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| By a Fish Scale |
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The Gulf Coast Angler’s Association put a close to its inaugural season with a two day showdown on October 24th and 25th but not without some last minute fireworks. With a constantly changing weather forecast, thirteen teams competed for the coveted series championship and a mere 0.01 lbs separated the top two teams. Special thanks go out to the staff and management at Delta Marine for all the hospitality, burgers and chili during the weigh-in, and most of all the added bonus cash for first place!
In second place was the Team of the Year Bobby Abruscato and Scott Ritter. Fishing out of their Ranger 183 Ghost, Abruscato/Ritter used a two punch combo using top water and popping corks early in the morning and then sight casted their redfish with spinner baits tipped with Power Baits in the purple/chartreuse color later in the day. Ritter stated that on day two the cloud cover combined with a hard falling tide made for tough sight casting conditions. The team collected $890 for their 2nd place finish including $120 for the 1st day Big Fish Pot with 30.30 lbs. Rounding out the top five were 3rd place, Paul Smith/Mike Daves (30.19 lbs./$460); 4th place James and Tim Craft (28.99 lbs./$310); and 5th place Larry and Renee’ Kirby with 28.28lbs. Looking back on the Team of the Year race, the team of Bobby Abruscato and Scott Ritter won with a commanding 6 point lead and collected $860 for the honor topping the teams Paul Smith/Mike Daves (2nd) and Barnie White/Steve White (3rd). Abruscato/Ritter also won last year’s Team of the Year award in the Team Trails Redfish Circuit. Here is a recap of their finishes: Breton Sound 1/24, 4th place; Breton Sound 2/21, 1st place; Breton Sound 3/21, 12th place; Empire 6/6, 8th place; Empire 7/11, 4th place; Golden Meadow 8/15, 1st; and Pascagoula 10/3, 8th place. Next Year is approaching fast! The Gulf Coast Angler’s Association is looking forward to some exiting announcements about its 2010 season. Watch http://www.gulfcoastanglersaccociation.com/ for upcoming details. Here is a tentative schedule for 2010: 20 Feb - Empire - Delta Marina (open) The Gulf Coast Anglers Association is a brand new redfish tournament organization catering to anglers who want to experience a friendly competitive environment. Dwayne Mills (tournament director) is dedicated to the anglers’ desire to have a tournament organization that will showcase its anglers and provide a family atmosphere for all levels of anglers. See http://www.gulfcoastanglersassociation.com/ for more details. Here is a detailed list of the tournament results:
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By: Barnie White
Winning the event by a mere fish scale was Barnie White and Donald Garrettson. White/Garrettson, who were in 3rd place after day one managed to better their weight on day two with a large sack anchored by an 8.4 lbs. lunker bringing their two day weight to 31.31 lbs. The Blackfin skeg sponsored team used No Slack Tackle popping corks rigged with 1/8 oz. No Slack Tackle jig heads with 4” Gulp! Shrimp. Using their Ranger Banshee Extreme the team targeted shallow ponds with scattered grass to land their two fish limit every day. The team collected $3,120 including the day 2 Big Fish Pot of $120 and the $500 bonus added by Delta Marine. The Teams sponsors also include: MotorGuide, Stay-n-Charge, Mann’s Bait Company, and The Box Light.