PORT ARANSAS, Texas — Teammates Chris Cenci and Chris Kennedy aren’t nearly as confident as they were last year after three days of practice for the inaugural Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Redfish Championship. And that may be a good omen for them.
“We were on really on good fish prior to the tournament,” said Cenci, who has been a team partner with Kennedy in redfish events for 13 years. “A cold front came through and moved the fish. Our mistake was we didn’t branch out enough. We were lured in by the fish we were catching.
“The fish moved, we zigged, the fish zagged, game over.”
When the second annual Redfish Cup Championship begins Friday, Cenci and Kennedy will have a different mindset. Only two teams are back from last year – defending champions Ryan Rickard and Chris Zaldain and Cenci and Kennedy, who had to earn their way back through the Power Pole Pro Redfish Tour. Just like last year, there are 10 two-angler teams. Cenci and Kennedy finished 10th in 2021.
“Making the goal to come back here, that’s what drove us,” said Kennedy, who is from Metairie, La. “This is like the championship of the championship.”
Echoed Cenci, who is from Jacksonville Beach, Fla., “This is a really prestigious event. It’s a huge deal. It’s good for our sponsors and it’s good for the sport.”
Each team is allowed to weigh-in two redfish per day. The fish must measure in the slot of 20 to 28 inches. It’s possible to catch a 10-pounds-plus redfish that fits in the slot. However, 7- to 8-pounders are the more likely scenario for the eventual winners.
Zaldain and Rickard won last year with a three-day total of 43 pounds, 4 ounces, for an average of about 7 1/4 pounds in their six-fish limit. They said they would gladly take that total again. The heaviest two-fish daily limit in 2021 was 18-3. Zaldain and Rickard rallied from third place after two days to take the title with 17-5 on final day.
“I’ll never forget that day,” Zaldain said. “It was one of those magical days. All the baitfish came there. All those giant 28-inch redfish came there. We just had a phenomenal day.”
Zaldain and Rickard earned $50,000 for the win a year ago. The winning team this week will earn $75,000. The field is comprised similarly. In addition to Bassmaster Elite Series angler Zaldain, four other Elite Series anglers are paired with redfish anglers – Brandon Palaniuk, Drew Cook, Scott Martin and Wes Logan.
The wind is expected to blow 15 to 25 miles-per-hour out of the south Friday, and 10 to 20 miles-per-hour out of the north Saturday before settling into a more manageable 10 to 15 out of the south on Sunday.
“I’ll be honest with you, we’ve got survival mode on our brains for the first two days,” said Graham Taylor of Dade City, Fla., who qualified with his redfish circuit partner Copeland More of Tampa, Fla. “You’ve got two high wind episodes. The tournament will be lost for some teams on Days 1 and 2. That’s where mistakes will be made due to the weather.”
Added More, “I don’t see heavy bags coming in those first two days. I think that weight (of 43-4 from last year) will be close to winning it again.”
