Going blind

Stiff winds kill sight-fishing bite in Redfish Series Eastern

ENGLEWOOD, Fla. – A stealthy sight-fishing approach is often the most effective way to catch upper-slot redfish. But thus far, blustery weather has put an end to the sight-fishing craze. In order to adjust, anglers are going blind.

The conditions on day two of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Eastern Division event in Englewood, Fla., look almost identical to Thursday. That means there is a small window of time in the morning where sight-fishing experts such as Andrew Bostick and Mark Sepe can employ their favorite tactic. But once the strong southern wind blows up around 20 mph, its time to put the Power-Pole down and start making long casts.

On day one, the key bait seemed to be a 1/2-ounce golden spoon. The spoon was effective mainly because it allowed anglers to make extremely long casts. Others were adding weight to the standard Berkley Gulp shrimp offering.

“I told Christine we needed to cast as far as we could because I knew how edgy these fish were,” said day-one leader Troy Perez, who shares the top slot with his wife and teammate.

As Redfish Series competition began on day two, the wind was still relatively calm, and once again the small window of opportunity was apparent. But teams better capitalize early, as it’s not going to stay that way.

This afternoon’s weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. Eastern time at Stump Pass Marina in Englewood. At the conclusion of today’s weigh-in, the top five teams, based on heaviest combined weight, advance to Saturday’s final round.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:54 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 68 degrees

Expected high temperature: 86 degrees

Water temperature: 73-78 degrees

Wind: SSE at 13 mph

Maximum humidity: 60 percent

Day’s outlook: partly cloudy