IFA Redfish, Kayak Fishing Tour Coming to Fernandina Beach, FL October 8-9
OutdoorHub 10.05.11
LIZELLA, Ga. October 5, 2011 – Anglers from across Florida and surrounding regions will converge on Fernandina Beach, Fla., October 8-9 for the final regular-season events for the IFA Florida East Division. The IFA Redfish Tour Presented by Cabela’s and the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, will operate out of the Fernandina Harbor Marina.
The weekend’s activities begin Friday, October 7 with the IFA Redfish Tour registration from 5-7 p.m. at Fernandina Harbor Marina (1 S. Front Street, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034) with the captains Meeting to follow. Anglers will launch from the same venue at safe light on Saturday for the one-day event. Check-in times will be assigned at the Captains Meeting.
Competitors in the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing will have a registration and captains meeting from 6-7 p.m. on Saturday, October 8 at Fernandina Harbor Marina with Sunday’s weigh-in to be announced at the Captains Meeting.
The IFA Redfish Tour continues to draw redfish anglers from Texas to the Carolinas and beyond, offering two-angler teams the opportunity to compete in six different divisions, each offering a three-event regular season. Low entry fees for the one-day, regular-season tournaments allows anglers to fish close to home and minimize expenses, while still being a part of a premier inshore, catch-and-release redfish tournament organization. Teams fishing any three of the IFA’s 18 regular-season events are automatically qualified for a no-entry-fee championship event, pitting qualifiers from each of the six divisions for a combined $78,200 in payouts and prize packages, as well as a shot at the coveted Cabela’s Overall Divisional Team of the Year Award for the six regular-season division winners.
In addition to a possible $60,000 in payouts per event (based on a 100-boat field), the first-place prize package for all 18 IFA Redfish Tour regular-season events remains extremely lucrative. In 2011, every regular-season tournament winner is guaranteed – regardless of field size – a fully loaded 2011 Ranger Banshee Extreme. The boat is powered by a 60-horsepower, four-stroke Yamaha outboard and is equipped with a Power-Pole shallow water anchor, Minn Kota trolling motor, Humminbird electronics, OPTIMA Batteries, Blue Point Fabrication metal work, Bob’s four-inch Ultra Light Jackplate and a Loadmaster trailer. The entire first-place prize package is valued at $30,000.
Lucrative contingency programs added for 2011 include IFA Redfish and IFA Kayak Fishing Tours include:
- $500 Berkley Gulp! Big Fish Award plus a matching $500 Cabela’s gift card from Berkley if the angler uses Gulp! Or Gulp! Alive!
- $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Redfish Award for kayak anglers plus a matching $100 Cabela’s gift card from Berkley if the angler uses Gulp! Or Gulp! Alive!
- $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Trout Award for kayak anglers plus a matching $100 Cabela’s gift card from Berkley if the angler uses Gulp! Or Gulp! Alive!
- Two PENN reels to IFA Redfish Tour event winners who use PENN reels; A PENN reel to IFA Kayak Tour event winners who use PENN reels
- $250 prize from OPTIMA Batteries to a program-qualified, winning team competing from a boat equipped with OPTIMA Batteries
- $250 prize from NBOA Insurance to the winning team if signed up for NBOA membership
- $50 prize from EGO Net for the team claiming the big fish award in an IFA Redfish Tour event if the fish is landed with an EGO Net
- $25 prize from EGO Net for winners of the Big Redfish and Big Trout Awards in IFA Kayak Tour events if the fish is landed with an EGO Net.
Each of the Cabela’s IFA Redfish Tour 18 regular-season events will commence on Saturday with the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing contested the following day (Sundays). The IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie will feature 18 regular-season, catch-photograph-release events across six different division (mirroring the IFA Redfish Tour format, location and scheduling) as well as extremely lucrative payouts and expanded fishing opportunities for non-motorized fishing crafts.
The redfish/trout tournament will pay twenty places plus Big Redfish, Big Trout and Junior Angler Awards with a total payout of $9,500 (based on a 100 boat field). The winner will take home a guaranteed Hobie Mirage Pro-Angler valued at $2399, 2nd place is a guaranteed $1,000 Hobie Cash and 3rd place is a guaranteed $500 Hobie Cash. New for 2011 is the Hobie Advantage Contingency Program. Hobie will be paying $200 to the highest angler fishing out of a Hobie kayak at each IFA event.
For more information or to become a member of the IFA, the fastest-growing inshore fishing tournament series in the United States, go online to www.redfishtour.com or www.ifakayakfishingtour.com. To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go to www.hobiefishing.com.
IFA events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of the fishing industry’s most respected brands: Ranger Boats, Hobie Fishing, Cabela’s, Berkley, PENN, Yamaha Outboards, Columbia Sportswear, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, NBOA Marine Insurance, Wrap This, CW Crab, Charter Lakes Marine Insurance, Solar Bat, Navionics, Blue Point Fabrication, EGO Nets, Bob’s Machine Shop, 321fish.com, Kayak Angler Magazine, Loadmaster, Powertex Group, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and Fernandina Harbor Marina.
Event Details:
IFA Redfish Tour Presented by Cabela’s
Fernandina Beach, Fla.
IFA Florida East Division
Competition Date: October 8, 2011
Registration and Check In: Begins at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 7
Captains Meeting: Begins at 7 p.m. following registration and check in
Location: Fernandina Harbor Marina
1 S. Front Street
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
(904) 491-2090
Launch Site/Weigh In: Fernandina Harbor Marina
Check-in times TBA at Captains Meeting
IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing
Fernandina Beach, Fla.
IFA Florida East Division
Competition Date: October 9, 2011
Registration and Check In: Begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday, October 8
Captains Meeting: Begins at 7 p.m. following registration and check in
Location: Fernandina Harbor Marina
1 S. Front Street
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
(904) 491-2090
Weigh-in: TBA at Captains Meeting
Take-off: Location of anglers’ choice
Check-in times TBA at Captains Meeting
