FLW Redfish Tournament Panama City - Paul Chavis

[Paul Chavis]

Prefishing - The tournament being the week following the Oberto Cup Punta Gorda event, we were unable to spend any time prefishing Panama City. We were forced to start fishing real early close to Tallahassee. I started fishing Lanark month and half prior to the tournament. I located good cooperative fish in Lanark. We would go once to twice a week and just see if they were holding. I went back Tues. and Wed of the tournament week and they were still there. They were getting happier as time went on. So we had our plan to run 100 miles back to Lanark.

Thursday Day One - Woke up to 20 MPH wind out of the southeast. Luckily we got to prefish our fish during these same conditions 3 weeks before the tournament and did not seem to bother our fish too much. We were hoping the high winds would hurt the sight fishing bite in PC, it didn't. The run took 2 hours including stopping for fuel. The run was very easy until Apalachicola. We were greeted with 2 to 3's very stacked up coming form many directions. We arrived at Lanark it was very blown out and the water was very dirty. We got a 26 inch 6.25 lb fish within 20 minutes of arriving. Good sign nothing seemed to be affecting our fish. We fished for another 3 1/2 hours with no bites or signs of our fish. Finally we stuck another fish about 11:30, it went 5.75lbs. We discuss the conditions and lack of bites and decided lets leave now and try to find another bite in PC for tomorrow. We arrived back in PC with a hour and half to fish. We had no luck finding any fish to speak of. Weighed in 11 lbs 15 oz.

Friday Day Two - Woke up to the same conditions. With no other bite and not wanting to chase dock talk and cell phone fish, we decided to stick our original game plan. Back to Lanark we went. Greeted with the same exact conditions as the day before. We finally arrived to our spot. We made a few adjustments in our baits and techniques. We stared off with a fish that was 28 inches, shortly after arriving. All that we through our minds was it took 3 hours to get another bite the day before. Within in minutes we had a perfect tournament fish in the boat. 26.75 inches and 7.25 lbs. We continued to catch fish about every 10 minutes. All the fish were either 27 1/4 to 27 1/2 or 3.5lbs. We had no time left and had to leave. I told Blaine lets each make another cast and then we need to leave or we won't make it back in time. He made a cast and hooked up and then I made a cast and also hooked up. He brought his fish to the boat, I can't believe it, it was sting ray. I told him to break it off immediately, my fish was a good red, as I could see it rolling on the surface. It looked perfect in the net. We measured it, top off the tail 26 1/2, but the bottom off the tail was 27 1/4. Here we go letting another 8 lb 27 1/4 fish go and back to PC with only 11 lbs. The run back was to best run yet. We were running 50 mph in the bay instead of the 35 to 40 we were use to. We we reached to intracoastal the Pathfinder was running 63 to 65 instead of 60 to 62 it ran the day before. We were making great time. We reached PC with about 15 minutes to spare. We decided to fish a spot where some fish came from the Day before. We powered down, I made a cast and hooked up immediately. Blaine was scrambling to get the net and board out as we could tell it was a good fish, then he was off. Pulled the hook. Got the hook back and it was straighten. In all the excitement I didn't even realize how bad I was horsing the fish. Blaine was ready to go, and I was tying on another jig head. I made another cast and hooked up immediately again. The fish came to the boat hot, we had to get the power pole up. Blaine netted the fish, he looked perfect. pulled the board out, he was of course 27 1/2. We had now drifted over the spot and had no time left. Had to head to weigh in. Weighed in 10 lbs 15 oz.

Finished 19th, but moved into 8th in the team of the year standings, tied for 7th actually. But what a tournament with the long run, rough conditions, all the just over fish and the last minute heroics that didn't work out.

Thanks for the Support
Paul Chavis
Team Makita Power Tools

[birddog]

Thats a heck of 2 days fishing. Congrats on fishing hard and moving up in the TOY standings. Thanks for posting

[Reel Cowboy]

Thanks for the report Paul. Those were some great fish any day other than tourney day.

[Chalk]

Great report Paul....that's a good finish with the conditions

[flounderpounder]

Great job, thats one hell of a run to come fish in your own backyard. I like it!!!

[jsuber]

Good job Paul. They have the IFA there this weekend.

[Paul Chavis]

I will fishing it with my father-in-law.

[caseycook]

Thanks for the report, PC! Good luck this weekend.

[Mook!]

Thanks for the report. There's no easier way to catch over slot reds than be in a tournament!

[Eerman]

Nice report and congrats on movin' up.

[fishfeeder]

Congrats