LIVE WEIGH IN: COMING SOON…
Team Blazer Bay, White/Mills Take Team Tour Stop 2
Barnie White (left) and Dwayne Mills (right) top the field to take home the Wildwear America Round Up Championship. Day 2 started off under beautiful blue skies, little wind, friendlier tides it was all setting up for a perfect day 2, right? For some like the eventual winners Barnie White and Dwayne Mills that is exactly what happened. “It was by far, perhaps my best day ever on the water, fishing wise” White told folks watching in person and online after he and Dwayne Mills lifted matching 10.10 pound Louisiana giants from their weigh bag making up their 20.20 pound day 2 total. “This was an unreal day, if somebody beats us, hats off to them, we will pat them on the back and hand them the check, for us, this was an incredibly day” stated Dwayne Mills.
A few made it close but both Barnie and Dwayne’s hats could stay in place, at the end of the weigh in no one topped their 2 day total of 37.98 pounds although Bo Favre and Mark Robinson, team Sport Trail Trailers and Mamba Boats gave it a strong run with 18.58 pounds on 2 live Louisiana redfish anchored by a 9.68 pounderon day 2. Favre and Robinson finished in 3rd place with 35.81 pounds and took home a check for $1,000.00.
The top team of White and Mills took home both the first place check for $10,000.00 and the Brecknell Big Red Challenge check of $6,500.00 for their 10.10 pounder. In second place and winner of team tour stop 1 earlier in the season Chad Billiot teamed up with his wife Joy who was subbing for Roger Dowdy, Chad’s normal partner and they weighed in 36.17 pounds for their 2 days of fishing falling just 1.81 pounds short of the win but taking home the $5,000.00 2nd place check. The top 5 finished out with the team of Chuck Braddock and Richard Gidrey in 4th with 35.46 while Gary Moreno and Stephen Fleming brought in 34.07 pounds.
Another great event is in the books without a single dead fish and the tour continues to grow and reshape the sport with equipment and procedure regulations that had more than one of the local poling skiff inshore purest stopping by the stage to say thank you and making comments similar to what 1 father son duo stated, “to be honest when we saw your setup we kind of cringed, oh no not a tournament, guess we are not fishing here on Saturday… but we stuck it out and I wanted to let you know we ran in to a couple of your anglers on the water and they were professional and courteous and thought you should know”. That was so great to hear and a first for us on the Elite Redfish Series in this area where tournaments are not very well received, this weekend was different.
Great Group of Winners –
The group of competitors that arrived on Thursday afternoon for the captain’s meeting and continuing through the conclusion of the event competed under strict guidelines and mother nature’s tough conditions but did so in a professional and courteous manner. One pro said in an almost shocked manner “I didn’t hear one thing bad out of a single angler’s mouth and for us, that’s not usual. Everyone had a great time and really enjoyed the event.” Another one said “I’ll tell you one thing I love about this limited field size, there’s no one to wrestle your spot away from, I don’t think I saw 2 boats in my area the entire week of practice and tournament days.” There’s a lot to like about the new direction and for the crew and staff its become fun again and there is no better group of anglers we could be producing these events for anywhere, period. Thank you anglers for your support, understanding and effort to compete hard but not to do it at the expense of your fellow competitors, the environment or local anglers.
Next up it’s the 3rd stop on the Team Open Tour and the Berkley Fishing Jacksonville Jump Open April 22-23. Registration is Now Open Here.
Day 1 Team Billiot Weigh in a Monster 10.04 –
Chad Billiot and his wife Joy had a great day on the water and are just 20/100 of a pound behind the leaders with 17.85 lbs. Team after team hit the stage at the Hopedale Marina in the St. Bernard Parish and many didn’t need to say anything, it was written all over their wind burn faces… “The wind was a factor today, blowing sometimes up to 40 MPG gust and the tide was heading the wrong direction for most of the day, but they’re there you just have to find em” stated Billiot talking about the fish that were comfortable with the churned up conditions and not on alert. Moreno and Fleming took the lead after day 1 with the only limit to average 9 pounds or better per fish, 18.05 lbs to be exact. The top 5 is very close and it’s still anybody’s game.
Barnie White and Dwayne Mills sit in 3rd with 17.78 while Bo Favre and Mark Robinson overcame early battery troubles to weigh in 17.23 lbs. Rounding out the top 5 was the Double Diamond Heavy Haul team of Chuck Braddock and Richard Guidry with a solid day 1 weight of 17.09, less than a pound from taking the lead. On the line for tomorrow’s final day? $10,000.00 for first place, $5,000.00 for second, $1,000.00 for third and $6,500.00 for the Brecknell Big Red Challenge awarded along with a set of Brecknell ElectroSamson scales, trophy and promotional check. There is still a lot on the line even for the teams that did not weigh in a fish today as they are always 1 cast away from the Big Red of the tournament and some big cash and prizes!
ALL EVENT RESULTS: DAY 1 – DAY 2 – FINAL STANDINGS – BRECKNELL BIG RED : ALL EVENT IMAGES: LAUNCH AND WEIGH INS
Gallery Selects –
