The eighth tournament of the Backcounty Fishing Assocation’s 2021 series took place out of Little Jim Bait and Tackle on Sat, Aug. 7, with 21 boats checking in and 8 boats checking out. A total of 4 trout and 4 redfish were brought to the scale. What a tough day for all. The weather started off like any ordinary day in August, hot and humid, with a few showers rolling in later in the day.
Tony Vercillo and TJ Kiefer took first place with a 6.26-pound redfish, which earned them $392. The team also took the redfish Calcutta, earning an additional $180.
Husband and wife team, Mike and Shelly Bartus, took home $235 for second place with a 5.14-pound trout, which also earned Shelly Bartus Lady Angler. The couple also took the trout Calcutta, adding another $170 to their winnings.
Bill Smiley and Tommy Wagner took third place with a 4.66-pound redfish and walked away with $160.
Husband and wife team, Sean and Hannah Tillett took fourth place with a trout that weighed in at 4.19-pounds, which earned the couple tournament points.
Brandon Hooper and Patrick Herd took fifth place with a 3.77-pound redfish, which also earned the team tournament points.
The Backcountry Fishing Association tournament is a nine-month circuit which runs from January thru September, with a two-day Classic held in October. The artificial lure only tournament gives two-person teams and solo anglers the opportunity to win cash and gain points.
Redfish, trout and snook (seasonal) are the qualified species. Anglers attempt to bring one legal fish of each species to the scales for weigh in and live release. Teams must participate in at least five tournaments to be eligible to fish the Classic which is a two-day event. The top five eligible teams with the highest accumulated points from the season are given a bye from day one. The remaining eligible teams compete on an elimination basis the first day, where only the top five teams of day one progress to day two to compete against the season point leaders for the grand prize and cash for the top four teams.
Membership fees are $25 for the year. To enter the tournament each month, the fee is $60 per team.
The next tournament is Sat., Sept. 4, with a captain’s meeting on Fri. Sept. 3, at Little Jim Bait and Tackle, 601 North Causeway, Fort Pierce, Fla.
