IFA Redfisg results Destin

[Fishing Report]

LEE SMITH WINS IFA KAYAK EVENT AT DESTIN, FLA.
Gulf Division win nets angler Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler kayak

LIZELLA, Ga. (March 30, 2011) – Lee Smith, of Niceville, Fla., caught a redfish and speckled sea trout that measured a combined 61.75 inches in length to win the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing event on March 27 in Destin, Fla. The event, which operated out of Legendary Marina, was the regular-season opener for the IFA Kayak Tour’s Gulf Division.

Utilizing crankbaits and swimbaits, Smith had an active day on the water, catching fish in a pair of locations on his way to the tournament win. With the win, Smith took home a Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler Kayak valued at $2,399, plus an additional $200 in Hobie Cash for winning the event while competing out of his Hobie Revolution. He completed his lucrative day on the water by adding $210 in Anglers Advantage winnings.

“I started off with a 21-inch trout right there in the bay within the first five minutes,” Smith said. “Then I switched spots to a place about a 30-minute drive away. I paddled for a little while and caught 10 big redfish and stayed there until I was tired of catching them.”

Second-place finisher, Chandler Graves, measured a 43.25-inch redfish and a 17.50-inch trout for a total length measurement of 60.75 inches to secure the $1,000 second-place prize. Graves’ redfish, the largest measured during the tournament, won the first-time IFA competitor the Berkley Gulp! Big Redfish Award, for which he was awarded $100 cash and a $100 Cabela’s gift card from Berkley.

“I had a nice, calm morning, but it started out rough and I couldn’t find a big trout,” Graves said. “I caught my big redfish then finally found my trout. I caught four fish all day using Berkley Gulp! baits.”

Third-place finisher, Timothy Walker, won $500 with a combined length measurement of 60.63 inches.

Earl Poole, who finished in 10th place, took him the Berkley Gulp! Big Trout Award for his 25.50-inch trout, the largest measured during the event. The award paid Poole $100 cash. Micah Mixon won the $100 Junior Angler Award with a 15.75-inch trout.
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 $2,399, 2nd place prize will be a $1,000 Hobie cash 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 Tour events; a PENN reel for tournament-winning angler who competes with PENN reel.

The IFA Redfish and IFA Kayak 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, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, and Legendary Marine.


IFA Gulf Division
Destin, Fla. (Top 10)
1. Lee Smith – 61.75 inches

2. Chandler Graves – 60.75 inches

3. Tim Walker – 60.63 inches

4. Chris Lewis – 56.75 inches

5. Michael Bainter – 54.75 inches

6. Thomas Alexander – 54.25 inches

7. Liam Callaghan – 48.75 inches

8. Chad Skeeles – 46.25 inches

9. Linda Cavitt – 42.00 inches

10. Earl Poole – 25.50 inches



$100 Berkley Gulp! Big Redfish Award + $100 Cabela’s gift card:

Chandler Graves (43.25 inches)



$100 Berkley Gulp! Big Trout Award:

Earl Poole (25.50 inches)



$100 Junior Angler Prize:

Micha Mixon (15.75-inch trout)

[Fishing Report]

TEAM SOSTHEIM/MATNEY WINS IFA REDFISH TOUR EVENT
AT DESTIN, FLA.
Team takes home new Ranger Banshee Extreme with tournament victory

LIZELLA, Ga. (March 30, 2010) – Joey Sostheim and Jake Matney, both of Panama City, Fla., weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 13.90 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event in Destin, Fla., on March 26. To win the event, which operated out of Legendary Marine, Sostheim and Matney bested a competitive field to take home a new 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.

Keying on fish located during pre-tournament practice, Sostheim and Matney relied on patience and Berkley Gulp! baits to boat their tournament-winning catches. Despite not finding the fish early in the competition day, the redfish soon moved into the area, allowing Sostheim and Matney to stick to their tournament strategy.

“We had to wait on them, but when they got there it was game on,” Matney said. “We had a stellar day using the Berkley Gulp! baits; ran about 75 miles and caught about 30 redfish all together.”

Second-place finishers, Chris Wiwi, of Panama City, and Don Wiwi, of Clearwater, Fla., brought 13.58 pounds to the scales during the tournament, relying on good weather to make the run to Panama City to find their fish. Despite finding many fish in the area that were not within the slot limit, the team did land a 7.18-pound kicker redfish – the largest weighed in during the event – which brought the team the Berkley Gulp! Big Fish Award, winning them $500 cash and a $500 Cabela’s gift card.

“Thankfully we had good enough weather to run to Panama City and if we’d been able to catch another fish like that big one we would’ve had an even better tournament,” Chris said. “It was an up-and-down day; had a few over-sized fish, but overall we have no complaints.”

The third-place team of Greg Devault, of New Port Richey, Fla., and Jon Turner, of Bradenton, Fla., weighed in 12.83 pounds during the competition, catching an estimated 15 redfish on the day using jigs and soft plastic baits.
With its fourth-place finish in the Destin event, the team of Blake Nelson and Wes Nelson won the $1,000 Cabela’s Angler Cash Award, given to the qualifying team with the highest place of finish.

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, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, and Legendary Marine.

IFA Gulf Division
Destin, Fla. (Top 10)
1. Sostheim/Matney – 13.90 lbs.

2. Wiwi/Wiwi – 13.58 lbs.

3. Devault/Turner – 12.83 lbs.

4. Nelson/Nelson – 12.54 lbs.

5. Finch/Thurlow – 11.54 lbs.

6. King/Coughlin – 11.52 lbs.

7. Myers/Lindheim – 11.48 lbs.

8. Pattison/Cube – 11.47 lbs.

9. Peacher/Russell – 11.30 lbs.

10. Dufrene/Cedotal – 10.88 lbs.

Berkley Gulp! Big Fish Award ($500) + Cabela’s Gift Card ($500):
Wiwi/Wiwi (7.19 lbs.)

Cabela’s Angler Cash ($1,000):

Nelson/Nelson