03-02-2011, 07:10 PM
LIZELLA, Ga. (March 1, 2010) - Pierre Dubord, of Palmetto, Florida, and Jens Larsen, of Centennial, Colorado, weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 13.74 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Punta Gorda, Florida, on February 26. To win the event, the first regular-season event for the IFA's Florida West Coast Division, which operated out of Laishley Marina, Dubord and Larsen bested a competitive field to take home a new Ranger Banshee Extreme valued at $30,000 plus $1,000 in Cabela's Angler Cash and a $2,000 Ranger Cup Award for winning the tournament as a Ranger Cup-qualified team.
Despite being limited in practice time due to a mechanical issue, the pair utilized a pattern that consisted mostly of fishing around docks and other fish-holding structure, securing their biggest fish - a 7.13-pound kicker - early in the competition day.
"Usually things go wrong," Dubord said, "but today everything turned out great."
Second-place finishers, Terry Brantley, of Arcadia, Fla., and J.R. Witt, of Sarasota, Fla., brought 13.69 pounds to the scales during the Punta Gorda event, finishing .05 pounds behind the first-place team. The team, which has fished together for 18 years, made a long run to find its fish, boating 10 redfish during competition using 19MR baits and paddletails.
The third-place team of Heath Bachelor and Danny Cox, both of Indiantown, Fla., weighed in 13.43 pounds during competition, overcoming a slow start to their tournament day before locating quality fish.
"We started out not finding very much at first, but we finally got on them and worked on them pretty hard," Cox said. "We caught 25 fish today using DOA baits and gold spoons."
Fourth-place finishers, Russell Poppell and Scott Peters, took home the Big Fish Award for the tournament, collecting $500 in bonus money for the team's 7.45-pound redfish.
The IFA Redfish Tour continues to draw redfish anglers from Texas to the Carolinas and beyond, offering two-angler teams the opportunity to compete in six different divisions, each offering a three-event regular season. Low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allows anglers to fish close to home and minimize expenses, while still being a part of a premier inshore, catch-and-release redfish tournament organization. Teams fishing any three of the IFA's 18 regular-season events are automatically qualified for a no-entry-fee championship event, pitting qualifiers from each of the six divisions for a combined $78,200 in payouts and prize packages, as well as a shot at the coveted Cabela's Overall Divisional Team of the Year Award for the six regular-season division winners.
In addition to a possible $60,000 in payouts per event (based on a 100-boat field), the first-place prize package for all 18 IFA Redfish Tour regular-season events remains extremely lucrative. In 2011, every regular-season tournament winner is guaranteed - regardless of field size - a fully loaded 2011 Ranger Banshee Extreme. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work, Bob's four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate and a Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000.
For more information or to become a member of the IFA, the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to www.redfishtour.com or www.ifakayakfishingtour.com. To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go to www.hobiefishing.com.
IFA events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry's most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Hobie Fishing, Cabela's, Yamaha Outboards, Columbia Sportswear, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Wrap This, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Blue Point Fabrication, EGO Nets, Bob's Machine Shop, 321fish.com, Kayak Angler Magazine, Loadmaster, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Laishley Marina and Hooters of Port Charlotte.
IFA Florida West Coast Division<br />
Punta Gorda, Fla. (Top 10)<br />
1. Dubord/Larsen - 13.74 lbs.
2. Brantley/Witt - 13.60 lbs.
3. Batchelor/Cox - 13.43 lbs.
4. Poppell/Peters - 13.34 lbs.
5. Justus/Pollock - 13.07 lbs.
6. Oliverio/Green - 12.73 lbs.
7. Jones/Gornto - 12.66 lbs.
8. Seckel/Tucker - 12.63 lbs.
9. Crews/Klein - 12.51 lbs.
10. Watts/Walls - 12.43 lbs.
Big Fish Award ($500): Poppell/Peters (7.45 lbs.)<br />
Cabela's Angler Cash ($1,000): Dubord/Larsen
Ranger Cup Award ($2,000): Dubord/Larsen
Media Contact<br />
Josh Ward Blue Heron Communications (800) 654-3766 or Josh@blueheroncomm.com
Despite being limited in practice time due to a mechanical issue, the pair utilized a pattern that consisted mostly of fishing around docks and other fish-holding structure, securing their biggest fish - a 7.13-pound kicker - early in the competition day.
"Usually things go wrong," Dubord said, "but today everything turned out great."
Second-place finishers, Terry Brantley, of Arcadia, Fla., and J.R. Witt, of Sarasota, Fla., brought 13.69 pounds to the scales during the Punta Gorda event, finishing .05 pounds behind the first-place team. The team, which has fished together for 18 years, made a long run to find its fish, boating 10 redfish during competition using 19MR baits and paddletails.
The third-place team of Heath Bachelor and Danny Cox, both of Indiantown, Fla., weighed in 13.43 pounds during competition, overcoming a slow start to their tournament day before locating quality fish.
"We started out not finding very much at first, but we finally got on them and worked on them pretty hard," Cox said. "We caught 25 fish today using DOA baits and gold spoons."
Fourth-place finishers, Russell Poppell and Scott Peters, took home the Big Fish Award for the tournament, collecting $500 in bonus money for the team's 7.45-pound redfish.
The IFA Redfish Tour continues to draw redfish anglers from Texas to the Carolinas and beyond, offering two-angler teams the opportunity to compete in six different divisions, each offering a three-event regular season. Low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allows anglers to fish close to home and minimize expenses, while still being a part of a premier inshore, catch-and-release redfish tournament organization. Teams fishing any three of the IFA's 18 regular-season events are automatically qualified for a no-entry-fee championship event, pitting qualifiers from each of the six divisions for a combined $78,200 in payouts and prize packages, as well as a shot at the coveted Cabela's Overall Divisional Team of the Year Award for the six regular-season division winners.
In addition to a possible $60,000 in payouts per event (based on a 100-boat field), the first-place prize package for all 18 IFA Redfish Tour regular-season events remains extremely lucrative. In 2011, every regular-season tournament winner is guaranteed - regardless of field size - a fully loaded 2011 Ranger Banshee Extreme. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work, Bob's four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate and a Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000.
For more information or to become a member of the IFA, the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to www.redfishtour.com or www.ifakayakfishingtour.com. To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go to www.hobiefishing.com.
IFA events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry's most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Hobie Fishing, Cabela's, Yamaha Outboards, Columbia Sportswear, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Wrap This, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Blue Point Fabrication, EGO Nets, Bob's Machine Shop, 321fish.com, Kayak Angler Magazine, Loadmaster, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Laishley Marina and Hooters of Port Charlotte.
IFA Florida West Coast Division<br />
Punta Gorda, Fla. (Top 10)<br />
1. Dubord/Larsen - 13.74 lbs.
2. Brantley/Witt - 13.60 lbs.
3. Batchelor/Cox - 13.43 lbs.
4. Poppell/Peters - 13.34 lbs.
5. Justus/Pollock - 13.07 lbs.
6. Oliverio/Green - 12.73 lbs.
7. Jones/Gornto - 12.66 lbs.
8. Seckel/Tucker - 12.63 lbs.
9. Crews/Klein - 12.51 lbs.
10. Watts/Walls - 12.43 lbs.
Big Fish Award ($500): Poppell/Peters (7.45 lbs.)<br />
Cabela's Angler Cash ($1,000): Dubord/Larsen
Ranger Cup Award ($2,000): Dubord/Larsen
Media Contact<br />
Josh Ward Blue Heron Communications (800) 654-3766 or Josh@blueheroncomm.com