ISLAMORADA, Florida Keys - Texas angler Randy Frick garnered grand champion honors Sunday during his first foray into the Mercury Redbone tournament in the Florida Keys.
Fishing with Captain Richard Black of Islamorada, Frick released one redfish and three bonefish on bait during the two-day contest that served as a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis treatment and research.
Frick's business colleague and teammate Jim Bokor Jr., of Buffalo, NY, added one bonefish and three redfish to the tally, helping them earn the team grand championship title with four fish of each species.
Based on low water visibility conditions, caused by brisk winds from a high-pressure system over South Florida and the Keys during the contest, the pair's strategy dictated they focus on fishing for one species each day.
"Our guide put us onto all the right places," said Frick. "In competition, every fish you catch means something, other than just the fun of it, and you've got to get in the right spot."
Runner-up to the grand champion angler was Joe Viar, of Alexandria, Va., who fished with Captain Andy Thompson of Homestead. Though his two bonefish and three redfish outnumbered Frick's, Viar's team together did not tally enough points for the win.
Former Boston Red Sox catcher Mike Stanley of Maitland, Fla., was named Celebrity Grand Champion. Fishing with Key Largo Captain Larry Sydnor, Stanley caught three redfish and one bonefish.
Mo Smith, of Cordova, Tenn., won the 2009 Redbone Trilogy award, amassing the most points of any angler who competed in each of three Keys-based tournaments including the Mercury Baybone, Mercury SLAM and the Redbone.
A field of 82 anglers on 41 boats released 33 redfish and 31 bonefish, including four that topped 10 pounds, during the two-day Redbone tournament.
According to tournament founder Gary Ellis, more than $10 million has been raised nationally to fund cystic fibrosis research since Redbone tournaments began in 1988.
