Leading the Robert James Sales Redbone Celebrity Tournament from start to finish, the winning team said it was all about the guide. Anglers Paulo Firmo and Linda Denkert credited Capt. Dave Denkert with the knowledge and skills that took them to the top.
Despite winds of 35 mph on the first day of fishing Nov. 6 in the Upper Keys, anglers Firmo, of Miami, and Dave’s wife, Linda Denkert, of Islamorada, caught 11 bonefish compared to the next highest team’s tally of six. The next day, with windy conditions continuing, Firmo and Denkert racked up 17 redfish to bring them a total of seven and four “redbones” respectively, which put them ahead of the competition. Redbones are paired combinations of bonefish and redfish, and bring anglers’ bonus points.
Firmo was the tournament’s grand champion for the second time in a row, as well as the artificial lure division champion. He also won the Redbone last year with Capt. Denkert and teammate Wade Davis.
Capt. Denkert said his anglers were 11 for 18 bonefish, which meant they lost seven in the process after hooking up. That caused some concern for him, but in the end two double-headers — both anglers hooked up simultaneously — and the 11 total bonefish were more than enough for victory.
Linda Denkert, the women’s champion, said she enjoyed being able to sight-cast to the fish they saw, which calls for accuracy.
Thirty bonefish and 58 redfish were caught by eight teams over the two days. Jim Bokor Jr., of Buffalo, New York, earned the general division champion, most redfish releases with 12, as well as the largest bonefish award. But, it wasn’t easy. He said the first day of fishing was windy; the waters were muddy, and when they saw bonefish that first day, they were “going mach 7,” speeding away across the flats.
Capt. Craig Brewer’s angler Mike Sedelsky earned the largest redfish award, with the fish measuring around 30 inches. The junior award went to Caleb Bokor, who fished with Capt. Frank Ortiz. Bokor caught four bonefish and a redfish, and his young teammate Jacob Bohnstedt caught two bonefish and two redfish.
The winning celebrity angler was 91-year-old Stu Apte of Islamorada, an author, fighter pilot and world-renowned tarpon angler. He fished with Warren Comstock and Capt. Eric Lund.Redbone Inc. is a non-profit company founded in Islamorada that raises money “To Catch the Cure” to benefit cystic fibrosis. The final event in this year’s Robert James Sales Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series Trilogy is the Sunrise/Sunset Tarpon Tournament set for April 8-10, 2022 in Islamorada. Visit www.redbone.org for more information.
