April events at Texas <b>Freshwater Fisheries</b> feature fun, food, fishing

There’s no better example of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department motto “Life’s Better Outside” than April events at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.

Outdoor Fools Day April 6 will be followed by the Athens Big Green Egg Fest April 13. Up to five rainbow trout per angler can be harvested free at TFFC during both events. No license is required to fish at TFFC. Those wishing to harvest fish should bring a cooler or stringer since none are available at TFFC.

Improving your outdoor skills is the focus of Outdoor Fools Day. The event showcases outdoor recreation opportunities in East Texas while teaching some of the skills needed to enjoy them, such as camping, fishing, outdoor cooking, birding and more.

Openings are still available for cooks, so if you’ve been thinking about becoming an Egghead, now’s your chance. You can sign up to cook, taste or buy an Egg at www.athenseggfest.wordpress.com. The site also includes recipes from last year’s event to tempt your taste buds.

Both Outdoor Fools Day and the Big Green Egg Fest will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. While all Outdoor Fools Day activities are free with paid admission, an additional fee is charged for tasting at the Big Green Egg Fest. Those who preregister online can taste for $5; the fee on-site is $10. All proceeds benefit the Friends of TFFC.

The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center is located at 5550 F.M. 2495 in Athens, about 75 miles southeast of Dallas. Admission is $5.50 for adults, $4.50 for seniors, and $3.50 for children age 4 through age 12.

For more information visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tffc or call 903-676-2277. A TFFC app is also available for both Apple and Android devices from their respective app stores.

The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of alvinsun.net.

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54.3-pound blue catfish sets new mark for Texas <b>Freshwater Fisheries</b> Center

ATHENS—Jordan Rethmeier of Garland and his father often fish in Lake Zebco, the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center’s stocked casting pond. They’ve caught some big catfish, but Saturday, March 16, produced the biggest yet, a new water body record blue catfish.

Jordan reeled in a 54.3-pound fish that was 47 inches long and 31 inches around.

Lake Zebco covers about 1.5 acres. A stream enters one end of the pond, and fishing piers line both sides. At the opposite end the pond widens and deepens, and that’s where Jordan was fishing.

“The bait was a whole four-inch gizzard shad set two to three feet below the bobber and left to drift as the wind blew it across the pond,” he said. “I was using a heavy spinning reel with 50-lb. braided line on our standard big-fish pole that we never thought would get seriously tested by anything. We set the pole down and flipped the bail so if it got a bite the fish wouldn’t haul off with it; it’s a good idea if you want to keep your rod and reel!”

Jordan sat down to rig a trout pole, and suddenly his dad yelled, “Jordan your bobber is gone and it’s not coming back up!”

Jordan continued his story. “The fish took the bait as all the other big ones do in that pond. They grab it and start swimming off. There is no playing around with those catfish. Once they decide to eat it, they rarely if ever let go. He took off on his first run, and I felt his full power! My eyes got big when I saw the huge swirl he made on the surface of the water! My dad said he must be a good one, 15 maybe 20 pounds.

“This fish was big and fighting like it; you could feel the power in every tail stroke! When he would start to get close to shore he would peel off line and head back for the middle of the pond. The difference with this fish was the endurance he had. He just would not tire out and kept peeling line whenever he would get close to the bank. There was one point when he went into a roll, and I thought I was going to lose him. When they do that it sometimes dislodges the hook. We didn’t get a look at him for quite a few minutes, but after each run, my dad kept raising his guess as to his weight, 20 to 25, another run, 30 pounds?

“Then we caught a glimpse of him and my dad just said, ‘OH MY! We may need a golf cart to haul him to the scales!’ The fight must have lasted eight minutes or more—just a tug of war with him taking line whenever he came in close and me pulling him back in afterwards. Thankfully he got tired out just before I did! I pulled one last time and got him close in, where my dad managed to grab him and pull him up on shore with my assistance since it was a bit too heavy for him alone. We both were speechless, and just knew we had a BIG one but didn’t know how big! Fortunately a TFFC staff member arrived with the golf cart to put him in, and it was off to the big scale. I was exhausted! We weighed him and measured him and couldn’t believe the numbers! 54.3 pounds, 47 inches long, and 31 inches around! All I could do was smile. We took him back to the pond and made sure he was doing OK and let him go. Truly a magnificent fish!”

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Huge Largemouth <b>Bass</b> Caught In Texas

Gary Sims of Gunter, Texas holds up ShareLunker 538.
Larry D. Hodge, © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Gary Sims of Gunter, Texas, caught Toyota ShareLunker 538 from Lake Fork December 12. The bass weighed 15.02 pounds and was held for pickup at Oak Ridge Marina, an official Toyota ShareLunker weigh and holding station.

Examination revealed the fish was caught previously on March 13, 2011, by Ed Carter of Broken Bow, Oklahoma. At that time the fish weighed 14.25 pounds and was 22.25 inches in girth and 25 inches long and was Toyota ShareLunker 518. The fish is now 22 inches in girth and 25.25 inches long.

Sims was fishing for crappie with a double jig in 30 feet of water near the dam when the big bass bit. “She made several long runs, and at first I thought it was a catfish, because we had already caught several,” Sims said. “Finally she came up and I lipped her.”

Lake Fork has now produced 250 of the 538 entries into the ShareLunker program.

Genetic information on file shows the fish is an intergrade, or a cross between pure Florida largemouth and northern largemouth bass. Pure Floridas are held for spawning, while intergrades are returned to the lake as soon as possible. Fish caught on or after April 15 will be recorded and entered into the program but will not be transported to Athens for spawning. Experience shows that fish caught late in the season typically do not spawn in time for the offspring to be stocked before water temperatures rise beyond the optimum level for survival of the fingerlings.

Anyone legally catching a 13-pound or bigger largemouth bass from Texas waters, public or private, between October 1 and April 30 may submit the fish to the Toyota ShareLunker program by calling the ShareLunker hotline at (903) 681-0550 or paging (888) 784-0600 and leaving a phone number including area code. Fish will be picked up by TPWD personnel within 12 hours.

ShareLunker entries are used in a selective breeding program at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center (TFFC) in Athens. Some of the offspring from these fish are stocked back into the water body from which they were caught. Other ShareLunker offspring are stocked in public waters around the state in an attempt to increase the overall size and growth rate of largemouth bass in Texas.

Anglers entering fish into the Toyota ShareLunker program receive a free replica of their fish, a certificate and ShareLunker clothing and are recognized at a banquet at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens. All fish accepted into the program become official entries whether spawned or not, and anglers still receive all program prizes.

The person who catches the season’s largest entry will be named Angler of the Year and will receive a prize package from G. Loomis. If a Texas angler catches the largest entry of the season, that person also receives a lifetime fishing license.

For complete information and rules of the ShareLunker program, tips on caring for big bass, a list of official Toyota ShareLunker weigh and holding stations and a recap of last year’s season, see www.tpwd.state.tx.us/sharelunker. The site also includes a searchable database of all fish entered into the program along with pictures where available.

The Toyota ShareLunker Program is made possible by a grant to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation from Gulf States Toyota. Toyota is a long-time supporter of the Foundation and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, providing major funding for a wide variety of education, fish, parks and wildlife projects.

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Texas anglers favored in <b>Bass</b> Classic on Lake Conroe

Odds are fair that a Texan or a former Texan will leave Lake Conroe a week from today with $100,000-plus more than when he arrived and with the knowledge he bested 49 of the world's best professional bass anglers over a three-day contest.

It's a cinch Texas' urban anglers will walk away from the Sept. 28-30 Toyota Texas Bass Classic as winners, with $250,000 donated by the contest's sponsor going to fund programs aimed at providing fishing opportunities in and around the state's major population centers.

Nine of the 50 anglers participating in the Toyota Texas Bass Classic, headquartered at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center in Conroe and considered a world championship matchup of the nation's top professional bass fishers, are Texans.

That group includes Keith Combs, the Huntington resident who won the 2011 Texas Bass Classic on Conroe in a sudden-death fish-off against Mike Ioconelli, a New Jersey angler considered one of the best competitive bass fishers in the nation.

The field also includes a handful of former Texas residents, chief among them Rick Clunn. Clunn, who now lives in Missouri and is one of professional bass fishing's most successful anglers (he has four Bassmaster Classic titles), grew up in the Houston area and guided anglers on Lake Conroe before beginning his professional career more than three decades ago.

The 2012 Texas Bass Classic, held on Lake Conroe for the fourth consecutive year, is promoted by the Professional Anglers Association as the group's world championship. The top 15 finishers in "angler of the year" standings of three professional bass fishing circuits - Walmart FLW Tour, Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series - qualify to fish the invitation-only, no-entry-fee tournament. The other five competitors are the winner of the most recent Texas Bass Classic and four top professional anglers invited by the contest's sponsor. Three of those four "sponsor exemptions" are Texans (Takahiro Omori and Kelly Jordon) or a former Texan (Clunn).

Moves to Lake Conroe

While the Texas Bass Classic has evolved into a matchup of world-class bass anglers, the focus of the tournament is much broader. The contest originated as a cooperative effort with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to spotlight the agency's inland fisheries division's considerable successes managing the state's freshwater fisheries, especially its largemouth bass fisheries, and generate interest in recreational fishing.

The first Texas Bass Classics were held on Lake Fork, arguably the best trophy-bass fishery in the nation. The site was moved to Lake Conroe to show how Texas' innovative fisheries management has helped create a fine largemouth bass fishery on a reservoir facing the challenges of intense fishing pressure, heavy shoreline development and habitat issues tied to invasive plants such as hydrilla and giant salvinia.

The tournament employes a unique scoring system in which a trained volunteer marshal accompanies each angler, records the weight of landed bass, then immediately releases all but very large bass, which are picked up by on-the-water TPWD crews and kept alive for on-stage weighing.

Field reduced for final

After two days of competition, the field is reduced to 10 anglers who have the highest total weight (five bass per day) over those rounds. Only those anglers fish Sunday's final round.

The fishing tournament is only a part of the Texas Bass Classic. The three-day event includes an outdoor recreation-themed exposition festival with exhibits and hands-on demonstrations. Also, nightly live music concerts, this year including performances by Dierks Bentley, Gary Allen and Jake Owen. The expo, concerts and daily tournament weigh-ins will be held at the Lone Star Convention and Expo Center at FM 3083 and FM 1484 in Conroe.

Tickets are required, but at no charge. Check www.toyotatexasbassclassic.com for event schedules and tickets.

The event plays a large role in supporting TPWD's efforts to get the state's urban residents interested in recreational fishing and educated about the importance of healthy aquatic systems. The agency's Neighborhood Fishin' program, which stocks catfish in urban ponds open to public fishing is largely funded through a $250,000 donation from Toyota, main sponsor of the classic. Over the past five years at Texas Bass Classics, Toyota has donated more than $1.25 million to help fund TPWD fisheries projects aimed mostly at urban and young anglers.

shannon.tompkins@chron.com

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South Texas <b>fishing</b> report: July 13

AUSTIN — Here is the weekly fishing report as compiled by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department for July 11. Full statewide report available at txfishing.com.

FRESHWATER

AMISTAD: Water clear; 84-88 degrees; 25.32’ low. Black bass are good on watermelon crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and soft plastics. Striped bass are fair on shad and chartreuse topwaters. White bass are fair on slabs and small spinnerbaits. Channel and blue catfish are good on nightcrawlers, liver, and shrimp over baited holes. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch. Everyone in a boat must have a Mexico fishing license (if fishing the Mexico side) whether fishing or not.

BASTROP: Water stained; 87-91 degrees. Black bass are good on crankbaits and chartreuse soft plastics. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and minnows. Yellow catfish are slow.

BELTON: Water clear; 84-88 degrees; 0.78’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters early and late. Hybrid striper are good on live shad early. White bass are excellent on white riversides. Crappie are good on minnows in 30 feet. Channel and blue catfish to 4 pounds are good on summer sausage. Yellow catfish are good on live perch and goldfish.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Black bass are good on crankbaits and watermelon soft plastics near the dam. Striped bass are good on liver, shad, and gold spoons along shorelines. Redfish are fair on perch and shad in the reeds. Channel catfish are good on shrimp, cut bait, and nightcrawlers. Blue catfish are fair on stinkbait.

BUCHANAN: Water murky; 84-88 degrees; 23.65’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters, Chug Bugs, and Texas rigged watermelon soft plastics. Striped bass are good on minnows, Rat-L-Traps, and swim baits. White bass are fair on minnows and Li’l Fishies around brush. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel catfish are fair on shrimp and stinkbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on goldfish and perch upriver.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Black bass are good on chartreuse spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and soft plastics near the jetty. Striped bass are fair on silver spoons and striper jigs near the dam. Redfish are fair on live perch and tilapia along the shoreline. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on live bait, shrimp, and shad. Yellow catfish are slow.

CANYON LAKE: Water stained; 83-87 degrees; 5.31’ low. Black bass are good on topwaters, Rat-L-Traps, and watermelon soft plastics along shorelines. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on minnows and Tiny Traps early and late. Smallmouth bass are fair on smoke grubs, and dark crankbaits early. Crappie are fair on minnows and pink tube jigs. Channel catfish are fair on liver and shrimp. Yellow and blue catfish are fair on goldfish and perch.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 85-88 degrees; 13.68’ low. Black bass are good on chartreuse spinnerbaits and crankbaits, and watermelon soft plastics. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on liver and shrimp. Yellow catfish are fair on live bait.

COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 2.20’ low. Black bass are fair on spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows and white tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live bait. Yellow catfish are fair on trotlines baited with live perch.

FALCON: Water clear; 88-92 degrees; 36.15’ low. Black bass are good on crankbaits, jigs, and Carolina rigged magnum flukes. Striped bass are slow. Crappie are excellent on live minnows and chartreuse tube jigs. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on shrimp, shad, and cut bait. Yellow catfish are slow. Everyone in a boat must have a Mexico fishing license (if fishing the Mexico side) whether fishing or not.

GRANGER: Water clear; 88-92 degrees; 0.66’ low. Black bass are fair on Rat-L-Traps and watermelon soft plastics. White bass are fair on pet spoons and small spinnerbaits early and late. Crappie are good on minnows and chartreuse tube jigs in 10-15 feet. Blue catfish are good on juglines baited with perch and shad. Yellow catfish are slow.

LBJ: Water clear; 86-90 degrees; 0.32’ low. Black bass are fair on watermelon soft plastic worms and lizards, and on chartreuse Rat-L-Traps. White bass are slow. Crappie are good on minnows and blue tube jigs over brush piles. Channel catfish are good on liver and stinkbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on trotlines baited with live perch.

TRAVIS: Water stained; 87-91 degrees; 41.35’ low. Black bass are fair on chartreuse soft plastic worms, white grubs, and small topwaters in 10-20 feet. Striped bass are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are fair on green topwaters and minnows. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are good on stinkbait and shrimp in 20-40 feet. Yellow catfish are slow.

WALTER E. LONG: Water lightly stained. Black bass are fair on watermelon topwaters early. Hybrid striper are fair on white striper jigs. White bass are slow. Crappie are fair on minnows. Channel and blue catfish are fair on stinkbait and live bait. Yellow catfish are slow.

WHITNEY: Water stained; 84-88 degrees; 1.46’ low. Black bass are fair on soft plastic worms and shallow running crankbaits. Striped bass are slow. White bass are fair on white spinnerbaits. Crappie are fair on minnows. Catfish are good on nightcrawlers and stinkbait.

SALTWATER (NORTH TO SOUTH)

BOLIVAR: Trout are fair to good on the south shoreline on soft plastics and plugs. Croakers are good on dead shrimp in the channel and around the pass.

TRINITY BAY: Trout are good around the wells on soft plastics and live bait. Redfish and trout are fair to good at the spillway on shrimp.

EAST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are good on the south shoreline on topwaters and soft plastics. Whiting and sand trout are good on the edge of the Intracoastal on fresh shrimp. Trout are good over deep shell in 8-9 feet of water on shrimp and plastics.

WEST GALVESTON BAY: Trout are fair to good for drifters working shell on live shrimp. Trout, sheepshead, redfish and black drum are good at the jetty on shrimp. Tarpon are showing on the beachfront. Kingfish, ling and red snapper are good offshore.

TEXAS CITY: Trout are good in the channel and on the reefs on croakers. Redfish are fair in Moses Lake on shrimp and mullet.

FREEPORT: Sand trout and sheepshead are good on live shrimp on the reefs. Trout and sand trout are good at the jetties on shrimp and DOA Shrimp. Red snapper, dorado and kingfish are good offshore.

EAST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are good for drifters on live shrimp over humps and scattered shell. Redfish are fair while drifting mud and shell on live shrimp and Gulps.

WEST MATAGORDA BAY: Trout are fair for waders working plastics and topwaters over sand and grass, and better for waders tossing live bait. Redfish are fair to good in Oyster Lake on shrimp and crabs.

PORT O’CONNOR: Trout and redfish are good on topwaters and plastics over sand and grass in San Antonio Bay. Trout and redfish are good on live bait in the guts and holes on the falling tide.

ROCKPORT: Trout are fair on free-lined shrimp in the deep channels. Trout are fair over grass while drifting with live shrimp. Redfish are good in shallow water on mullet and perch.

PORT ARANSAS: Redfish are fair to good at East Flats on shrimp and Gulps. Redfish and sheepshead are fair to good at the jetty on shrimp. Offshore is good for red snapper, ling and kingfish.

CORPUS CHRISTI: Trout are fair to good on the edge of the spoils on Gulps and live shrimp. Trout are good on the flats while casting to the potholes on croakers and soft plastics.

BAFFIN BAY: Trout are fair in the grass on topwaters and live bait. Trout are fair to good in the Land Cut on live shrimp. Redfish have been best are the spoil islands.

PORT MANSFIELD: Trout are good on topwaters and soft plastics under corks around sand and grass. Redfish are fair to good while drifting pot holes and sand flats on live shrimp. Offshore is good for red snapper, ling and kingfish.

SOUTH PADRE: Trout are good around the spoil islands, channel edges and color changes on DOA Shrimp. Tarpon, snook, trout and Spanish mackerel are showing at the jetty on live bait.

PORT ISABEL: Trout and redfish are fair to good at Gas Well Flats on live shrimp. Trout are fair to good on scented plastics and Gulps in 3-4 feet of water over sand and grass humps.

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CCA Texas Takes Bold Step in Opening Cedar Bayou

Aransas County, Texas - The Coastal Conservation Association Texas recently announced a $500,000 matching grant to initiate a new push in generating the funding to open Aransas County's Cedar Bayou and Vincent Slough. After decades of negative impacts from siltation and low water flows, an estimated $6.5M effort will be required to open the vital connection from Mesquite and Aransas Bays to the Gulf of Mexico.

"It is not often that there is an opportunity to reopen a vital and iconic pass," said Robby Byers, CCA Texas executive director. "There is still a lot of money to be raised and a lot of work to do, but CCA Texas kicked off a critical next step with this financial support."

Cedar Bayou is a natural pass that separates St. Joseph's Island from Matagorda Island. Dredging efforts date back to the 1930s, but partial efforts, siltation and misplacement of spoil materials have eventually led to the pass and adjacent Vincent Slough being sealed.

Along with the kick-off funding, CCA Texas will partner with Aransas County in providing funds to secure a professional fundraiser to pursue the needed dollars to complete the dredging project. To date, Aransas County has already secured $500,000 in Coastal Impact Assistance Program funds for the project.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for the economic and environmental future of Aransas County and the State of Texas," said Judge C.H. Mills. "Our partnership with CCA in this important effort is a much-needed boost to push this initiative forward."

After a protracted application and approval process, Judge Mills signed the dredging permit for Cedar Bayou and Vincent Slough on August 3 of 2011. Although the pass has been dredged numerous times through history, this is the largest and most comprehensive effort slated to date.

"Anytime you can open a pass between the Gulf and bay, you are creating a tremendous benefit for the bay and the anglers who enjoy it," said Mark Ray, CCA Texas Chairman. "CCA Texas has supported this important effort for decades and this new support will hopefully reopen this vital pass for generations to come."

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Team Logan/Reznicek Wins IFA Redfish Tour Event At Corpus Christi, Texas

LIZELLA, Ga. - Chris Logan, of Cat Spring, Texas, and Emil Reznicek, of Sealy, Texas, weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 16.69 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Corpus Christi, Texas, on September 3. To win the event, which operated out of Marker 37, the duo topped a large field of two-angler teams to take home a new, fully rigged Ranger Banshee Extreme powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and 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, an OPTIMA battery and a Loadmaster trailer valued at $30,000.

Logan and Reznicek reported higher-than-normal tide activity during the event, focusing their efforts solely on an area within one mile of the tournament's launch site. Targeting pot holes with Berkley Gulp! and spoons, the team's catch included an 8.57-pound kicker redfish, which brought the team the $500 Berkley Big Fish Award as well as a $500 Cabela's gift card, courtesy of Berkley. The team also pocketed $882 in Anglers Advantage contingency money.

"The tides didn't affect our fishing at all," Logan said. "We fished the whole day with no mistakes, which is always a plus."

Second-place finishers, Tansel Basci, of League City, Texas, and John Gill, of Corpus Christi, brought 15.74 pounds to the scales during the event, the results of targeting schools of redfish in the Laguna Madre area, less than 12 miles away.

"We knew what kind of conditions to expect today, but the conditions that we had made it tougher to find and catch fish than it had been," said Basci, who along with Gill, took home second-place winnings. "Still, we were able to perform as we expected."

The third-place team of Kevin Akin, of Corpus Christi, and Brian Talley, of Houston, weighed in 15.64 pounds during the tournament, also coming from schools of redfish in the Laguna Madre area. Using Berkley Gulp! 4-inch shrimp as their only bait during the event, the pair competed through the high waters and winds on their way third-place prize money plus an addition $1,000 in Cabela's Angler Cash and $399 in Anglers Advantage contingency money.

"We adapted pretty well to the change in the weather conditions," Akin said. "I feel like we did the best we could with the school we found."

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, an OPTIMA battery and a Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000. Lucrative contingency programs added for 2011 include $50 prize to the team claiming the big fish award in an IFA Redfish Tour event if the fish is landed with an EGO Net, $25 prize for both the big redfish and big trout in IFA Kayak Tour events; $250 prize to a qualifying winning team which competes from a boat equipped with OPTIMA Batteries; PENN reels for tournament-winning anglers who compete with PENN reels.

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, Gulp!, Gulp! Alive, PENN reels, Yamaha Outboards, Columbia Sportswear, Minn Kota, Humminbird, OPTIMA Batteries, Power-Pole, Wrap This, Blue Point Fabrication, EGO Nets, Spiderwire, Sebile, Bob's Machine Shop, 321fish.com, Kayak Angler Magazine, Loadmaster, NBOA Marina Insurance, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Marker 37.

IFA Texas Division
Corpus Christi, Texas (Top 10)
1. Logan/Reznicek - 16.69 lbs.

2. Basci/Gill - 15.74 lbs.

3. Talley/Akin - 15.64 lbs.

4. Clarkson/Lynch - 15.56 lbs.

5. Gidrey/Cellum - 14.50 lbs.

6. Baggett/Baggett - 14.33 lbs.

7. Barton/Barton - 14.23 lbs.

8. Price/Herrera - 14.16 lbs.

9. Gonzalez/Cisneros - 13.93 lbs.

10. Wilson/Odom - 13.77 lbs.

Berkley Gulp! Big Fish Award ($500 + $500 Cabela's Gift Card courtesy of Berkley):
Logan/Reznicek (8.57 lbs.)

Cabela's Angler Cash ($1,000):

Talley/Akin

Media Contact
Josh Ward
Blue Heron Communications
(800) 654-3766
Josh@blueheroncomm.com

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Clint Barghi Wins IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Event At Corpus Christi, Texas

LIZELLA, Ga. - Clint Barghi, of Friendswood, Texas, caught a redfish and speckled sea trout that measure a combined 51.75 inches in length to the win the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing event at Corpus Christi, Texas, on September 4. The event, which operated out of Marker 37, was the last of three regular-season events for the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour's Texas Division.

Fishing in the Rockport, Texas, area, Barghi employed Berkley Gulp! bait under a popping cork to take advantage of the day's windy conditions. His redfish, which measured 33.00 inches, won him the $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Redfish Award, which also included a $100 Cabela's gift card, courtesy of Berkley, for catching the fish on Gulp!. For winning the event, Barghi also took home a Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler Kayak valued at $2,499.

"The conditions were windy, which is exactly what we needed, so I fished wind-blown shorelines with Gulp! all day," Barghi said. "This is the best-run kayak series around and I couldn't be more excited to win."

Second-place finisher, Chase Okrasinski, of New Braunfels, Texas, measured a 29.25-inch redfish and a 20-inch trout for a total length measurement of 49.25 inches to secure the $1,000 second-place prize. Fishing in and around the Bird Island area, Okrasinski used top-water lures to target wind-blown shorelines and spoil banks where boat traffic had concentrated bait schools.

"The winds were northerly compared to the southerly winds I'm used to at this spot, but the boat traffic really seemed to give me an advantage as it pushed bait onto the specific spoil area I was fishing," Okrasinski said. "I'm pleased with my finish. Locating tournament trout this time of year is difficult."

Third-place finisher, Al Denham, of Bay City, Texas, won $500 for his redfish and trout, which measured a combined 49 inches in length, using Berkley Gulp! and hard baits during the event.

Fifth-place finisher, Brian Weems, won the $200 Hobie Top Angler prize for having the highest place of finish for an angler competing from a Hobie Kayak. Mason McWilliams, who finished 17th, won the $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Trout Award for this 23-inch catch, which also included an additional $100 Cabela's gift card, courtesy of Berkley, for catching the fishing on Gulp!.

Each of the Cabela's IFA Redfish Tour 18 regular-season events will commence on Saturday with the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing contested the following day (Sundays). In its second season, the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie will feature 18 regular-season, catch-photograph-release events across six different division (mirroring the IFA Redfish Tour format, location and scheduling) as well as extremely lucrative payouts and expanded fishing opportunities for non-motorized fishing crafts.

The redfish/trout tournament will pay twenty places (based on a 100-boat field) plus Big Redfish, Big Trout and Junior Angler Awards. The winner will take home a Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler valued at $2,499, 2nd place prize will be a $1,000 and 3rd place $500 Hobie cash. New for 2011, kayak anglers can take advantage of the Angler's Advantage program. Anglers who participate in the program can pay an additional $25 entry fee, which is paid back at 100 percent to participants, based on place of finish. Lucrative contingency programs added for 2011 include $50 prize to the team claiming the big fish award in an IFA Redfish Tour event if the fish is landed with an EGO Net, $25 prize for both the big redfish and big trout in IFA Kayak Fishing Tour events; a PENN reel for tournament-winning angler who competes with PENN reel.

The IFA Redfish and IFA Kayak Fishing Tours continues to draw redfish anglers from Texas to the Carolinas and beyond, offering anglers 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 money and prize packages, as well as a shot at the coveted Overall Divisional Team of the Year Award for the six regular-season division winners.

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, Gulp!, Gulp! Alive, PENN reels, Yamaha Outboards, Columbia Sportswear, Minn Kota, Humminbird, OPTIMA Batteries, Power-Pole, Wrap This, Blue Point Fabrication, EGO Nets, Spiderwire, Sebile, Bob's Machine Shop, 321fish.com, Kayak Angler Magazine, Loadmaster, NBOA Marina Insurance, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Marker 37.

IFA Texas Division
Corpus Christi, Texas (Top 10)
1. Clint Barghi - 51.75 inches

2. Chase Okrasinski - 49.25 inches

3. Al Denham - 49.00 inches

4. John Kay - 45.63 inches

5. Brian Weems - 45.63 inches

6. Melinda Moudy - 45.50 inches

7. James Tesch - 45.25 inches

8. Cody Phillips - 45.13 inches

9. Fil Spencer - 45.00 inches

10. Cindy Hood - 43.13 inches

$200 Hobie Contingency:

Brian Weems

$100 Berkley GULP! Big Redfish Award + $100 Cabela's Gift Card from Berkley:
Clint Barghi (33.00 inches)

$100 Berkley GULP! Big Trout Award + $100 Cabela's Gift Card from Berkley:
Mason McWilliams (23.00 inches)

Media Contact
Josh Ward
Blue Heron Communications
(800) 654-3766
Josh@blueheroncomm.com

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