Local fishing guides shine for CF, ESPN

Never have I been more impressed with our inshore fishing guides than during last weekend's Lowcountry Red-Trout Celebrity Classic fishing tournament. More than 30 guides donated their normal guide fee for one of the two days of the tournament, which helped raise more than $130,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. In order to level the playing field, the two-man teams switched guides for the second day.

The tournament was filmed and will be aired next spring as part of the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series, which will be hosted by Jose Wejebe. Photos from the tournament are available at www.espnoutdoors.com. The tournament is part of the Mercury Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series, founded in 1988 by Florida fishing guide Gary Ellis and his wife, Susan, to raise awareness for cystic fibrosis.

To catch as many redfish and trout as they did on the heels of last Friday's flood says volumes about the guides' abilities. Over the two days of the tournament, the 32 two-man teams caught and released 183 seatrout (15-inch minimum) and 302 redfish (18-inch minimum). Fish meeting the minimum size requirements scored 150 points on fly tackle, artificial lures scored 75 points and fish caught on natural bait scored 50 points.

The key was finding fish closer to the ocean where there was more tidal flow, said guide Chris Wilson of Finaddict Charters (843-224-7462), who guided the winning team of Ron Silverman and Steve Silverman the first day and the runner-up team of Tom Stokes and Rhett Denton the second day.

"We fished the same area and had a school of 200 fish in the school," said Wilson. "Conditions were tough the first day but the wind dropped down and cleared the water out. Sunday was perfect. The water was super clear and we were able to corner one group and wale on them."

Wilson said heavy rains like the Lowcountry experienced can be both good and bad, good because it flushes out the marshes but bad because it can muddy the water.

Winners included:

-- Grand champion angler — Ron Silverman (guides Chris Wilson, Jamie Hough).

-- Celebrity grand champion — Ronnie Pitts (guide Fred Rourk).

-- Team grand champion — Ron and Steve Silverman (guides Chris Wilson, Jamie Hough).

-- Grand champion lady angler — Gail McManus (guides John Crislip, Lee Taylor).

-- Grand champ junior angler — Russell Parker (guides Richard Harris, Blake Lipscomb).

-- Spin-plug division champion — Bill Downey.

-- Fly division champion — Ron Silverman (guides Chris Wilson, Jamie Hough).

-- Largest redfish — R.C. Utnik (34.75 inches).

-- Largest seatrout — Steve Silverman (20.5 inches).

This was the second time the Silvermans have captured the title, previously winning in 2004. Ron Silverman has been heavily involved in the tournament, even before discovering three weeks before the first Red-Trout Tournament that Steve's daughter, Danielle, had cystic fibrosis.