It is no secret that the Coastal Bend harbors some of the most fabled redfish waters up and down the Texas coastline. But according to Ranger pro Tommy Ramzinsky of Rockport, Texas, the five-star fishery isn’t likely to be in its best form when the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Western Division rolls into town for its 2006 season opener.

“My guess is it is going to be tough,” said Ramzinsky, who teamed with Todd Adams to win the 2005 FLW Redfish Series Championship. “We are probably going to see some gale-force winds that will dirty up the water pretty good.”

Wind and dirty water aside, Ramzinsky still expects to see some quality limits brought to the scale. A large percentage of the field will stick close and scratch out limits drifting over grassy flats in the vicinity of Estes and Hog Pen. Others will make the 90-minute run south to test the waters in the Laguna Madre. Ramzinsky expects gold spoons and topwaters to account for the heaviest sacks.

Ramzinsky’s call: 28-31 pounds to make the top five; 45-46 pounds to win.