Inaugural Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series to open in Sarasota, Fla.

February 20, 2005

For the first time in its history, FLW Outdoors is taking the lead in one of the most unique tournament fishing circuits in the country with the creation of the Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series. Redfish – also known as red drum, rat red, bull red or by it’s Latin name Sciaenops ocellatus – are a highly sought game fish that can be found from Massachusetts to Key West, where it is known as the channel bass, and along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Tuxpan, Mexico.

The FLW Redfish Series will be comprised of two divisions – East and West – and each will feature four events during the 2005 regular season. The eight qualifying tournaments will be two-day team events with a $200,000 purse for each event. The season ultimately concludes with the no-entry-fee $300,000 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series Championship – slated to take place Oct 27-29 in Mobile, Ala.

Each qualifying event for the 2005 Redfish Series will feature 150 two-person teams competing over Friday and Saturday. A maximum of two fish will be weighed in per team each day with the winner determined by the heaviest two-day stringer.

According to FLW Tour pro David Walker of Sevierville, Tenn., the new FLW Redfish Series is long overdue.

“I think FLW’s involvement is a very big step forward for tournament redfish angling,” said Walker, who has made a name for himself as one of the top bass-fishing pros in the nation. “I love to fish for redfish. But the biggest reason I never got involved before is because other tournament trails weren’t really as organized as I would have liked. With FLW Outdoors getting involved in the sport, I think it will help clean things up for sure.”

Although Walker might not seem like a likely candidate to fish this season’s inaugural Redfish Series, he argues that making the transition from bass fishing to redfish angling is not that big of a stretch.

FLW Tour pro David Walker, an accomplished bass angler in his own right, said he is looking forward to the start of the 2005 FLW Redfish Series.“For starters, redfish angling is just fun,” he said. “You can use a lot of the same bait, tackle and techniques to catch redfish as you do bass. Redfish also fight a lot like bass. But there are definitely some differences as well. It’s a different kind of fish – they grow much larger. And with redfish tournaments, you have to catch fish inside a certain slot limit which changes the strategy a little bit. You also have to know what the tides are doing in order to catch them. Tides are always a factor when it comes to fishing for redfish.”

It’s all about the fish

Redfish are members of the drum family, whose cousins include the Atlantic croaker, spot, spotted seatrout and black drum. However, a large black spot on the upper part of the tail base generally distinguishes redfish from its other relatives. The color of redfish ranges from a deep blackish, coppery color to nearly silver. The most common color is reddish-bronze.

A fast-growing fish which can reach 1 pound and approximately 11 inches in its first year, redfish can get up into the 17- to 22-inch range in two years. After three years, redfish usually grow to about 2 feet and weigh about 6 to 8 pounds. While most tournament redfish will come in the 6- to 8-pound range due to tournament slot limits, a fully grown adult can grow to be a lot larger. In fact, the world-record redfish weighed in at a whopping 94 pounds, 2 ounces.

Typically, redfish are an inshore species until they grow to about 30 inches. Then, they migrate to join the near-shore population. Spawning occurs from August to November in near-shore waters. Redfish feed on crustaceans, fish and mollusks; they can live up to 20 years or longer.

Raising the bar

In an effort to boost exposure for the sport, FLW Outdoors has sought to increase the level of payouts for the new Redfish Series when compared to typical redfish tournaments of years’ past. As such, the winning team in each qualifying event will take home a guaranteed $25,000 cash payout (based on a full field) with the opportunity to win an additional $25,000 cash in contingency bonuses. If the winner is a registered owner of a Ranger boat that is used during competition, the winner will receive an additional $12,500 cash bonus. Additionally, if the winner’s Ranger boat is equipped with a Yamaha outboard engine, the winner will receive another $12,500 cash bonus.

Overall, the Redfish Series will offer a total purse of $1.9 million in 2005. An impressive $1.6 million will be awarded over the course of eight qualifying tournaments, four in each division, during the regular season.

The top 100 teams – 50 from each division after four qualifying events – will qualify for the three-day, no-entry-fee $300,000 FLW Redfish Series Championship to be held in October 2005. The championship winner will take home a guaranteed $50,000 cash (based on full fields in all qualifiers), plus additional boat and engine contingencies of $50,000 in cash, for a total of $100,000.

Redfish – something for everyone

Although redfish angling has had a decidedly regional flair in the past, Walker believes that many newcomers will warm to the sport as it gets increased exposure.

“Redfish is a very regional sport, but for the people who live within a day’s drive of these areas – Texas, Louisiana and Florida, among others – there’s going to be a lot of interest,” said Walker. “I think this year you’re going to see a lot of new faces in this sport. It’s going to be pretty much wide open. And I think you’ll find that a lot of people who aren’t that familiar with the sport will start to take an interest. I know I’m looking forward to it.”

Interested anglers still have an opportunity to sign up for the very first FLW Redfish Series tournament in history as limited spots still remain for the opening event – scheduled to take place March 4-5 at Centennial Park Marina in Sarasota, Fla. Registration for the entire 2005 Wal-Mart FLW Redfish Series season is currently under way as well.

2005 Redfish Series regular-season schedule

East Division
March 4-5 — Sarasota, Fla.
April 29-30 — Mayport, Fla.
July 22-23 — Charlotte Harbor, Fla.
Aug. 19-20 — Titusville, Fla.

West Division
May 6-7 — Port Aransas, Texas
June 24-25 — Grand Isle, La.
Aug. 5-6 — Galveston, Texas
Sept. 23-24 — Venice, La.

FLW Redfish Series Championship

Oct. 27-29 — Mobile, Ala.

By Gary Mortenson

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