This is the Eighteenth Consecutive Year for the Redfish Classic on Charlotte Harbor.`First as a stand alone tournament, then as part of the RedSnook Series by Shallow Water Outfitters, `and the last eight years as part of the Flatsmasters Tournament Series.  Classic Tournaments would like to thank all who have participated over the years to help make the Redfish Classic a tradition.

The Redfish Classic is always a pivotal leg of the Maverick Boats Flatsmasters Series.  This all bait redfish event can boost a team’s points into the top fifty of give headaches to teams trying to stay on top.  This year would be no different.

None of the top five teams from the Grand Slam Plug Event would crack the top 15 places in the Redfish Classic.  Several teams that started the year with a goose egg redeemed themselves in the second Flatsmasters Tournament.

On Saturday, 90 teams launched from Laishley Park Marina in search of 2 perfect redfish. When the day was over, 76 teams weighed fish with 142 redfish entered.  Seven pounds is the magic number in the redfish tournament world.  That’s what every team is looking for; a perfect SLOT SIZED seven pounder.  A pair of reds over 14 pounds is a dream come true!  Two teams on day #1 had their dream realized as Team Century-Yamaha and Team Renegade both scored over the 14lb. mark. 3 other teams hit with heavy enough 13+ weights to make the cut to day #2.

 Team Century-Yamaha (Totten,Lessinger,Wise) and Team Yam (Sparrow,Holzhauer) proved their redfish skill by both making the Redfish Classic Top Five for the second year in a row.

Sunday morning brought high winds with a slack water flood tide for our finalists.

The challenge of day #2 is always whether your spots can take 2 days of fishing pressure. Changing conditions can complicate matters even more.  Five final teams spread out over 50 miles apart all in search of one last pair of slot reds!

With a steady 25 knot west wind blowing, our Top Five all made the 3:30pm deadline and prepared themselves for the Top Five Shootout.

Starting in fifth position was Team Ego Nets (Brown, Dudley,Carlson) who set the bar high with a 6.37lb. first fish.  Only Team Yam’s 5.73lb. Red came close to keeping pace with Brad Brown and his crew in Round 1.  Round 2 was more of the same as Team Ego Nets posted a second fish of 6.84lb. to tally a 13.21lb Total weight.  No other team was able to crack the 6 pound barrier and Team Ego Nets walked away from the field to take the win!  Team Yam finished second with 11.60lbs., followed by a 11.06lb total for Team Century-Yamaha. Rounding out the Top Five were Team Renegade in fourth and Team McHugh-Porter Builders in Fifth Place.

By virtue of their Redfish Classic win and a sixth place finish in The Grand Slam Plug in March, Team Ego Nets sits atop the Bimini Big Game Resort Flatsmasters Points Race for Team of the Year.  This year’s total points winners will receive an all expense vacation to the Bimini Big Game Resort in the Bahamas