Cool Weather Comes To Town

November, 2008

I always enjoy the cooler weather in the fall; baitfish schools migrate away from my home water and fantastic plug fishing opportunities exist.  We just had a nice little cold front push through last week and I had a chance to get out with two of my best charter clients for some plug fishing. The big speckle trout were on fire!  (Yes, I do fish for more than just redfish when I’m not competing on the Redfish Cup.)

After chasing redfish from Texas to Florida throughout the season it’s nice to target other species in some of my downtime, particularly big yellow-mouth specks. Believe it or not those heavyweight trout are in the same neighborhood where redfish are found in Florida — and that’s clear shallow water, usually less than 2-feet deep.  Our big trout seem to be loners mixed in with redfish or all by themselves and never with smaller schools of trout.

I like to target big trout with topwaters or suspending plugs with monofilament line. I find it both challenging and fun tangling with a 5-plus-pounders with paper-thin mouth thrashing around on the surface trying to throw my Mirro-lure  back at me.  The biggest difference between battling reds and fighting lunker sized trout is rod tip position; reds try and rub the lures into the bottom so I fight them with my rod tip up while lunker trout try and throw the plug with violent head shakes at the surface forcing me to keep my rod tip lower, like bass fishing.

I know I’m going to take advantage of this great fall fishery.  Hopefully you’ll make some big trout memories too!

C.A. Richardson, www.flatsclass.com

Always Next Year

October 21, 2008

Well, another year is in the books and still no Redfish Cup for us. I'm disappointed that the opportunity to win a championship slipped away once again (7th place ) after working so hard. To make such an elite field in Biloxi and still come up a little short really hurts. But hey, there's always next year.

I must admit I am looking forward to spending some more time at home and getting ready for the holidays before the busy boat show season starts this winter. I've also got tons of stuff to catch up on like back-logged charters, progress reports, and some home remodeling projects that still need to be finished. In other words, I won't have very much time to lament the events at Biloxi.

Next year's field for the Cup will be a little clearer after the U.S. Invitational wraps up in Louisiana. As the new blood, in a matter of speaking, this new group of qualifiers will raise the bar even higher in 2009 and make old pros like me work even harder to make next year's finale.

One more thing before I end my blog – how about them Tampa Bay Rays?!? Finally my hometown area is being recognized as a true sports town. We've already got the Lombardi Trophy, the Stanley Cup, and maybe the World Series Title. Go Rays!

– C.A. Richardson, www.flatsclass.com

Fall, Football, & Fishing

September 29, 2008

It's that time of year—fall is finally in the air and football fans fill stadiums and sports bars every weekend. And don't let me forget, the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup championship is finally here, too.

After four events we closed out the season with a berth in the championship field and a chance to put our names on the Cup. With only five days of official practice allowed before the championship in Biloxi, I think I'll be putting plenty of miles on my Ranger looking for monster 30" reds from Alabama to Louisiana.

That's right, the slot for Mississippi is 20" to 30" which means we may see record weights coming to the scales at the championship.

I'm sitting at my desk right now thinking about the ten million little things I have to do before heading out at the end of the week. Yes, just because I think I'm some hot shot fisherman doesn't get me out of any chores or honey-do lists before I go. (I still need to check with my girlfriend, Jess, on that one.) But I still have a little time in the middle of the night to pour over maps and scan the Internet to narrow my search and practice areas.

My checklist before the championship is listed as followed:

1. Wash clothes from previous trip
2. Pack and organize tackle and prep boat
3. Get oil change for tow vehicle
4. Track long range weather pattern,
5. Bring fishing license(s), pack laptop, IPod and foul weather gear
6. WIN THE CUP!

– C.A. Richardson, www.flatsclass.com

Home at Last

August 19, 2008

I can't explain how good it feels to be back home. Even when you're surrounded by good friends, life on the road isn't the same as being at home with family.

My son starts school tomorrow and I'm looking forward to getting back into the routine of homework , football practices, and just being a dad. I'm sure my longtime girlfriend Jessica has a list of honey-do's for me to finish and, believe it or not, I can't wait to get started. (It's nice to get back to ordinary everyday life.)

Returning to Chalmette/Hopedale for the first time since Katrina was an eye-opening experience and I was thoroughly impressed to see how this community bounced back from such a major natural disaster. The positive attitudes displayed by residents and business owners were extended to all the Redfish Cup anglers and staff, making the venue truly a special place for all of us associated.

As for the event, we squeaked out a respectable 12th place finish but I was still a little disappointed because there was still a potential to do better. I feel like we left some money on the table out there. There's just one more hurdle to clear in Pensacola before heading for Biloxi and the championship in October.

For now, I'll enjoy some form of normalcy at home before it's time to head out to the Florida Panhandle and start getting serious about the next event. Between catching up on yard work, breaking down third-grade math problems, and throwing a few passes to Cam's teammates at practice, I'll pour over satellite maps, prepare equipment, and converse with colleagues.

Bringing you're A-game is what professional fishing is all about!

– C.A. Richardson, www.flatsclass.com

Focusing on Cajun Country

July 20, 2008

I just finished unpacking my suitcase from the ICAST show in Las Vegas and now find myself packing another bag to head to New Orleans to meet fellow Cup pro Jason Catchings for some extra practice time.

Needless to say, it's been a hectic summer.

Believe it or not the Hopedale event is nearly a month away and I feel compelled to spend some extra time out there in the Mississippi Delta. It's not that I can't get enough of the Louisiana world-class fishery or the infamous Cajun cuisine but I really the need to have a solid finish in the Redfish Cup's third event and relieve the pressure of being forced to make a "Hail Mary "run in Pensacola to make the championship. And who knows how much fuel will cost by the end of September, especially if hurricane season gets active?

Tropical weather, hmmm, it's my other motive for focusing on Cajun country this early, I just can't let it rob me of valuable practice time. The weather is perfect right now and recon information can be gathered from scouting a variety of areas under these conditions because there is no shortage of areas to look for fat Cajun reds— the marsh and ponds are endless. In any event, I'm sure there will be plenty of chatter about the unpredictable weather patterns because either extreme heat or violent storms systems will always be a factor.

Whatever my excuse for getting out here ahead of my peers, I look forward to fishing the bayous and ponds in the great state of Louisiana. This is always the best event on the Cup schedule! I've got to board the plane now and my IPod just cranked up Jerry Reed's Amos Moses, the ideal tune to get my trip underway.

– Capt. C.A. Richardson, www.flatsclass.com

Post–Port Arthur

June 1, 2008

Metaphorically–speaking, it's halftime in the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup arena and I feel very fortunate to be one of the teams still in the championship field after two events. Consistency remains very difficult to achieve in a field of professional anglers so deep in talent and experience. And with just two events left, it's sure to be a real dogfight to remain in the top 20 going to Biloxi with a chance to win the championship.

Since I've been back from Port Arthur, Ray and I had the distinguished honor of putting BRP's CEO Roch Lambert on his first tarpon and redfish in Boca Grande, Fla. I think Roch's hockey background helped play a role in his stamina when he landed the 140–pound silver beast in less than thirty minutes— in his own words just a "first period" guy.

School's out for summer which means my 8–year– old son Cam will be eager to drag me to every summer blockbuster super–hero movie out there. (I'm secretly looking forward to Hancock, stay tuned for reviews.) I'm sure we will also make time to do a little fishing and camping like we do every summer!

Back to the tour, I'm really getting anxious to get to Chalmette early to get in some extra practice time before the official event. I love the sight–fishing opportunities that lie ahead in the Louisiana Delta as it's definitely an advantage for my team. The food in Cajun country also rocks—just another excuse to spend extra time out there as far as I'm concerned.

Hope everyone has a great Father's Day, and I look forward to meeting some of you at media day in Chalmette to kick off the second half!

– Capt. C.A. Richardson, www.flatsclass.com

Looking for a Little Lone Star Magic

May 6, 2008

Well, Punta Gorda didn't turn out they way I had hoped. Placing in the middle of the field (28th place), we have some work to do in Port Arthur to climb back into the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup championship hunt. But that's fishing.

I can't complain too much. We managed around seven, eight or nine reds per day in the Florida event but seemed plagued by mostly oversized fish. Unfortunately, that happens when focusing on redfish schools. When the majority of anglers also locate schooling fish, the upper slot fish get culled out and you're left with more oversized fish to weed through for your two good ones.

On a high note, the fans in Punta Gorda are first class. Fellow Ranger/Evinrude pros Sam Bertha Jr., Gary McKenzie, Ray Van Horn, and I enjoyed signing hats, t–shirts, and interacting with everyone at the weigh–in! It's refreshing to see so many families interested in our sport and my hat's off to the Cup organizers for doing such a good job making this an event—instead of just another tournament.

Hopefully, the Lone Star state will provide a little magic for my team and we will be able to gain some ground on the field. To coin a phrase from Keith Alan we hope to start, "movin' up the food chain, baby".

I can't wait to get out there and start tangling with those 28–inch, Texas–sized redfish that really know how to heat up the drag washers! It makes me wonder just how many 16–pound bags will be brought to the scales each day in Port Arthur.

I hope to meet lot of you at the Academy for the Net Gains program in Port Arthur, and I'd like to wish a happy Mother's Day to all the ladies…give them a hug!

– Capt. C.A. Richardson, www.flatsclass.com

Paralysis by Analysis

April 16, 2008

I'm very excited about being able to share my tour life with all of you who enjoy following the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup. Many of our fans already know the behind–the–scenes action on the tour like the strategies, tactics, superstitions, and of course, the practical jokes we pull on each other. But with so much pressure to perform at a limited number of tournaments on the schedule, we have to focus to produce at every venue. At it all begins with Punta Gorda.

Residing within two hours of the first venue, you'd think I have a lot more options than some of my colleagues. But sometimes having too many options can create what pro anglers call "paralysis by analysis" and to compound this dilemma is the fact there are schooling redfish roaming everywhere already this spring. Punta Gorda looks like it could be a real shootout.

My partner, Ray Van Horn, and I won't be the only pros trying to overcome paralysis by analysis — Florida's west coast has a number of Cup anglers who will also struggle with the urge to fish everywhere. The only vaccine to cure this disease means limiting practice time to a given area instead of hopping all over the place and second guessing each moment. After all, you can't catch redfish if you're busy driving the boat all day.

So let the mind games begin! Pro anglers love to get into the heads of their opponents and they all know how much of a cerebral game fishing can become. So come see us on media day and get in on the fun!

– Capt. C.A. Richardson

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