An ounce of prevention

Redfish Series Championship shaping up to be tightest race of season

ORANGE BEACH, Ala. – Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series teams entered day two of the Redfish Series Championship with one thing in mind: every ounce counts.

Though Todd Adams of Rockport, Texas, and Tommy Ramzinsky of Fulton, Texas, lead the event by nearly a pound with 13 pounds, 11 ounces, a five-way tie for eighth place at 11 pounds, 13 ounces demonstrates just how tight this championship race might become.

Ties after day two of a Redfish Series event are broken by the heaviest day-one stringer. But considering that five teams posted 11 pounds, 13 ounces and three teams posted 11 pounds, 12 ounces for day-one weights, there is a good possibility that double ties could happen at Friday’s weigh-in, especially for a coveted top-10 slot.

Should that happen today, ties will be broken by divisional standings, which could get even more interesting since teams from both the Eastern and Western divisions are participating in the event. If an Eastern Division team double ties a Western Division team, then the tie will still be broken by highest divisional standing, even though they are in two different divisions.

“It just goes to show how critical every ounce is in this game,” said Peter Young of New Orleans, who currently sits in second with 12 pounds, 12 ounces. “That’s why you have to take such extreme care of your fish.

“Obviously, dead-fish penalties can kill you, but so can the precious lost ounces that result from fish regurgitating crabs or mullet. The more beat up your fish get on rough runs, the more likely they are to start spitting up forage. When you open your well to find a couple of half-digested mullet in the bottom, that’s weight you’ve lost, and it can cost you thousands of dollars – believe me, I know. A lot of that is preventable by catching fish early and leaving in plenty of time to get back, so you can baby the fish all the way home.”

The day-two weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. at Zeke’s Marina in Orange Beach, Ala.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:02 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 47 degrees

Expected high temperature: 72 degrees

Water temperature: 68-71 degree

Forecasted winds: NNE at 10 to 15 mph

Day’s outlook: mostly sunny