St. Petersburg, FL-  Tournament teammates Capt. Alex Suescun and Capt. Eric Taylor, who competed in the 2007 Redfish Cup as members of Renegade Marine’s Pro Staff, will again represent the Florida-based boat builder in 2008.

“Pro tournaments are a new marketing platform for us, 2007 was actually our first year sponsoring a professional redfish team,” said Steve Hamilton, President of Renegade Marine. “But with the Redfish Cup adopting a new “smaller field” format next season, we feel our boats could get a lot of exposure with the right anglers at the helm, added the company’s top man.

Indeed Renegade Marine has big expectations for 2008, and along with the renewal of Suescun and Taylor’s contract, the boat builder also announced the expansion of its Pro Staff. “Alex and Eric finished the 07 season strong, we know they’ll do well again next year, and signing a second team can only help expand the potential for media coverage for our brand and our boats,” explained Hamilton.   

Suescun and Taylor will count on a pair of Nomad boats powered by Mercury outboards to get to their fish, a 22ft Nomad rigged with an Optimax 250 Pro XS, and a 20ft Nomad rigged with a 225 Pro XS. “The 20 Nomad is a brand new addition to Renegade Marine’s great line of high-performance fishing boats, and we’re confident that it’s going to take  the redfish tournament circuit by storm,” claims Suescun.

The 2008 Redfish Cup schedule, which is expected to kick-off in Punta Gorda, FL next April, will also send Renegade Marine Pro Staffers to Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, as they try to qualify for the Redfish Cup Championship, location of which will remain undisclosed  until 2 weeks prior to the event.

For additional information about Renegade Marine boats or Suescun & Taylor’s pro tournament team  visit http://www.renegademarine.com/ and http://www.redfish-pro.com/

The Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup, arguably the nation's premier redfish tournament trail, is doing away with its Eastern and Western Divisions, and even its All Star events. Instead, a new format with several radical changes has been announced for 2008.

Next year the Cup will pick 40 teams that will fish five events: four regular-season tournaments and one championship that will be fished by 20 qualifying teams.

When asked  why the changes, the Cup's Steve Bowman said it's an evolution. "We tend to look at it as another step in the growth of the professional sport. You couldn't start out of the blue a professional tour that looks like the 2008 Redfish Cup. It's been a steady metamorphosis."

And in case you're tempted to think that this change to fewer teams and fewer events might indicate all is not well in Cup land, Bowman says don't. "Our growth depends on building top-ranked anglers that the public can relate to. We believe that the sky is the limit in terms of professional redfishing. But to get to those heights, we need to build a sport where our sports' heroes can be seen on a regular basis.

"It shouldn't be enough to just be able to pay an entry fee and call yourself a professional. The anglers who'll make up the 2008 Redfish Cup field have all paid their dues, and exhibited the skill and performance level of true professionals."

He added that the change "is not much different than what Bassmaster has been able to achieve with the Elite Series." He's referring to BASS's top pro league, which also recently limited its field and raised entry fees, something the folks who owned the Redfish Cup – JM Associates (now part of Georgia-based Career Sports and Entertainment) – had a hand in shaping.

Last but not least, the Cup claims that the new format it something the sport's top anglers have wanted. The Cup's David Healy said, "We're going to give the sport's greatest teams the best opportunity they've ever had to fish competitively for a living. After discussing potential changes for the new season with our anglers, we believe this format is the best way to allow them to put their skills and personalities on display for the world."

According to Bowman, more than 40 teams have "paid their dues" and are eligible. "The 40 teams will come from the top teams that have competed on the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup tournament trail over the past 4 years. They all have qualified based on points and performance, which includes their dedication to becoming a professional angler and building the recognition of the sport."

But it doesn't look like the 40 teams that'll fish in 2008 will necessarily be the same 40 that will fish in 2009. Bowman said that a sixth event will be held next year, a "U.S. Invitational that will be held to qualify (teams) for the 2009 season.

"The make-up of that field will include (2008) teams that may not have secured a position in the elite field (for 2009) during 2008. Some teams just have a bad year, and if they fall down (in) the points during 2008, this will be their opportunity to requalify.

"Other teams in that event will include, but not be limited to, our top teams from our club format."  It appears the Invitational might provide a way for top FLW Redfish Series teams to get into the Cup.

Bowman said the locations of next year's tournaments haven't been finalized yet, but he anticipates they will be held in states where the Cup has traditionally held events. He added: "We will continue to move our events to redfish waters wherever they exist in the country."

Entry fees for the four regular-season events will be $3,000, and there will be no entry fee for the  Championship. Cup organizers say that payouts "will be  bigger than ever, finally allowing anglers the chance to live their dream by making their living as a professional."

Each event will have a $50,000 top prize and $180,000 in total payout, meaning the Cup will give away almost $1 million over the course of the 2008 season, "the largest (payout) in the history of competitive saltwater fishing."

According to the Cup, the minimum guaranteed payback is 186% (meaning 86% above the money taken in by entry fees) "and could exceed 250% with sponsor contingency monies."

Regular-season events will pay down half the field, with the 20th-place team getting paid $4,000.

Cup events will still air on ESPN2, but the timeslot will be different – "weekend afternoons and weekday evenings to further maximize audience size and scope," Cup officials stated.

Look for the 40 teams and 2008 event locations to be announced before the end of the year.

Starting in April, when Tarpon Bay Tales kick’s off it’s seventh season on television, Capt. Alex will use and promote Karma Rods on the air. That same month, the show host begins his quest for the 2006 Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup, alongside Team Redfish-pro partner, Ron Horton. The duo will also use and promote Karma Rods at every tournament venue from Florida to Texas.

One of Florida's most popular sportfish is scientifically named the red drum. Locally called redfish, channel bass, spottail and red bass, red drum are marine fish that are easily identified by the eyespot on their tail.

Their common name aptly describes both their reddish hue and the drumming sound they make during the spawn or when removed from the water. The "drumming" is produced by special muscles rubbing against the inflated air bladder much like fingers rubbing on a balloon.

If you have ever wondered why the red drum you catch take on such a wide variety of color, the color of the fish depends on its habitat. Red drum in the Gulf of Mexico are lighter in color than those that reside in muddy inlets and bay waters. Red drum that reside on sandy bottoms are generally lighter in color.

Red drum in Florida may live up to 35 years of age and the largest red drum ever taken weighed 92 pounds. The Florida record is 52 pounds, 5 ounces for a fish that was taken in Cocoa Beach in 1996. The largest red drum caught in Florida with fly fishing tackle was landed in 1995 in the Banana River and weighed 43 pounds.

Red drum reside in a wide range of salinities and have developed the ability to tolerate low-salinity water depending on the size of the fish. Juvenile red drum are able to tolerate freshwater conditions, whereas larger fish prefer high salinity conditions. This might account for why we tend to catch smaller red drum in the far reaches of the backcountry.

Red drum are also comfortable in a wide range of water temperatures. Red drum may prosper in water from 50 degrees Fahrenheit all the way up to 81 degrees Fahrenheit. Smaller red drum can withstand a greater range in temperature from about 36 degrees to 91.

Red drum mature at an early age. Males can spawn when they reach about two years of age and four pounds in weight. Females are sexually mature at about four years old and 13 pounds. Red drum begin spawning in the fall when waters start to cool and daylight hours begin to decrease. Spawning season in the Gulf of Mexico runs from August to mid-November, peaking in September.

Although they sometimes feed at the surface or midwater, red drum are primarily bottom feeders. In shallow water, they can often be seen browsing with their heads down and tails out of the water - better known as "tailing." Their fondness for tasty crabs and shrimp probably contributes to their own delicate flavor and tender white meat. They locate their food by eyesight and touch, through vacuuming or biting on the bottom.

As red drum grow, their food selections begin to change. Small juveniles feed primarily on small crabs and tiny crustaceans, whereas larger of the species target mid-size crabs and baitfish such as pinfish.

Red drum feed primarily in the morning hours or late afternoon and are heavy feeders that are known for attacking almost any natural bait, making them vulnerable to local fishermen.

Beginning in 1986, state and federal governments began enacting regulations to protect red drum, culminating in reduced recreational catches and a complete ban on commercial harvests in the state of Florida. Recreational harvests are allowed, with a minimum size limit of not less than 18 inches or more than 27. Only one red drum may be harvested per person per day.

Since 1993, recreational harvests have increased because more sport fishermen have targeted this rapidly growing, easily accessible near-shore species. However, the growing emphasis on catch-and-release fishing may continually lower recreational landings in future years.

If we practice the art of keeping only what we need and returning the rest, most biologists agree that the red drum will be here for future generations. It is incumbent on us to be stewards of our precious resources and the way we handle the populations today greatly affects the populations of tomorrow.

Let's all pitch in and do our part to insure that our children and their children are afforded the opportunity to hook a big red and take joy in a successful landing. Give them a thrill that keeps them coming back for more and helps keep them involved in the great outdoors.

(reprint from Gary Moore, Williston Pioneer Sun News)