MIKE MCDONALD WINS IFA KAYAK FISHING TOUR EVENT AT RUSKIN, FLA.

[Fishing Report]

MIKE MCDONALD WINS IFA KAYAK FISHING TOUR EVENT AT RUSKIN, FLA.
Florida West Division winner takes home Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler Kayak

LIZELLA, Ga. (October 4, 2011) – Mike McDonald, of Sarasota, Fla., caught a redfish and speckled sea trout that measured a combined 54.50 inches in length to win the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing event at Ruskin, Fla., on October 2. The event, which operated out of Pirate’s Point Resort, was the last of three regular-season events for the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour’s Florida West Division.

Fishing in and around the City Island and Tidy Island areas, McDonald targeted trout with top-water lures during the windy morning. By afternoon, McDonald used Berkley Gulp! baits around potholes to land his 32.50-inch redfish, the largest of the event. In addition to winning the $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Redfish Award and matching $100 Cabela’s gift card, also courtesy of Berkley, for catching the fish on Berkley Gulp!, McDonald also took home a Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler Kayak valued at $2,499.

“I had to wait for the tide before I could find the redfish, but the whole day was awesome,” McDonald said. “I’m lucky that the fish cooperated.”

Second-place finisher, Then Lai, of Seminole, Fla., measured a 28.13-inch redfish and a 19.50-inch trout for a total length measurement of 47.63 inches to secure the $1,000 second-place prize. Fishing in and around the St. Petersburg, Fla., area, Lai landed his catch using top-water lures and jigs.

“It was a little windy first thing, but then the conditions calmed down and it was great for fishing,” Lai said. “I think I could’ve stuck it out a little longer and upgraded my fish, but I’m happy with the results.”

Third-place finisher, Logan Wongseprasert, of Valrica, Fla., won $500 for his redfish and trout, which measure a combined 47 inches, caught in the Weedon Island area.

“I found all of the redfish around schools of mullet in the grass flats,” Wongseprasert said. “When I followed the tide out into the bay I found all of my trout. Today turned out great.”

Fourth-place finisher, Jason Broach, won the $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Trout Award for his 26.25-inch catch, plus an additional $200 in Hobie Kayak contingency money for being the highest-finishing angler to compete from a Hobie Kayak. Matt Harvel, who finished 13th, won the $100 Junior Angler Award.

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; $250 prize to the winning team if both team members are signed up as an NBOA membership.

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 <http://www.redfishtour.com> or www.ifakayakfishingtour.com <http://www.ifakayakfishingtour.com> . To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go to www.hobiefishing.com <http://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, Little Harbor and Pirate’s Pointe Resort.


IFA Florida West Division
Ruskin, Fla. (Top 10)
1. Mike McDonald – 54.50 inches

2. Then Lai – 47.63 inches

3. Logan Wongseprasert – 47.00 inches

4. Jason Broach – 46.25 inches

5. Logan Terreault – 46.13 inches

6. Jarred Terreault – 45.75 inches

7. George Yock – 45.00 inches

8. Doug Fisher – 44.25 inches

9. Olin Satterfield – 44.00 inches

10. John Lee – 43.75 inches



$200 Hobie Contingency:

Jason Broach

$100 Berkley GULP! Big Redfish Award + $100 Cabela’s Gift Card from Berkley:
Mike McDonald (32.50 inches)

$100 Berkley GULP! Big Trout Award:
Jason Broach (26.25 inches)

$100 Junior Angler Award:
Matt Harvel

###

[Fishing Report]

TEAM BRANTLEY/WITT WINS IFA REDFISH TOUR EVENT AT RUSKIN, FLA.
Team takes home new Ranger Banshee Extreme with tournament victory

LIZELLA, Ga. (October 4, 2011) – Terry Brantley, of Arcadia, Fla., and J.R. Witt, of Sarasota, Fla., weighed in a two-redfish limit that totaled 15.11 pounds to win the IFA Redfish Tour event at Ruskin, Fla., on October 2. To win the event, which operated out of Little Harbor, the team 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.

Sight fishing near the Ruskin area, Brantley and Witt used Berkley Gulp! shrimp baits and Sebile lures to locate their winning fish among the schooling reds in the area. In addition to the Ranger boat, the team also pocketed $900 in Anglers Advantage winnings, $1,000 in Cabela’s Angler Cash; $500 Berkley Gulp! Big Fish Award, which also includes a $500 Cabela’s Gift Card, also courtesy of Berkley and $250 from OPTIMA Batteries.

“We expected it to be ideal conditions for sight fishing and today was,” Brantley said.

Second-place finishers, Michael Delagarza and T.J. Stewart, both of Bradenton, Fla., brought 14.23 pounds to the scales during the Ruskin event, the results of fishing jerk baits around mangroves.

“We ran up to Bradenton where we have the most experience and really keyed on the mangroves and reeds up there,” Delagarza said. “It was a little windy at times, but nothing unexpected. It was a short ride there and back and we had a really good day overall.”

The third-place team of Artie Price Jr. and Artie Price Sr., both of New Port Richey, Fla., weighed in 13.92 pounds during the tournament, the result of runs to the Sarasota and Tampa Bay (Fla.) areas.

“The conditions were better than we expected; ideal for throwing Berkley Gulp! Jerk Shads around pot holes,” said Price Jr. “For fishing after a cold front, this was great.”

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; $250 prize to the winning team if both team members are signed up as an NBOA membership.

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, Little Harbor and Pirate’s Pointe Resort.

IFA Florida West Division
Ruskin, Fla. (Top 10)
1. Brantley/Witt – 15.11 lbs.

2. Delagarza/Stewart – 14.23 lbs.

3. Price/Price – 13.92 lbs.

4. Hickman/Altman – 13.56 lbs.

5. Hawkins/Drummond – 13.48 lbs.

6. Davis/Brown – 13.43 lbs.

7. Seckel/Tucker – 12.86 lbs.

8. Carolyn/Crofton – 12.72 lbs.

9. Oliverio/Green – 12.55 lbs.

10. Devine/Fesler – 11.96 lbs.



Berkley Gulp! Big Fish Award ($500 and $500 Cabela’s Gift Card from Berkley):
Brantley/Witt (7.77 lbs.)

Cabela’s Angler Cash ($1,000):

Brantley/Witt



OPTIMA Battery Award ($250):

Brantley/Witt