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I’m floating through this one solo this week. It seems the rest of the team has disappeared from the radar, which can only mean one thing; they’re busy! I have scraped the 6 corners of the internet looking for “news”. I present to you, J.C.’s Best of the Web Weekend!
The FLW Redfish Tour rolled into Fernandina Beach last week and was followed by an unexpected fan, Tropical Storm Barry. It was tough fishing for the Top 5 but the team of Daniel Benson & Steven Howie didn’t let Barry rain on their parade. Teams were met with winds gusting to 50 MPH and pelting rains as squall lines passed through the area. David Walker said at one point they were moving backwards even with the trolling motor on high. You can’t get ahead that way and he proved it by fishing in 3rd. For more news about the FLW Redfish tour, log on to www.FLWOutdoors.com.
Another tournament worth mentioning is the DOA Lures Kayak Tournament. They too felt the wrath of T.S. Barry but that didn’t stop the field of determined paddlers. Eighty-four out of eighty-eight kayak anglers braved the stormy conditions. I think that’s a pretty good statistic; 84 out of 88 kayakers are crazy! Never the less, they all made it back safely. Some of them caught nice fish while others were reportedly asking for donations of Advil and Aleve. All of the gruesome details of the tournament can be found at www.doalures.com.
Congratulations to forum member, Trootin, for being the first winner of the AF Forum Photo Contest. During the month of May, forum members flooded the web site with pictures of their prized catches in hopes of being rewarded a Capt. Blair Wiggins signature series Wright & McGill rod. If you missed out on May’s contest, June has just begun. Remember, only one photo can be submitted per person so make it count! Photos are not judged by the size of the fish but the quality of the picture. Be sure to write a whopper of a tale to go along with your photo for extra points. Don’t forget, the theme of the contest is “fun”!
The PFA wants you! The Mogan Man has been hard at work getting ready for summer camp but I was able to catch up with him between classes. This is the coolest school ever because you get to learn how to fish like a pro! No more wasting time and money on baits that might work. You’ll learn which bait to use in any situation and catch more fish. Sign up for summer camp now and receive 20% off. Call 800.872.6425 or check it out on the web and get schooled this summer.
Does this mean I’ve been Googled?
J.C.
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Florida Today
October 24, 2006
By Bill Sargent
Wiggins redfish team wins $100,000 prize
As a kid growing up on the Indian and Banana rivers in Brevard County, Blair Wiggins learned tricks that he still applies to his fishing more than 25 years later.
One of those tactics paid a $100,000 dividend Saturday for Wiggins and his tournament partner Tadd Vandemark, winners of the $300,000 Wal-Mart Redfish Series Championship at Pensacola.
Their three-day catch of six redfish totaling 35 pounds, 1 ounce was the heaviest among the 91 teams qualifying for the professional circuit's championship. Wiggins of Cocoa and Vandemark of Key Largo won the $50,000 first prize, plus another $50,000 in manufacturer contingency awards.
"I learned a long time ago that the heavier redfish will be around mouths of freshwater creeks and rivers where they meet saltwater estuaries," said Wiggins, 41, host of the Addictive Fishing television show, one of the highest ranking fishing shows in the country.
"We went up into the Escambia River where the reds eat big white shrimp coming out of the river," Wiggins said. "We knew the reds in that area would be fatter."
In redfish tournaments, which restrict the contestants to fish of a certain maximum slot size, the winners are those catching the heaviest redfish within the size limit and diet is a key factor. Sometimes only an ounce or two separates the top finishers.
Wiggins and Vandemark ran their Evinrude-powered Ranger bay boat 20 miles north of Pensacola into the river where they caught five of their six weight fish during the three days. The field was cut to five teams on Saturday, with Wiggins and Vandemark in fourth place with 22 pounds, 5 ounces.
Their sixth redfish, weighing about 61/2 pounds, came in the closing minutes less than a mile from the tournament weigh-in site.
"We had our two fish in the live well but one was about four pounds and we wanted to upgrade," Wiggins said. "We'd heard there were some good fish around docks near the ramp, so we ran back to that point and stopped with 17 minutes before weigh-in."
The 61/2-pounder came on one of their last casts. Ironically their first fish in the live well came on their first cast of the morning.
"At that point we felt a lot better," said Wiggins, a 1983 Cocoa Beach High School graduate.
All on the top three teams were from Florida. Kris Walter of Hudson and Danny Winters of Tampa were second with 33 pounds, 2 ounces worth $15,000; John Henninger and John Eggers, both of the Jacksonville area, had 32-11 and won $16,000; Jason Hughey of Davenport and Travis Tanner of Christmas had 32-10 worth $13,000.
Wiggins and Vandemark, fishing pro circuits as a team for two years, caught their money fish on 3/8-ounce DOA C.A.L. soft baits in the electric chicken color.
Wiggins hosts benefit
The Capt. Blair Wiggins Inshore Slam Tournament on Saturday will be part of a series of surfing, golf and fishing events benefiting the World Skin Cancer Foundation.
World champion Kelly Slater of Cocoa Beach will be among those competing in the Sean Slater Invitational surfing contest named for his brother.
Anglers will be fishing for redfish, snook and seatrout in a catch, photo and release format. Those with the highest total of inches for the three species will be the top three slam winners. Only one fish from each species within the state slot limits can be counted.
Trophies will go to the winners, including the top junior 17 and under.
Those 18 and older will pay a $35 entry and juniors will pay $25.
Fishing will be allowed anywhere from boat or shore.
Registrations will be taken at Friday's captain's meeting at Rusty's Seafood and Oyster Bar at Port Canaveral from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday's check-in deadline at Rusty's will be 2 p.m.
Wiggins and Drew Filliben, president of the foundation, will be part of Saturday's check-in program.
For more information, e-mail cari@addictivefishing.com.
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