Coppin and company

Father-son team of Danny, Grant Coppin net first place, continue banner rookie season

PORT ARANSAS, Texas – Fishing in the very first competitive redfish tournament of their careers in Rockport, Texas, earlier this year, the duo of Danny and Grant Coppin were on the verge of making the top-five cut. With only two Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series angling teams left to weigh in, the Coppins had visions of pulling off the nearly unprecedented feat of making their first finals in their very first tournament.

However, little did they know, the tournament would end in heartbreak.

“There were only two teams left to weigh in at the time, and we thought we had it,” said 23-year-old Grant Coppin of Corpus Christi, Texas. “But we wound up finishing in sixth place and missing the finals.”

Although it was a great accomplishment, given the fact that it was their first redfish tournament together, they vowed to improve upon that performance as soon as opportunity knocked again.

Well, it didn’t take long. In fact, it only took one more tournament.

Using a two-day catch of 28 pounds, 14 ounces, the Coppins not only qualified for the finals at the Port Aransas event in convincing fashion, but they also grabbed the overall lead in the process.

“It feels great. This is exactly where we want to be,” said proud father Danny Coppin of Belton, Texas. “Coming back to weigh-in today was wonderful. We knew if we had 13 pounds, we’d make it to the finals. And that’s what happened. So far, so good.”

“I feel really good,” said Grant, echoing his father’s enthusiasm. “Redfishing is kind of new to me, but that’s what also makes it so exciting.”

The Coppins, models of consistency so far, said they used a combination of spinnerbaits in 4 feet of water to land their two-fish catch.

“We’re fishing kind of deep for redfish, relatively speaking,” Danny Coppin said. “And we’re blind-casting. So, for the most part, we’re not really seeing any of our fish.”

While the Coppins are in excellent shape heading into the finals, the father-and-son duo admitted that there are still some potential hurdles to overcome.

“We didn’t get as many keepers as we would have liked today, and I’m a little worried we’re starting to run out of fish,” Danny Coppin said. “But because I’m fishing with my son, it doesn’t get any better than this, no matter what happens. The best thing I can tell you is that as a parent, you’re only as happy as your saddest child. And I think Grant is pretty happy today.”

“Oh yeah,” Grant said.

Team Berkley powers way into second place

While the Coppins were reveling in their first-place standing, the Berkley team, consisting of brothers Jonathan and Kris Culpepper, underscored the effectiveness of family-style partnerships yet again in this Western Division event.

Using a two-day catch of 28 pounds, 3 ounces, Team Berkley grabbed hold of second place overall – merely 11 ounces off the lead.

“Ideally, we’d like to be a little closer to the leaders, but 11 ounces isn’t so bad,” said Jon Culpepper, who, along with his brother, hails from Houston. “We’ll just have to see what happens tomorrow. Overall, we feel pretty good that we can catch a bunch of fish. We’re able to lay off on some of our areas today, but we’re really going to pound them tomorrow.”

Kris Culpepper, who said the team is fishing Berkley Gulp baits with 3/8-ounce jigheads, agreed that they have a real shot to walk away with the tournament title during Saturday’s finals.

“We feel like we should be able to catch about 12 1/2 pounds without a problem,” Kris Culpepper said. “But that’s not going to be enough to win. To win, we’re going to need about 14 pounds. And to get that, we’re really going to have to dig. But we’re up for the challenge.”

Best of the rest

The father-son team of Jay Watkins Sr. and Jay Watkins Jr. – both of Rockport, Texas – turned in a two-day catch of 27 pounds, 7 ounces to qualify for the finals in third place.

Team Folgers, consisting of Tommy Ramzinsky of Fulton, Texas, and Todd Adams of Rockport, Texas, grabbed fourth place overall with a total catch of 27 pounds, 5 ounces.

Meanwhile, Cory Walker of Stafford, Texas, and Jason White of Austin, Texas, finished the day in fifth place with a total catch of 27 pounds, 1 ounce.

The final day of Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Western action at Port Aransas will commence during tomorrow’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 7 a.m. at Conn Brown Harbor in Aransas Pass, Texas.