The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

With my little skiff in tow I eased down the road and got a feel for the water level as I crossed one of the many bayous that run through town. The water was a little lower than normal and that would certainly help out my shallow water program by concentrating the redfish in smaller areas. Things were definitely shaping up and the odds would appear to be in our favor. The final piece to the

puzzle were my angling friends for the day, two very accomplished fishermen who I enjoy sharing my boat with. The morning starts off full of promise as our first destination proves to be a perfect starting point. Several fish make tell tale mud boils and push healthy wakes as they make room for us in the pond. Both anglers start the day off with topwater plugs just knowing a surface eruption is right around the corner. The sun is now creeping up past the horizon and the temperature is perfect. The added light makes spotting the fish much easier and we all begin to pick out fish. For whatever reason the redfish ignore the surface offerings and remain tight lipped causing us all to scratch our heads. A new game plan is put in play and almost instantly pays dividends. A weightless soft plastic strikes the first fish as the rod bows over and we all watch a heavy redfish put on a show while steadily taking line off the reel. For that moment in time all is right with the world and the three figures in the boat all know it without saying a word.

For many anglers that sight will be what dreams are made of as the inaugural Sabine Redfish Series gets kicked off Saturday at High Tides restaurant on Cow Bayou. Local anglers will delight in the fact that they finally have a tournament series dedicated to Sabine lake and surrounding water ways. MOF Productions and Sabine Slam Bait Company have put together an impressive 4 tournament series (April 24th, May 15th, June 26th) culminating with a championship event on July 31st where the overall series winner will pocket a hefty 15K in cash. All the events leading up to the championship will feature a very nice payout as well determined by number of entrants. There are some great sponsors and the buzz around town and beyond has been growing steadily as we near the first event on Saturday April 24th. The event features a standard 2 fish format and can be fished as a team or individually. With the modest 200.00 entry fee it is an opportunity to cash a great check for a minor investment. The check in and weigh in will begin at 2pm at High Tides and should draw a very nice crowd judging from the number of entries already. All of the registration information and rules can be found on FaceBook pages for either "MOF Productions" or "Sabine Slam Bait Company".