Playing the slots

Redfish Series Championship qualifiers playing their own version of slots in Biloxi

BILOXI, Miss. – Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, Miss., is lined with gleaming casinos where thousands of tourists “play the slots.”

But this week, there is another kind of “slots” being played around Biloxi: redfish slots.

While the hyper-frenetic blinging of thousands of slot machines ping away inside such lavish resorts as the Beau Rivage, Hard Rock Casino and Isle of Capri, out on the coastal waters of Mississippi and Louisiana, 61 teams who qualified for the FLW Redfish Series Championship are casting and reeling in their own unique version of slots – as in slot limits.

This week redfish pros are allowed to bring in a possible limit of two redfish. But instead of both redfish having to adhere to standard 18- to 27-inch slot limit, Mississippi state allows one redfish in a creel to be between 18 and 30 inches.

As a result, redfish teams are playing the slots game, trying to get one redfish as close to 30 inches as possible and the other as close to 27 inches as possible.

Given the size of these fish, that means a team could possibly weigh in a two-fish redfish limit that breaks the 18-pound mark.

Redfish teams came close to that mark on day one of competition as tournament leaders Charlie Thomason and Britt Ordes weighed two redfish for 17 pounds, 11 ounces. But still the 18-pound barrier was not broken.

“It’s all about playing the slots, baby,” said Tadd Vandemark, currently in 10th place.

“That’s the mark you’re looking for,” he said as he pointed to the 30-inch mark on an official redfish measuring board. “We want one as close to that as possible today.”

Redfish teams will enjoy another decent day of fishing today as winds are forecasted to be in the 5 to 10 mph range.

This will allow some teams to return to far off Louisiana waters in hopes of breaking the 18-pound mark.

The day-two weigh-in of the Redfish Series Championship will begin Friday at 3 p.m. at the Isle of Capri Casino Marina located at 151 Beach Blvd., Biloxi MS 39530.

Friday’s conditions

Sunrise: 7:10 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 40 degrees

Expected high temperature: 74 degrees

Water temperature: 69 degrees

Wind: ENE at 5 to 10 mph

Day’s outlook: sunny