Anglers from across Florida and the surrounding regions will converge on Punta Gorda, Fla., on March 7 for the first IFA Redfish Tour Florida West Coast Division event of 2009. The event, which will launch from Laishley Park Marina, is the first of three regular-season tournaments for the Florida West Coast Division, one of six divisions of IFA Redfish Tour events running from the Carolinas to Texas.

The weekend’s activities begin Friday, March 6 with registration from 5-7 p.m. at Hooters of Port Charlotte (1360 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33948) with the Captain’s Meeting to follow. Anglers will be launching from Laishley Park Marina (US41 N heading to Port Charlotte; right on Olympia Ave., left on Nesbit St.) at safe light on Saturday for the one-day event. Check-in times will be assigned at the Captains Meeting. More information on Laishley Park Marina can be found online at LaishleyMarina.com.

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. With low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allow 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 $77,000 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.

This year, in addition to $47,000 in payouts per event (based on a 100-boat field), the first-place prize package for all 18 IFA Redfish Tour regular-season events has been increased. In 2009, every regular-season tournament winner is guaranteed – regardless of field size – a fully loaded 2009 Ranger Banshee Extreme. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Bob’s four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate, Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work and Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000.

For more information on the IFA Redfish Tour, to become a member of the IFA or to become a part of the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to redfishtour.com.

IFA Redfish Tour events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry’s most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Cabela’s, Yamaha Outboards, Rapala, Trigger X, Sufix, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Wrap This, CW Crab, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Solar Bat, Gemini Custom Apparel, Navionics, Bob’s Machine Shop, Blue Point Fabrication, Terminator, VMC Hooks, Loadmaster Trailers, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Hooters of Port Charlotte.

Event Details:
IFA Redfish Tour
Florida West Coast Division
Punta Gorda, Fla.

Competition: March 7, 2009

Host Venue: Laishley Park Marina (LaishleyMarina.com)
US41 N heading to Port Charlotte; right on Olympia Ave., left on Nesbit St.
Launch: Safe light
Check in: TBD at Captains Meeting

Captains Meeting: 7 p.m., Friday, March 6
Location: Hooters of Port Charlotte
1360 Tamiami Trail
Port Charlotte, FL 33948
(941) 625-0200

Check In: Begins at 5 p.m. prior to Captains Meeting

(Source: The Daily Crank)

LIZELLA, Ga.  – Ron Schurr of Jacksonville, Fla., and Jim Chalkley of Panama City, Fla., caught a two-redfish limit that weighed 15.29 pounds to win the 2009 IFA Redfish Tour season opener in Jacksonville on Saturday. To win the one-day event, which operated out of Sister’s Creek Marina, Schurr and Chalkley bested 101 other two-angler teams take to the early points lead in the Florida East Coast Division.

Late-winter weather conditions proved to be the X-factor in the 2009 IFA Redfish Tour season opener, with fog limiting visibility and near-freezing air temperatures limiting some teams’ ability to search for fish.

“We practiced on Friday and found fish, but today it didn’t matter,” said Schurr, explaining the change in the fishing conditions from practice day to competition day. “Everything went out the window. But we caught our first fish at 11 a.m. and we just kept on it.”

With the win in the first tournament that the pair has fished together, Schurr and Chalkley took home a 2009 Ranger Banshee Extreme valued at more than $30,000. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Bob’s four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate, Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work and Loadmaster trailer.

Second-place team Ray Trudeau of St. Cloud, Fla., and Thad Lacinak of Orlando, Fla., caught only two redfish all day on a Gulp! Jerk Shad, but the two fish weighed a combined 14.73 pounds. Their second-place finish was the highest for any Ranger Cup participating team, adding $1,000 to the team’s $3,550 second-place payout.

“It was a rough day,” Trudeau said. “We made the wrong choice first thing off, so we went to our back-up spot. But we wound up only catching two fish all day.”

Jeffrey Crumpton and Carl Rauer or Fernandina Beach, Fla., finished third with 13.97 pounds while Rapala Big Fish honors and a $1,500 Rapala prize package went to Sean McDonald and John Taylor for a 7.97-pounder.

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. With low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allow 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 $77,000 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.

This year, in addition to $47,000 in payouts per event (based on a 100-boat field), the first-place prize package for all 18 IFA Redfish Tour regular-season events has been increased. In 2009, every regular-season tournament winner is guaranteed – regardless of field size – a fully loaded 2009 Ranger Banshee Extreme. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Bob’s four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate, Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work and Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000.

For more information on the IFA Redfish Tour, to become a member of the IFA or to become a part of the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to redfishtour.com.

IFA Redfish Tour events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry’s most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Cabela’s, Yamaha Outboards, Rapala, Trigger X, Sufix, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Wrap This, CW Crab, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Solar Bat, Gemini Custom Apparel, Navionics, Bob’s Machine Shop, Blue Point Fabrication, Terminator, VMC Hooks, Loadmaster Trailers, Powertex Group and Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

IFA Florida East Coast Division
Jacksonville Results (Top 10)
1.     Schurr/Chalkley – 15.29 lbs.

2.     Trudeau/Lacinak – 14.73 lbs.

3.     Crumpton/Rauer – 13.97 lbs.

4.     Looper/Walters – 13.66 lbs.

5.     Keating/McBride – 13.35 lbs.

6.     Cox/Hardage – 13.31 lbs.

7.     Lacoss/Lacoss – 13.27 lbs.

8.     Hughey/Ingram – 13.16 lbs.

9.     (tie) McGovern/Crown; Kelly/Brockman – 13.13 lbs.

Ranger Cup Award ($1,000): Trudeau/Lacinak
Solar Bat ($100): Lockyer/Klier
Rapala Big Fish ($1,500): McDonald/Taylor – 7.97 lbs.

Pro Bass angler Skeet Reese had a tough 2nd place finish two years ago at the Classic losing by only 6oz. but all of that is history with Skeet’s win just minutes ago at the 2009 Classic on the Red River, Shreveport, LA. The California pro was able to hold off Iaconelli’s charge, and in the end beat Iaconelli by only 11 ounces to win the big one.  

Today while fishing Skeet commented that he knew it was going to be tight and was doing math in his head to see where he would end up, he never knew just how close it would be until the final weigh in when he realized he clinched the win with 16.12oz for the day and jumped up and turned to hug Iaconelli.  

With the Classic Win Skeet now has the one win that has eluded him since the 2007 Classic loss to Boyd Duckett, and is now among the elite professional anglers in the world.    

Skeet finished with a total weight of 54.13oz. while second place finisher Mike Iaconelli finished with 54.2oz. and third place finisher Brian Snowden concluded the tournament with 52.14oz. Prior to day three Jami Fralick was leading the tournament with a weight of 38.9oz., it was on the second day when Skeet charged up the leaderboard into second place.

One of Skeet’s winning bait? The Lucky Craft Redemption Spinnerbait.

Skeet’s bait specifics are:

3/8oz, MS American Shad, Nickel Blade combination with a customized white translucent skirt.

Skeet's Winning Blade

Top 15 after Day 2

Pl. Name DAY 1 DAY 2 TOTAL

1 Jami Fralick 5 19- 3 5 19- 6 10 38- 9
2 Skeet Reese 5 15- 8 5 22- 9 10 38- 1
3 Edwin Evers 5 17- 0 5 19- 3 10 36- 3
4 Kelly Jordon 5 15-10 5 20- 5 10 35-15
5 Aaron Martens 5 18- 1 5 17- 9 10 35-10
6 Brian Snowden 5 15- 9 5 19- 4 10 34-13
7 Dave Wolak 5 17- 6 5 17- 0 10 34- 6
8 Mark Davis 5 11-11 5 22- 7 10 34- 2
9 Michael Iaconelli 5 15- 5 5 18-10 10 33-15
9 Boyd Duckett 5 20- 3 5 13-12 10 33-15
11 Casey Ashley 5 9-13 5 22-11 10 32- 8
12 Dean Rojas 5 15-13 5 16- 2 10 31-15
13 Bobby Lane 5 13- 2 5 18-12 10 31-14
14 Greg Pugh 5 14- 0 5 16-11 10 30-11
15 Mike McClelland 5 13-14 5 16- 8 10 30- 6

Top 15 after Day 1

Place Angler Fish Weight
1 Boyd Duckett 5 20- 3
2 Jami Fralick 5 19- 3
3 Fred Roumbanis 5 18- 4
4 Aaron Martens 5 18- 1
5 Terry Fitzpatrick 5 18- 0
6 Scott Rook 5 17-11
7 Dave Wolak 5 17- 6
8 Edwin Evers 5 17- 0
9 Randy Howell 5 16- 3
10 Dean Rojas 5 15-13
11 Kelly Jordon 5 15-10
12 Brian Snowden 5 15- 9
13 Skeet Reese 5 15- 8
14 Mike Burns 5 15- 7
15 Bryan Schmidt 5 15- 5
15 Michael Iaconelli 5 15- 5

Quantum will be introducing a new series of rods at the Classic in Red River,  LA.

Making their debut in the Quantum booth will be the brand new Tour Elite Signature Series of rods custom designed by top pros like VanDam, Hackney, Biffle and others. It will also be the first chance for many consumers to see and feel the newly redesigned Quantum PT baitcast and spinning reels.

2009 First IFA Redfish Tour Event Rolls Into Jacksonville, Florida
Sister’s Creek Marina host site for first of 18 IFA events this year

LIZELLA, Ga. – Anglers from across Florida and the surrounding regions ready to shake off the winter blues will converge on Jacksonville, Fla., on February 21 for the first of 18 IFA Redfish Tour events in 2009. The event, which will launch from Sister’s Creek Marina, is the first event for the Florida East Coast Division, one of six divisions of IFA Redfish Tour events running from Florida and the Carolinas to Texas.

The weekend’s activities begin Friday, February 20 with registration from 5-7 p.m., poolside at the Hampton Inn (4690 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, FL 32256) with the Captain’s Meeting to follow. Anglers will be launching from Sister’s Creek Marina (8203-2 Hecksher Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32226) at safe light on Saturday for the one-day event. Check-in times will be assigned at the Captains Meeting.

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. With low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allow 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 $77,000 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.

This year, in addition to $47,000 in payouts per event (based on a 100-boat field), the first-place prize package for all 18 IFA Redfish Tour regular-season events has been increased. In 2009, every regular-season tournament winner is guaranteed – regardless of field size – a fully loaded 2009 Ranger Banshee Extreme. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Bob’s four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate, Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, Blue Point Fabrication metal work and Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000.

For more information on the IFA Redfish Tour, to become a member of the IFA or to become a part of the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to redfishtour.com.

IFA Redfish Tour events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry’s most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Cabela’s, Yamaha Outboards, Rapala, Trigger X, Sufix, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Wrap This, CW Crab, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Solar Bat, Gemini Custom Apparel, Navionics, Bob’s Machine Shop, Blue Point Fabrication, Terminator, VMC Hooks, Loadmaster Trailers, Powertex Group and Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.

Event Details:
IFA Redfish Tour
Florida East Coast Division
Jacksonville, Fla.

Competition: February 21, 2009

Host Venue: Sister’s Creek Marina
8203-2 Hecksher Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32226

Launch: Safe light
Check in: TBD at Captains Meeting

Captains Meeting: 7 p.m., Friday, February 20
Location: Poolside – Hampton Inn
4690 Salisbury Road
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 281-0443

Check In: Begins at 5 p.m. prior to Captains Meeting

Florida East Coast Division
February 21, 2009 – Jacksonville, Fla.
May 16, 2009 – Titusville, Fla.
September 19, 2009 – St. Augustine, Fla.

Florida West Coast Division
March 7, 2009 – Punta Gorda, Fla.
June 27, 2009 – Englewood, Fla.
August 22, 2009 – Ruskin, Fla.

Atlantic Division
March 28, 2009 – Charleston, S.C.
May 23, 2009 – Surf City, N.C.
September 26, 2009 – Moorehead City, N.C.

Gulf Coast
April 4, 2009 – Slidell, La.
May 2, 2009 – Bay St. Louis, Miss.
October 17, 2009 – Orange Beach, Ala.

Louisiana Division
April 25, 2009 – Lafitte, La.
June 13, 2009 – Venice, La.
August 29, 2009 – Grand Isle, La.

Texas Division
April 18, 2009 – Rockport, Texas
June 6, 2009 – Corpus Christi, Texas
September 12, 2009 – Port Aransas, Texas

ESPN2 Programming

Saturday, Feb. 21 – 8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. (day 1)
Saturday, Feb. 21 – 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (day 1)
Saturday, Feb. 21 – 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (day 2)
Sunday, Feb. 22 – 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. (day 2)
Sunday, Feb. 22 – 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. (day 2)
Sunday, Feb. 22 – 10 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. (day 3)

ESPN Classic Programming

Sunday, Feb. 22 – Classic Mini-Marathon – 1–5 p.m.
1 pm — 2008 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
2 pm — 2005 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
3 pm — 2004 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
4 pm — 2003 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show
5 pm — 2007 Bassmaster Classic Highlight Show

Gold Canyon, AZ – A tournament fisherman’s dream come true and “Editor’s First Choice” in Bassmaster Magazine’s February 2009 issue, the ZackTack Team Realtree Soft Tackle Bag provides you with an ideal way to store and carry essential fishing gear while displaying your passion for hunting.

The Tackle Bag is made of durable 600D polyester with water-resistant PVC backing and a soft PVC waterproof bottom to handle wet and windy weather conditions. The bag features a number of pockets and compartments to hold whatever gear you may need to give you that winning edge.

Team Realtree Weigh Bag Purchase the bag alone, which includes nine plastic utility boxes, or as a set, which also includes one Team Realtree camo weigh bag, one Team Realtree measuring board and one QuikSlide Tournament Culling System. Each of these items can also be purchased separately. The set provides you with everything you need to succeed as a tournament fisherman…well, everything that is except for the luck.

The Soft Tackle Bag is available in a variety of Realtree and Advantage patterns.