Ready or not
Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series anglers have final day to qualify for Friday’s top-five cut
PORT ARANSAS, Texas – The wind was back again in full force as the field of 112 FLW Redfish teams made their way past the Port Aransas City Marina shortly after 7 a.m. Friday. However, it wasn’t the wind-swept waves that had Western Division anglers talking; it was the turbulent nature of Thursday’s ever-shuffling leaderboard.
Although the Portland, Texas, team of Jimmy Dooms and Jason Rieger brought the most weight (16 pounds, 4 ounces) to the scales in yesterday’s competition, they were ultimately knocked off the official leaderboard when it was ruled their weight would be disallowed for an infraction violating the FLW Outdoors rule governing “Permitted Fishing Locations.”
As a result, the father-son team of Jay Watkins Sr. and Jay Watkins Jr. leapfrogged into first place with a total official catch of 15 pounds, 14 ounces.
Danny and Grant Coppin, another father-son team, also benefited from the shakeup as their weight of 15 pounds, 4 ounces vaulted them from third to second place overall.
Per tournament rules, Dooms-Rieger will be permitted to fish in today’s competition. However, the weight being disallowed in the ruling will make for a steep uphill climb for the duo in Friday’s competition.
Tourney format
All 112 angling teams will compete in Friday’s competition. The top five teams, based on heaviest accumulated weight from yesterday and today, will compete in the finals Saturday.
Two redfish may be weighed in per team, per day. The winning team will be determined by the heaviest combined weight from Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
First-place competitors win upwards of $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 a $12,500 bonus. Additionally, if a member of the winning team is the original owner of a qualifying Yamaha outboard that is used during the tournament, the team receives a $12,500 bonus from Yamaha for total award of $50,000.
Anglers will not only be competing in two-man teams for a top award of as much as $50,000, but they will also be vying for valuable points toward a berth into the no-entry-fee, $300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship in Pensacola, Fla., Oct. 19-21.
Friday’s weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. Central time at Port Aransas City Marina, located at 710 West Ave. A in Port Aransas, Texas.
Friday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:45 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 76 degrees
Expected high temperature: 84 degrees
Water temperature: 78 degrees
Tides (at Port Aransas, Texas): low 3:39 a.m., high 1 p.m.
Wind: SE at 17 mph
Maximum humidity: 95 percent
Day’s outlook: sunny with a chance of isolated thunderstorms