Marrerro, La. pro Todd Dufour managed to improve his day 1 weight by over a pound on the second day of the FLW Redfish Open in New Orleans, La. Dufour's 16-06 sack, the only limit to top the 16-pound mark in the tournament thus far, added to his 14-14 limit from day 1 gives him a respectable 31-04 total heading into Saturday's semi-final round.
He currently sits just 5 ounces in front of day 1 leader Chad Dufrene of Purvis, Miss. Dufrene made another long run back to the area where he caught his fish on day 1, but didn't like the way the water looked. So he went to plan B where, with the help of his co-angler Henry Morgan, he tanked a 15-13 limit before 9:30 a.m.
Here's a look at the rest of the Top 5 in the pro division:
3. Artie Price: 29-09
4. Alden Bourgeois: 29-08
5. John Henninger: 29-03
And here are the Top 5 co-anglers going into day 3:
1. Gerald Rabroker: 30-09
2. Eugene Abadie III: 30-08
3. Henry Morgan: 29-10
4. Barnie White: 29-05
5. Billy Blackwood: 28-15
Clear-Water Bite Worked for Dufour
In spite of partly cloudy conditions throughout most of the day, Dufour found some clear water and was able to rely on a sight-fishing bite in an area about 45-minutes away from the launch near Lafitte, La. Not unlike Chad Dufrene's day-1 pattern, grass was key for making sight-fishing possible in Dufour's ponds.
"We mostly looked for grass beds and clear water," he said. "I actually have some better fish in dirty water, but those fish just wouldn't bite. So, at least for today, finding clear water was very important."
"The conditions were perfect today," he added. "The wind didn’t blow as much and I was able to see the fish better. I believe that’s why the weights were better for all the anglers. The fish are starting to show up, so I think the next 2 days are going to be interesting."
He reported that his two weigh fish came later in the day, about noon, and noted: "Today was a lot of luck." He plans to stick with the same game plan tomorrow. We'll see then whether or not his luck will carry him through to the finals on Sunday.
Semi-Pro
One thing interesting that jumps out in the co-angler standings is the amount of tour-level redfish tournament experience is shared among the Top 10 competitors.
Eight of the Top 10 co-anglers have fished FLW Redfish Series events before, and five of those have competed in the Redfish Series championship in years prior. Of the five who've competed in the championship, four are currently in the Top 5: Eugene Abadie III, Henry Morgan, Barnie White and Billy Blackwood.
There's obviously something to be said about having two experienced tournament redfish anglers on the boat. Not only are the experienced co-anglers carrying their weight, but it appears their contributions throughout the day are helping to make their partners better as well.
Notable
> Day 2 stats: 50 teams, 48 limits, 1 one, 1 zero.
> The day 3 pairings are listed below, after the standings.
> Saturday's launch is scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. at Bayou Segnette State Park, located at 7777 Westbank Expressway in Westwego, La. The weigh-in will be held at the Louisiana Superdome located at Sugar Bowl Dr. in New Orleans beginning at 5 p.m.
> Forecast for New Orleans, La. from OutdoorsFanWeather.com:
Day 2 Standings - Pros
1. Todd Dufour -- Marrero, La -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 16-06 -- 4, 31-04
2. Chad Dufrene -- Purvis, Ms -- 2, 15-02 -- 2, 15-13 -- 4, 30-15
3. Arthur Price Jr -- New Port Richey, Fl -- 2, 13-10 -- 2, 15-15 -- 4, 29-09
4. Alden Bourgeois -- Barataria, La -- 2, 13-12 -- 2, 15-12 -- 4, 29-08
5. John Henninger -- Jacksonville, Fl -- 2, 13-13 -- 2, 15-06 -- 4, 29-03
6. Hugh Lebeouf -- Thibodaux, La -- 2, 14-08 -- 2, 14-02 -- 4, 28-10
7. Jeff Steckler -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 13-11 -- 4, 28-09
8. Scott Ritter -- Dauphin Island, Al -- 2, 12-12 -- 2, 15-11 -- 4, 28-07
9. Stephen Stork -- Houston, Tx -- 2, 14-10 -- 2, 13-11 -- 4, 28-05
10. Chad Billiot -- Raceland, La -- 2, 14-02 -- 2, 14-03 -- 4, 28-05
11. Judd Johnson -- Houston, Tx -- 2, 13-04 -- 2, 14-07 -- 4, 27-11
12. Scott Guthrie -- Jacksonville, Fl -- 2, 14-02 -- 2, 13-04 -- 4, 27-06
13. Edward Adams -- Metairie, La -- 2, 13-06 -- 2, 14-00 -- 4, 27-06
14. Chris Logan -- Cat Spring, Tx -- 2, 13-10 -- 2, 13-11 -- 4, 27-05
15. Tadd Vandemark -- Key Largo, Fl -- 2, 14-00 -- 2, 13-01 -- 4, 27-01
16. David Nesloney Jr -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 10-15 -- 2, 16-01 -- 4, 27-00
17. Andy Mnichowski -- Marrero, La -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 12-00 -- 4, 26-14
18. David Nesloney Sr -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 11-15 -- 4, 26-13
19. Starr Boykin -- Dauphin Island, Al -- 2, 12-02 -- 2, 14-07 -- 4, 26-09
20. Dwayne Eschete -- Mandeville, La -- 2, 12-13 -- 2, 13-12 -- 4, 26-09
21. Rome Gregorio -- Corpus Christi, Tx -- 2, 11-10 -- 2, 14-02 -- 4, 25-12
22. Bill Scholze -- Stuart, Fl -- 2, 12-08 -- 2, 12-04 -- 4, 24-12
23. Brett Phillips -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 12-07 -- 2, 12-03 -- 4, 24-10
24. Steven Auld Jr -- Baytown, Tx -- 2, 10-12 -- 2, 13-09 -- 4, 24-05
25. Greg Watts -- Eagle Lake, Fl -- 2, 11-08 -- 2, 12-13 -- 4, 24-05
26. Danny Coppin -- Belton, Tx -- 2, 10-14 -- 2, 13-06 -- 4, 24-04
27. Scott Benoit -- Marrero, La -- 2, 13-02 -- 2, 10-11 -- 4, 23-13
28. Fred Winters -- Port Charlotte, Fl -- 2, 12-14 -- 2, 10-14 -- 4, 23-12
29. Mike Tindal -- Mobile, Al -- 2, 11-09 -- 2, 11-14 -- 4, 23-07
30. Bryan Watts -- Lithia, Fl -- 2, 11-01 -- 2, 12-05 -- 4, 23-06
The following anglers failed to make the Top 30 cut and won't be fishing tomorrow:
31. Blair Wiggins -- Cocoa, Fl -- 2, 11-08 -- 2, 11-01
32. Bill Pittman -- Yulee, Fl -- 2, 12-07 -- 2, 10-00
33. Brian Morris -- Victoria, Tx -- 2, 10-12 -- 2, 11-08
34. Mike Patterson -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 10-06 -- 2, 11-11
35. La Landry -- Port Allen, La -- 2, 9-05 -- 2, 11-11
36. John Oliverio -- Brandon, Fl -- 2, 11-00 -- 2, 9-10
37. Adam Albarado -- Morgan City, La -- 2, 8-02 -- 2, 12-07
38. Wayne Gatlin -- Brandon, Fl -- 2, 10-02 -- 2, 10-02
39. T-Man Cheramie -- Lockport, La -- 2, 7-10 -- 2, 11-14
40. Manny Perez -- Punta Gorda, Fl -- 2, 5-06 -- 2, 13-15
41. Hunter Morgan -- Manvel, Tx -- 1, 4-08 -- 2, 14-08
42. Jody Morris -- Metairie, La -- 1, 4-10 -- 2, 13-08
43. Kevin Shaw -- Corpus Christi, Tx -- 2, 8-14 -- 2, 9-02
44. Jimmy Lloyd -- Beach City, Tx -- 2, 11-08 -- 1, 6-06
45. Raymond Reiser -- Gretna, La -- 2, 6-03 -- 2, 11-04
46. Allen Kalisky -- San Antonio, Tx -- 2, 7-07 -- 2, 9-14
47. Robert Scherer -- Houston, Tx -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 15-07
48. Joe Crosby -- Gainsville, Ga -- 1, 5-12 -- 2, 9-03
49. Don Hartman -- Auburn, Ca -- 2, 11-00 -- 0, 0-00
50. Billy Nicholas -- San Marcos, Tx -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 9-13
Day 2 Standings - Co-Anglers
1. Gerald Rabroker -- Belton, Tx -- 2, 14-10 -- 2, 15-15 -- 4, 30-09
2. Eugene Abadie Iii -- Covington, La -- 2, 15-02 -- 2, 15-06 -- 4, 30-08
3. Henry Morgan -- Pearland, Tx -- 2, 13-13 -- 2, 15-13 -- 4, 29-10
4. Barnie White -- Brewton, Al -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 14-07 -- 4, 29-05
5. Billy Blackwood -- San Antonio, Tx -- 2, 13-04 -- 2, 15-11 -- 4, 28-15
6. Jason Leblanc -- Marrero, La -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 14-00 -- 4, 28-14
7. Larry Kirby -- Theodore, Al -- 2, 12-02 -- 2, 16-06 -- 4, 28-08
8. Gus Wilson -- Gretna, La -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 13-09 -- 4, 28-07
9. Dean Oakley -- Saint Augustine, Fl -- 2, 12-07 -- 2, 15-07 -- 4, 27-14
10. Robert Schoen -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 13-10 -- 2, 13-11 -- 4, 27-05
11. Dwain Bankston -- Cypress, Tx -- 2, 12-12 -- 2, 14-07 -- 4, 27-03
12. Wes Pady -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 14-14 -- 2, 12-04 -- 4, 27-02
13. Quint Bourgeois -- Knoxville, Tn -- 2, 14-08 -- 2, 11-14 -- 4, 26-06
14. Michael Hambrick -- Woodlands, Tx -- 2, 14-02 -- 2, 12-03 -- 4, 26-05
15. Sean O'connell -- Mandeville, La -- 2, 12-08 -- 2, 13-11 -- 4, 26-03
16. Barbara Scopelitis -- Corpus Christi, Tx -- 2, 14-02 -- 2, 11-14 -- 4, 26-00
17. Brad Tassin -- Marrero, La -- 2, 12-14 -- 2, 13-01 -- 4, 25-15
18. Vann Dassing -- Destrehan, La -- 2, 11-09 -- 2, 14-02 -- 4, 25-11
19. Bob Sossaman -- Foley, Al -- 2, 12-07 -- 2, 13-04 -- 4, 25-11
20. David Crouch -- Walnut Grove, Ca -- 2, 11-08 -- 2, 14-02 -- 4, 25-10
21. Chad Davis -- Gonzales, La -- 2, 13-06 -- 2, 12-00 -- 4, 25-06
22. Stephen Rizzo Iii -- Saint Rose, La -- 2, 12-13 -- 2, 12-07 -- 4, 25-04
23. Gary Hayes -- Kenner, La -- 2, 14-00 -- 2, 10-14 -- 4, 24-14
24. Scott Barefoot -- Sarasota, Fl -- 2, 10-15 -- 2, 13-15 -- 4, 24-14
25. Mac Mcelroy -- St. Rose, La -- 2, 11-08 -- 2, 13-06 -- 4, 24-14
26. Tom Windram -- Orlando, Fl -- 2, 11-00 -- 2, 13-11 -- 4, 24-11
27. Bill Todd -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 10-02 -- 2, 14-08 -- 4, 24-10
28. Don Macmaster -- Mandeville, La -- 2, 10-12 -- 2, 13-08 -- 4, 24-04
29. Donald Garrettson -- Mobile, Al -- 2, 11-01 -- 2, 12-13 -- 4, 23-14
30. Gary Wilson -- Madisonville, La -- 2, 11-08 -- 2, 12-05 -- 4, 23-13
The following anglers failed to make the Top 30 cut and won't be fishing tomorrow:
31. Ted Tassin -- New Orleans, La -- 2, 13-12 -- 2, 9-13
32. Blake Pizzolato -- Montgomery, Tx -- 2, 13-10 -- 2, 9-10
33. Jay Ewalt -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 10-12 -- 2, 11-15
34. Jeffrey Locke -- Corpus Christi, Tx -- 2, 11-00 -- 2, 11-11
35. Alan Voigt -- Rockport, Tx -- 2, 13-02 -- 2, 9-03
36. Emil Reznicek -- Sealy, Tx -- 2, 10-14 -- 2, 11-01
37. Jeremy Guilbeau -- Port Sulphur, La -- 2, 8-02 -- 2, 13-12
38. Jason White -- Austin, Tx -- 2, 7-10 -- 2, 14-03
39. David Rouse -- Jefferson, La -- 2, 5-06 -- 2, 16-01
40. Bobby Abruscato -- Mobile, Al -- 2, 10-06 -- 2, 9-14
41. Fred Maxwell -- Houston, Tx -- 2, 8-14 -- 2, 11-04
42. Jim Price -- Laredo, Tx -- 2, 7-07 -- 2, 11-11
43. Todd Cearley -- Driftwood, Tx -- 2, 11-10 -- 1, 6-06
44. Matt Stenett -- Rockport, Tx -- 1, 5-12 -- 2, 10-11
45. Tim Haney -- Kennesaw, Ga -- 1, 4-10 -- 2, 11-08
46. Steve Melvin -- Davie, Fl -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 15-12
47. Gerald Buquet -- Gretna, La -- 2, 6-03 -- 2, 9-02
48. Grant Coppin -- Corpus Christi, Tx -- 1, 4-08 -- 2, 10-02
49. James Broussard -- New Orleans, La -- 0, 0-00 -- 2, 10-00
50. Brad Daigle -- Metairie, La -- 2, 9-05 -- 0, 0-00
Day 3 Pairings
Pros -- Co-Anglers
Todd Dufour -- Gary Wilson
Chad Dufrene -- Donald Garrettson
Arthur Price Jr -- Don Macmaster
Alden Bourgeois -- Bill Todd
John Henninger -- Tom Windram
Hugh Lebeouf -- Mac Mcelroy
Jeff Steckler -- Scott Barefoot
Scott Ritter -- Gary Hayes
Stephen Stork -- Stephen Rizzo Iii
Chad Billiot -- Chad Davis
Judd Johnson -- David Crouch
Scott Guthrie -- Bob Sossaman
Edward Adams -- Vann Dassing
Chris Logan -- Brad Tassin
Tadd Vandemark -- Barbara Scopelitis
David Nesloney Jr -- Sean O'connell
Andy Mnichowski -- Michael Hambrick
David Nesloney Sr -- Quint Bourgeois
Starr Boykin -- Wes Pady
Dwayne Eschete -- Dwain Bankston
Rome Gregorio -- Robert Schoen
Bill Scholze -- Dean Oakley
Brett Phillips -- Gus Wilson
Steven Auld Jr -- Larry Kirby
Greg Watts -- Jason Leblanc
Danny Coppin -- Billy Blackwood
Scott Benoit -- Barnie White
Fred Winters -- Henry Morgan
Mike Tindal -- Eugene Abadie Iii
Bryan Watts -- Gerald Rabroker
