Team Oyster Rash’s, Justin Lowry and Jake Adame, managed to outlast a brutally hot day and out fish the field in the final Sabine Redfish Series event of the year last Saturday. Three other teams finished within three pounds of their winning three fish total of 20.92 pounds.

The big winner in the final and deciding event was Team East Texas Safe Floor as they earned the $10,000 check for winning the Anglers of the Year award. Team members, Tony Viator and Jeremy Reeves closed the deal with three fish that weighed 15.15 pounds.

Nothing comes easy, however, and capturing the championship was no exception. Due to medical problems, Reeves was unable to fish and Viator was forced to go it alone with two other teams less than a fish off the pace.

Viator and Reeves had built their lead going into Saturday’s showdown by averaging a solid 21-pounds for the first three tournaments. Aside from the blistering heat, the conditions could not have been more favorable, but fishing alone in a team event adds to the challenge.

Viator proved to be up to that challenge, however, and his three fish were enough to hold off the second place team of Matt and Roger Bertrand by eight pounds in the race to the championship. Mike Fesco fished alone as well in the final event and earned the second place check for the day

with 19.60 pounds.Alan Hall and Ryan Harrison finished third followed by Eddie Roberts and Jerrod Broussard.

Roberts and Broussard took home side pot money for the heaviest red with an 8.40 pound fish and Lowry and Adame cashed the check for the red with the most spots. Their winning fish had five spots.

Congratulations to Viator and Reeves and everyone involved that made the new series work. I know a lot of very good anglers that opted to sit back and see if it would work as promised. The Series definitely has a future!

I got a little ahead of myself in last week’s column, that happens to old fishing guides, but better late than never.Getting there early is a habit when anything to do with fishing is involved. The OCARC Tournament kicks off Friday evening with the final weigh-in set for5:00 p.m. under the Riverside Pavilion.

The annual event benefits the Special Needs Clients at the Center. The entry fee is only $30 with $4000 up for grabs in twelve different categories. This is an all-afternoon affair that will entertain the

entire family. Come out and support the Center and the clients.

The Orange County CCA Banquet is also right around the corner. I don’t know that there are any remaining tables to purchase, but a few individual tickets are still available at this time. The event kicks off at 6:00 p.m. at the Convention Center on Hwy. 1442 on August 12th .

Your ticket is good for a year’s membership in the CCA as well as an auction, dinner, drinks and raffles. For more information call Lou Moore at 409-988-4845 or Scott Bandy at 409-988-3667.

Five teams representing the LCM fishing team qualified for the National high school tournament held in Tennessee last week on Lake Chickamauga. They weren’t alone as 308 other teams were in the hunt for the Championship.

Not surprisingly, the catching proved to be especially tough on the entire field.Patterns put together in practice failed to hold up for the two day event, but it was still enjoyable and an invaluable learning experience for the qualifiers. It provided a hands-on learning curve for young bass fishermen entertaining thoughts of giving professional fishing a try after high school.

Justin James and Gavin Cooper finished in the top 100, but did not qualify for the weekend.Dakota Posey and Brendon Brones finished 120th followed by Garrison Byerly and Will Henson 157th, Jacob Longlois and Tanner Stewart 205th and Spencer Brister and Aiden Lofton 249th . The leading team qualifying for the weekend posted only a 15.5 pound total and that included an 8-pound big bass. Congratulations to all five teams and their captains on a remarkable year!

OCARC Tournament this weekend!