[StBernard] Redfish Cup Tournament in Chalmette a Success

[Westley Annis]

Redfish Cup Tournament in Chalmette to be shown on ESPN2 a success

Huge crowds show to support local pro team that finished second Sunday; 

"TEAM TOURISM" - led by Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu wins 

President's Challenge Fishing Tournament on first day of Redfish Cup 

 

Throngs of visitors showed to support the local professional fishing team of
Charlie Thomason and Shane Pescay in the Redfish Cup as they weighed in at
the Gulf Outlet Marina Sunday in the top five of 56 teams in the tournament
filmed for ESPN2.

 

But it was Bobby Abruscato and Scott Ritter from Mobile, Ala., who bested
the local favorites who also were the first-round leaders of the Academy
Sports + Outdoors Big Easy Invitational Redfish Cup Tournament. 

 

St. Bernard Parish, the only stop in Louisiana, is one of the five venues
selected to host the tournament. It is the fourth year the tournament has
been in St. Bernard. Fifty-six teams of some of the best professional
anglers from all over the South including Florida, Georgia, Texas and
Louisiana competed at the Chalmette event for $40,000 to the 1st place team.


 

The event that drew nearly 5,000 people over three days featured a daily
"Tailgate Party" with local food and refreshments. The first two days of
fishing will be aired in a show that will highlight St. Bernard Parish on
ESPN2 on Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7:30 a.m. Check www.redfishcup.com
<http://www.redfishcup.com/>  for additional times.

 

In Sunday's final round, the team of Abruscato and Ritter slipped past
Thomason and Pescay with two redfish that combined weighed 19-hundredths of
a pound more for the win. Abruscato and Ritter had a two-fish total of 15.56
pounds while the St. Bernard team caught a total of 15.37 pounds to finish
second.

 

Scott Ritter was highly complementary of St. Bernard after the ceremony.

 

"This is the best place we come for the tour," Ritter said. "Everywhere we
go, the locals are supportive. When we go eat, people stop to tell us hello
and support us. The whole thing is done tremendous. We fish tournaments here
in St. Bernard all the time. We love the fishing here and we fish here all
the time since we from Mobile, which is so close."

 

While Abruscato and Ritter may have come in first, the crowd obviously was
rooting for the local team with signs held high and people cheering.

 

"It is unbelievable the excitement you get in terms of hometown support,"
Thomason said. "For us to make the top five and have our local town family
and friends here supporting us, we feel like we are winners." 

 

Pescay agreed.

 

"Fishing in your hometown always puts a lot of pressure on you and we know
the other 55 teams are professionals," Pescay said. "We don't have a fishing
advantage; we have a local knowledge advantage. We did pre-fish hard, but it
came down to .19 of one pound, and it doesn't come any closer than that. 

 

Pescay echoed the sentiment of locals and government officials that hosting
the tournament may be fun, but it is also a critical boost to the local
economy.

 

"St. Bernard is hurting financially so it is so great to have the tournament
here for the community," Pescay said. "I like to see the guys fishing 10 to
15 days ahead of time to help the economy."

 

"We want to thank the sponsors, and we want to thank all the people who came
out for the tailgate party," St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro
said on stage moments before the final round weigh-in on Sunday. "We look
forward to the Redfish Cup coming back to Chalmette because we have the best
fishing anywhere."

Steve Levi, general manager of fishing properties at Career Sports &
Entertainment, the agency that owns the Redfish Cup, said Chalmette is an
important stop on the tour.  "Not only is the fishing incredible here, but
St. Bernard Parish always gives us a warm welcome and great community
support," Levi said.

In addition to the professional fishing tournament, several activities were
held surrounding the daily weigh-in festivities on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday.

 

President Taffaro hosted the President's Challenge Fishing Tournament on
Friday and provided fishing gear for three teams. He led one; St. Bernard
Chief Deputy Sheriff James Pohlmann led one; and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu led
the other team.

 

Although the President's Challenge was just a sidelight to the day's
professional fishermen, it gave many of the locals a chance to compete.

 

Lt. Governor Landrieu and his team, dubbed TEAM TOURISM, won the President's
Challenge snagging two redfish that weighed 13.6 pounds. The team was
presented a Redfish Cup trophy handmade of hand beaten metal by local artist
Luis Colmenares of City Art Studios. 

 

Lt. Gov. Landrieu's team included: son Will Landrieu, 9, nephew Ryan Cook,
9, nephew Daniel Cook, 13, Troy McConnell and Capt. Randy Siebert.

 

President Taffaro's team included: son Craig Taffaro III, Recovery Director
Mike Dorris Jr., Capt. Brian Clark of the Sheriff's Office and Maj. Joey
Broussard of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

 

Chief Pohlmann's team included: Maj. J.J. Vickers, Lt. Brent Bourgeois, and
Mike Schneida.

 

Additionally, on Sunday, the winners of the White Boot contest were
announced. The winning boot had a 3-dimensional design that included a
redfish bursting through the white boot depicting a marsh scene with reeds
jutting out of the boot's top. The winning boot was designed and created by
Beth Brewster, manager of St. Bernard Parish Government Animal Control
Department. It won Best Overall and Angler's Choice, voted on by the
professional fishermen.

 

It was one of 14 boots entered in the contest that was judged by local
artists.

The most unusual award went to St. Bernard Parish Government Legal
Department, and the most creative award was given to boot from the Lady Bug
Garden.

 

The pirogue contest, sponsored by Ducks Unlimited, had 12 entries held on
Saturday. The casting contest, sponsored by the St. Bernard Sportsmen's
League, entertained the children with various prizes.  

Dogs belonging to Mike Jornes won first and second for the longest jump in
the Splash Dog contest. The Splash Dog event was sponsored by Dr. Don
Duplantier of St. Bernard Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Ralph Dauterive and
Livaudais Construction and Electrical.

Rotary and Kiwanis provided angler lunches on Friday and Saturday.

This event is sponsored by the Louisiana Office of Tourism and St. Bernard
Parish Government and many generous local businesses that help support the
success of this event.

For more information contact the Office of Tourism at (504)278-4242 or visit
website at www.VisitStBernard.com <http://www.VisitStBernard.com>  or
www.sbpg.net <http://www.sbpg.net/> . 

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