal work with an estimated retail value of $35,000, Dufrene and Cedotal also took home the Ultra 6 Award worth $5,000; $1,084 in Angler's Advantage money; the Rapala Big Fish award worth $700 for their 9.46-pound giant; a $2,500 Cabela's gift card for the Cabela's Angler Cash Award; plus contingency prizes from Minn Kota ($1,500) and Humminbird ($750). In all, the team took home more than $40,000 in cash and prizes in one of the most lucrative weekends in IFA Redfish Tour history.

Their championship win marked the turning of a corner for Dufrene and Cedotal: the pair finished second in both the 2008 and 2009 IFA Championships and won the Cabela's Team of the Year Award in 2009 despite being without a tournament win.

"There were a lot of other tournaments that I wanted to win and coming up just short can be really frustrating," Dufrene said. "But everyone has to win their first one somewhere, and it might as well be the championship."

During pre-tournament scouting, Dufrene located a handful of places where the pair believed they could catch tournament-winning fish. The area that would yield the eventual tournament-winning fish was filled with large redfish gorging on pogies. However, the voracious feeding only lasted a little longer than an hour, meaning the team would have to find other fish after those fish quit eating. But the area resulted in large fish each day on a Marsh Works Bayou Thumper, including some barely over the slot, which were released.

The second-place team of Ryan and Cory Maxwell, both of Pensacola, Fla., brought 27.72 pounds to the scales over two days, overcoming a potentially tournament-ending accident on the first day as they ran aground in shallow water while running at 55 mph. Fishing in the same vicinity as the Dufrene and Cedotal, the Maxwells ran 60 miles each way to find their fish, including the second day's largest limit of 15.73 pounds. With their second-place finish, the team took home $5,000.

"With everything that happened the first day, it threw our fishing off some, but we were still able to bring in a decent limit," Ryan Maxwell said. "We knew the area we were in had the fish to win the tournament but we had some weight to make up on the second day, but we finished strong and had almost 16 pounds."

Weather played a significant factor in the 2010 IFA Championship, altering many teams' fishing plans and even the tournament itself. Day one of the tournament was postponed following a small craft advisory from the National Weather Service. Pre-dawn winds in the area were measured at 29 mph in nearby areas, resulting in 4- to 6-foot seas, resulting in unsafe conditions. As a result, the tournament was contested on Saturday and Sunday instead of the original Friday/Saturday schedule.

Third-place finishers Glenn Finely, of Belton, S.C., and Dodd Wood, of Belton, S.C., brought 27.21 pounds to the championship scales over two days, despite being unable to practice in their chosen area prior to the tournament because of weather. Using Gulp! Shrimp on 4-ounce jig heads as well as Z-Man swim baits to bring in more than 13.5 pounds on both days, the team took home $2,501 in third-place prize money.

"We had some spots that we thought could hold the fish to win the tournament, but the weather had different plans for us," Finely said. "Honestly, we expected to zero on the first day."

During the 2010 IFA Redfish Tour Championship, six anglers competed in a tournament-within-a-tournament for the Cabela's Team of the Year Award and a $5,000 cash prize. Each team to win the points standing from each of the IFA's six divisions competed for the highest place of finish in the group to decide the title. This year, Rennie Clark and Drew Arndt, of Wilmington, N.C., winners of the Atlantic Division, finished 13th, the highest of the six division-winning teams.

"We decided to stay close and not make long runs in search of fish" Clark said. "The worst thing that could have happened to us would have been to get somewhere and not be able to get back in time for check in. With the Team of the Year and the tournament championship on the line, that was just too much to risk."

The IFA Redfish Tour continues to draw redfish anglers from Texas to the Carolinas and beyond, offering two-angler teams the opportunity to compete in six different divisions, each offering a three-event regular season. Low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allows anglers to fish close to home and minimize expenses, while still being a part of a premier inshore, catch-and-release redfish tournament organization. Teams fishing any three of the IFA's 18 regular-season events are automatically qualified for a no-entry-fee championship event, pitting qualifiers from each of the six divisions for a combined $78,200 in payouts and prize packages, as well as a shot at the coveted Cabela's Overall Divisional Team of the Year Award for the six regular-season division winners.

In addition to a possible $60,000 in payouts per event (based on a 100-boat field), the first-place prize package for all 18 IFA Redfish Tour regular-season events remains extremely lucrative. In 2010, every regular-season tournament winner is guaranteed - regardless of field size - a fully loaded 2010 Ranger Banshee Extreme. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work, Bob's four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate and a Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000.

For more information or to become a member of the IFA, the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to www.redfishtour.com or www.ifakayakfishingtour.com. To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go towww.hobiefishing.com.

IFA events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry's most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Hobie Fishing, Cabela's, Yamaha Outboards, Rapala, Trigger X, Sufix, Columbia Sportswear, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Wrap This, CW Crab, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Solar Bat, Navionics, Blue Point Fabrication, EGO Nets, Bob's Machine Shop, 321fish.com, Kayak Anlger Magazine, Terminator, VMC Hooks, Loadmaster, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. Local sponsors for the 2010 IFA Redfish Tour Championship include the Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission, Caribe Resort and Cobalt Restaurant.

2010 IFA Redfish Tour Championship
Orange Beach, Ala. (Top 25)
1. Dufrene/Cedotal - 30.73 lbs. (2010 Ranger 173 Ghost)

2. Maxwell/Maxwell - 27.72 lbs. ($5,000)

3. Finley/Wood - 27.21 lbs. ($2,501)

4. Nelson/Nelson - 26.04 lbs. ($1,501)

5. Davis/Williams - 24.43 lbs. ($1,001)

6. Pattison/Cube - 23.89 lbs. ($750)

7. Jimenez/Gilbert - 23.30 lbs. ($750)

8. Vercillo/Peters - 22.69 lbs. ($750)

9. White/White - 22.42 lbs. ($750)

10. Fraser/Sapp - 21.89 lbs. ($750)

11. Nelson/Brown - 20.40 lbs. ($551)

12. Watts/Dasinger - 20.33 lbs. ($551)

13. Clark/Arndt - 20.29 lbs. ($551)

14. Melvin/Watson - 19.53 lbs. ($551)

15. Oliverio/Green - 19.31 lbs. ($551)

16. Derringer/McCullough - 17.11 lbs. ($500)

17. Vallandingham/Tierman - 16.74 lbs. ($500)

18. Massey/Metzger - 16.20 lbs. ($500)

19. Jewett/Maddox - 14.61 lbs. ($500)

20. Walker/Glenn - 14.29 lbs. ($500)

21. Henninger/Eschete - 13.96 lbs. ($450)

22. Bird/Bird - 13.32 lbs. ($450)

23. Walker/Hendrick - 13.06 lbs. ($450)

24. Cleveland/Leeper - 13.03 lbs. ($450)

25. Fields/Crumpton - 11.75 lbs. ($450)


Rapala Big Fish ($700): Dufrene/Cedotal (9.46 lbs.)
Cabela's Angler Cash ($2,500 Cabela's Gift Card): Dufrene/Cedotal
Cabela's Team of the Year ($5,000): Clark/Arndt
Minn Kota Contingency Prize ($1,500): Dufrene/Cedotal
Humminbird Contingency Prize ($750): Dufrene/Cedotal
Ultra 6 Award ($5,000): Dufrene/Cedotal

First-Ever All-Female Team Shares Win At Cabela's Speckled Trout USA Event

November the 6th & 7th the Cabela's Speckled Trout USA Tournament Trail held their last event of the year at the Sea Hag Marina where they had their first ever tie and first ever Female/Female team of Johns and Fletcher taking first place in the 2-day event.

In a tie for first place was the team of Cynthia Johns of Steinhatchee, Florida and Sherry Fletcher of Perry, Florida with a 2-day total of 23.86 pounds and earning $2,250.00. Cynthia and Sherry were fishing the #1 channel marker north of Steinhatchee using white and green soft plastic lures to catch 17 fish on each day of the event.

Also in the tie for first place was the team of John Martin of Valdosta, Georgia and Lewis Sargent of Sparks, Georgia weighing in the same weight of 23.86 pounds and also earning $2,250.00. John and Lewis were fishing north of Keaton Beach using gold/blue and green mirror lures. The team caught a total of 25 fish during the event.

Third place went to Toby Griffis of Brooker, Florida and Kristen Longmore of Gainesville, Florida with a 2-day total of 21.24 pounds and earning $1,000.00. Toby and Kristen were fishing north of Steinhatchee using silver mirror lures and catching 15 fish in the 2-day event.

Stephen Cooper of Hadira, Georgia and Bob Green of Valdosta, Georgia captured big trout in the event at a weight of 6.5 pounds and earning a $500.00 Gift Certificate from Cabela's, The World's Foremost Outfitters.

Taking big Redfish of the event was the team of Joey Landreneau of Gainesville, Florida and Bill Stanley of Madison, Florida with a weight of 7.27 pounds and earning $500.00 cash.

"Fishing was tough with high winds, low tides, and cold temperatures hindered the fishing", said Tournament Director Tanner Tabor. "This was a tournament of firsts, as we had the first all female team win, and we also had our first tie for first place, which we ended up adding up first and second places, and then dividing the money between the two first place teams", said Tabor. "We want to thank all the anglers who have fished in our events and the sponsors who have made this circuit possible."

Up Coming Ban On Bottom Fishing

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) was recently notified by NMFS' Southeast Regional Office that a 4,800-square mile fishing ban is on its way for South Atlantic anglers. A final rule to implement controversial Amendment 17A will likely be published in mid-November, but the U.S. Department of Commerce's announcement will ultimately establish a closed area extending from southern Georgia to Cape Canaveral, FL affecting angler harvest and possession of all snapper-grouper species.

Tony Jackson & Kelly Causey Take 1st Place at Gulf Shores IFA Redfish Tour Event

Teammates Tony Jackson and Kelly Causey weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 14.58 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Gulf Shores, Ala., on October 16. To win the event, the final regular-season tournament for the IFA's Gulf Coast Division which operated out of LuLu's at Home Port Marina, Jackson and Causey bested a competitive field to take home a new Ranger Banshee Extreme valued at $30,000.

Lee Smith Wins IFA Kayak Tournament at Gulf Shores, Alabama

Lee Smith caught a redfish and speckled sea trout totaling 57 inches in combined length to win the IFA Kayak Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing event at Gulf Shores, Ala., on October 17. The event, which operated out of LuLu's at Home Port Marina, was the final regular-season event for the IFA Kayak Tour's Gulf Coast Division.

Jonathan Martin & Justin Breaux Win Cabela's Speckled Trout USA Tournament

Saturday October 2nd the Cabela's Speckled Trout USA Tournament Trail held another successful event at the Trade Winds Marina and Lodge where anglers from around the area competed for the $7,500.00 payback.

Louisiana Reopens All State Waters to Recreational Angling

Today, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission ordered an immediate opening of all state inshore and offshore territorial waters to recreational angling, including charter boat angling. The areas opened today by the commission do not include the recreational harvest of shrimp, crabs or oysters. Prior to today's action, approximately 862 square miles or 11 percent of saltwater areas of the state remained closed to all recreational fishing due to the impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Capt. Blair Wiggins Talks About his Signature Line of Rods

New York State to Repeal Saltwater License

Senator Brian X. Foley (D - District 3) yesterday announced that the Senate version of the bill to repeal New York's saltwater fishing license was approved by a vote of 60-1 on the floor of the Senate, with one abstention. The Foley-sponsored legislation (S6250) would create a registration system for recreational saltwater fishing which will track the name, address, date of birth and telephone number for each resident engaging in saltwater fishing. Each person who registers with the system will receive an identification number that is unique to him or her. Residents will be able to register for the system via the internet or a telephone number, as provided by the commissioner. This new registry would take the place of the saltwater fishing license that was mandated as part of last year's state budget.

Team Larose/Domangue Wins IFA Redfish Tour Stop

Miles LaRose, of Metairie, and Beau Domangue, of Slidell, Louisiana, weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 17.20 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Cocodrie, Louisiana, on April 25. Battling tough weather conditions that halted the tournament, LaRose and Domangue bested the entire field of two-angler teams to take home Big Fish honors as well as a decked-out Ranger Banshee Extreme valued at $30,000.

Brandon Bayard Wins IFA Kayak Tour Event at Cocadrie

Brandon Bayard, of Baton Rouge, La., caught a redfish and speckled sea trout totaling 42 inches in length to secure a win in the IFA Kayak Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing at Cocodrie on April 25. The event, open to non-motorized kayaks only, was the fifth regular-season event overall and first in the Louisiana Division for the first-year fishing tour.

Barton Brothers Win IFA Redfish Tour Event

The brother team of Charlie Barton, of Port Lavaca, Texas, and Jack Barton, of Port Isabelle, Texas, weighed in a two-redfish limited that totaled 14.67 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Port Lavaca on April 17. To win the event, the regular-season opener for the IFA's Texas Division which launched out of Lighthouse Beach Park, Barton and Barton bested a large contingent of two-angler teams to take home a $30,000 Ranger Banshee Extreme plus an additional $3,280 in cash and prizes to go along with an early points lead in the Texas Division.

James Tesch Wins IFA Kayak Tour at Port Lavaca

James Tesch, of Sweeny, Texas, caught a redfish and speckled sea trout totaling 46.5 inches in length to win the IFA Kayak Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing at Port Lavaca, Texas, on April 17. The event, hosted by the Hobie Dealership, Seaworthy Marine, was the regular-season opener for he IFA Kayak Tour's Texas Division.

Team Jimenez/Gilbert Wins IFA Redfish At Destin

Jim Jimenez, of Pace, Florida, and Curtis Gilbert, of Gulf Shores, Alabama, weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 14.08 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Destin, Florida, on March 13. To win the event, the regular-season opener for the IFA's Gulf Coast Division which launched out of Legendary Marine, Jimenez and Gilbert bested the entire field of two-angler teams to take home a $30,000 Ranger Banshee Extreme as well as an early points lead in the IFA Gulf Coast Division.

ESPN Saltwater Series Features Five Redbone Events

ESPN Outdoors, the worldwide leader in outdoor events coverage, announced today the schedule for the 2010 Built Ford Tough ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series presented by Takemefishing.org. The announcement precedes the debut of the ESPN2 coverage of the 2009 Saltwater Series, which will air Sunday, March 28 at 8 a.m. ET, with original episodes through May 2.

LDWF Teams With LWFF to Kickoff Tag and Release Tournament

The inaugural Louisiana Saltwater Series Fishing Tournament, hosted by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (LWFF), will open March 6, 2010, in Lafitte, Louisiana at the SeaWay Marina. Avid anglers and newcomers alike are invited to participate in this one-of-a-kind tag and release redfish tournament.

Florida Snook Harvest Still Prohibited

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) reminds anglers that the harvest season for snook in Gulf of Mexico, Everglades National Park and Monroe County waters, which usually begins on March 1, will not be open this year. The FWC issued an executive order on Jan. 15 that temporarily extends closed harvest seasons for snook statewide until Sept. 1 to protect snook populations affected by recent prolonged cold weather in Florida.