Benson-Howie lead by 1 pound at Redfish Series

Top weights remain strong in final Eastern Division event of Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series season

FERNANDINA BEACH, Fla. – While many predicted the top-five cut at the FLW Redfish Series in Fernandina Beach would be in the 20- to 21-pound range after two days, when the weigh-in ended this afternoon, it took nearly 23 pounds to qualify for Saturday’s final round.

Overall, the catch did fall off substantially, with half the teams zeroing today and only 86 redfish being weighed compared to the 120 redfish that crossed the stage yesterday.

But those teams on solid fish brought them again, making the day-two standings top-heavy.

Daniel Benson of Brandon, Fla., and Steven Howie of Saint Cloud, Fla., now lead the event with a two-day total of 25 pounds, 5 ounces.

Benson and Howie won the Redfish Series Eastern Division Team of the Year honors in 2006 without ever cracking the top five in a single event.

“We’re glad to finally make a top-five,” Howie said. “We were so close every tournament last year, but could never get in. So finally we’re in.”

The Power-pole team ran south to their high-water topwater spot this morning and, after striking out there, decided to hit some shorelines right along the Intracoastal Waterway on the way back, just to kill some time.

On one of the first shorelines they stopped, the team ran into a pack of reds that fattened their livewell immediately.

From there the team began to pattern a certain type of shoreline along the ICW, throwing white Gulp jerkshads to visible “sand trenches.”

“We never even had to rely on the creek where we caught them yesterday,” Benson said. “That’s where we were headed, but we started catching big ones in the Intracoastal, so we never made it there, which is good because we may have to rely on it tomorrow.”

Keller-Faulkner second

Weighing in the biggest two-fish limit of the tournament today – 14 pounds, 2 ounces – was the team of Al Keller and Bill Faulkner of Naples, Fla.

They are now in second with a two-day total of 24 pounds, 5 ounces.

Keller and Faulkner are running to St. Augustine to fish one area all day.

“It’s a big area, like a big bay, and it has grass islands and oysters bars and finger mullet – lots of finger mullet – and that’s what these reds are eating right now because there are no shrimp in the system,” Keller said.

In terms of the better catch today over yesterday’s 10 pounds, 3 ounces, Faulkner noted it’s the nature of topwater fishing.

“We’re pretty much throwing topwaters, and so many times the fish come up and just blow it out of the water without getting it,” he said. “That happened to us several times yesterday with big fish. Today, we just happened to hook those bigger fish when they blew up on it.”

Walker-Simms third

Well known BP bass pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., and his father-in-law, Jeff Simms of Punta Gorda, Fla., currently sit in the third-place position with a two-day total of 24 pounds, 1 ounce.

“Basic bass fishing 101,” said Walker candidly when asked about his pattern. “Jacksonville was the first place Jeff and I ever fished a Redfish Series event, and it reminded me so much of bass fishing, I really liked it.

“I know some of these guys would rather be on a clear-water tidal flat looking at a school of reds, but not me; I really like it here. I like the 6-foot tidal flux. It keeps things changing – every hour is completely different from the next. It’s not about camping out and waiting for a school of reds to swim over a bar. It’s moving water and moving baits – perfect for the way I like to fish – keep moving.”

The BP team only received three keeper bites yesterday and two keeper bites today.

“We really don’t have anything figured out,” Walker reiterated. “We’re just fishing topwaters and spinnerbaits on current breaks – oyster bars and points. The upshot is I do not think we’ve had a really good day yet. If we could have one of those days where we get six or seven bites as opposed to three, I think we could weigh in a really good limit.”

Guthrie and Murphy lurking in fourth

Scott Guthrie of Jacksonville, Fla., and Rick Murphy of Homestead, Fla., bettered their weight by a pound over yesterday’s catch with 12 pounds, 2 ounces today.

They now sit in fourth place with a two-day total of 23 pounds, 5 ounces.

The team is fishing topwater lures in select pockets at high tide.

“We’re working a high-tide pattern with topwaters,” Guthrie said. “The water is pretty clear on high tide, and I’ve got four little pockets that are literally holding one fish per pocket. We caught four fish yesterday and three today, so we don’t have a whole lot of fish to work with. It’s a matter of making a superlong cast into these little pockets and praying that one bites it.”

Swensson-Mell fifth

Squeaking into the last qualifying spot were Jason Swensson of Key Largo, Fla., and Troy Mell of Islamorada, Fla., with a two-day total of 22 pounds, 10 ounces.

Swensson and Mell are also getting very few bites on topwaters, but they are the right size of fish.

“We used an Excalibur Super Spook today and only got three bites,” Mell said. “It’s a whole lot of fishing and very little catching. To put it in perspective, we figured we’re making roughly 180 casts per redfish bite.”

The top five teams will take to the water at 6:30 Saturday morning at Fernandina Harbor Marina for the final round day of competition.