Bringing their Port ‘A’ game
Top-five Wal-Mart FLW Redfish angling teams set to battle for Port Aransas tournament title in today’s finals
PORT ARANSAS, Texas – With storm clouds congregating on the horizon and anglers facing the windiest conditions they have all week, the top-five Redfish Series teams made their way past Conn Brown Harbor shortly after 7 a.m. Saturday morning in a quest for a tournament title. However, the difficult conditions weren’t the only obstacles standing in the way of a first-place finish for the finalists. In total, the entire final field is separated by a mere 1 pound, 13 ounces – meaning that the competition will be as stiff as the weather, if not more so.
“We’re shooting for 16 pounds today,” said Todd Adams of Team Folgers, currently in fourth place. “The pressure is on the leaders (the father-and-son team of Danny and Grant Coppin), but we’re going to have to make sure that we get two big bites and get them in the boat. We’re going to be swinging for the fences today.”
Adams teammate, Tommy Ramzinsky, said anglers are going to have to ignore the weather as much as possible and simply concentrate on boating a limit.
“The wind is really going to be blowing today,” said Tommy Ramzinsky “They’re predicting 20 to 30 mph gusts, so it’s going to affect all of us out there today. And they’re calling for thunderstorms at noon, so that should make things interesting.”
Big prize money on the line
Per tournament rules, the first-place redfish team will earn approximately $20,000 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 at Port Aransas, 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.
Saturday’s weigh-in begins at 4 p.m. Central time at the Wal-Mart store located at 1920 W. Wheeler Road in Aransas Pass, Texas.
Saturday’s conditions
Sunrise: 6:45 a.m.
Temperature at takeoff: 79 degrees
Expected high temperature: 84 degrees
Water temperature: 78 degrees
Tides (at Port Aransas, Texas): low 4:48 a.m., high 1:11 p.m.
Wind: South-southeast at 14 mph
Maximum humidity: 97 percent
Day’s outlook: Cloudy with a chance of severe thunderstorms later in the afternoon