CYPREMORT POINT – Eight-plus pound slot redfish were a dime a dozen and the biggest two were worth a total of $900 on March 25, the day a familiar yellow boat fished the first Southcentral Fishing Association tournament of 2023.

Keo Khamphilavong, Craig Landry and Randy Migues, all of New Iberia, carried three huge slots to the digital scale for the weigh-in under the pavilion at Quintana Canal Boat Landing. The biggest one barely “busted” the 27-inch mark but the other two made it, and how, and weighed a whopping 17.55 pounds.

The 24-foot Blazer Bay’s skipper and two-man crew won $680 for topping the large turnout of 17 boats for the opener and another $220 for the 9.05-pound monster that won the Calcutta.

“That was some nice fish, huh? We haven’t caught fish like that since we started fishing that tournament (SFA circuit). Not that many,” Landry said.

The team’s two slots broke the SFA record of 17.2 pounds set several years ago by Daniel Prince and Daniel Migues.

Khamphilavong, 58-year-old owner of Keo’s Construction, Landry and Randy Migues had stiff competition in the opener. Matt Migues, Randal “Rooster” Savoy and Savoy’s son, Rylin Savoy, grabbed the runners-up spot with their two-fish limit of slots at 16.65 pounds for $425. Drew Romero, Brian Romero, Bentley Vining and Alexis Romero were right behind the second-place team with a limit weighing 16.45 pounds worth $255.

There were a few other 16-pound limits, as well, in a strong field featuring some of the best saltwater fishermen in the heart of Acadiana.

“A lot of people caught some nice fish. It just so happened we caught some nicer fish. You fish long enough, stuff like that happens. It may never happen again,” Khamphilavong said.

Landry, the veteran crew member on the winning boat, agreed and said, “They had a lot of big fish weighed in. It was a good day, for sure.”

Brooks Amy of Broussard, formerly of New Iberia, SFA director for a second straight year, was pleased and proud of the 2023 opener for SFA.

“I think it was very, very good to see all the participants this weekend,” he said, noting it was the largest turnout in a few years.

Amy anticipated more boats showing up after a concerted effort to get the word out for more members and tournament-goers but wasn’t counting his chickens.

“I was hoping but I had an idea we’d draw a few more with the incentives this year,” he said.

As for the fishing, it was good for some and just the opposite for others, he said with first-hand experience that leaned to the lean side.

“It was tough. The water was very, very dirty, fresh. (But) some participants were able to find really good fish,” he said.

A prime example, the SFA director said, was the three-man crew aboard the winning boat. Their big slot redfish were a sight for sore eyes.

“Dude, they were that big,” Amy said, putting his forefingers and thumbs together to simulate the size of a very round, robust redfish just under 27 inches long. “It was impressive, man. They brought in some really big fish.”

It was quite a start for the defending Angler(s) of the Year. They didn’t even start fishing where they wanted to start after the takeoff at 6:30 a.m.

“We were heading toward a spot where Keo and Randy scouted two days ahead. We were going by another spot (on the way there) and saw a bunch of baitfish. We decided to stop and didn’t have to leave,” Landry said about that section of a canal on the west side inside Marsh Island.

It was teeming with mullet, which falls on the must-have menu for hungry redfish.

The area happened to be where Landry hooked and got his line snapped by a big redfish at the end of an SFA tournament within the past few years.

Landry, 61, who owns Craig Landry Construction, believes the incoming tide was pushing baitfish into the spot on Saturday.

“The minute we got there we caught fish for about 3 hours. Before 11 o’clock we had our fish. We were trying to catch bigger ones,” he said.

The redfish were in water less than 2 feet deep. They dined on shrimp on a trout tail dangling about 18 inches under a popping cork.

They caught 13 redfish and released five of them a tad longer than 27 inches.

“We never had caught like that. Basically, we were done after an hour-and-a-half. They always have a few fish there … (but) never like that,” Khamphilavong said. “I think the last time we caught fish like that – not that big – was at Point Au Fer.”

The winning weight could have been more. Their best redfish didn’t even go into the basket placed on top of the tournament’s digital scale.

“If that fish had weighed it would have been close to 10 pounds. It weighed 9-14 on our scale,” Landry said.

Migues, 66, a retired carpenter with the Iberia Parish School Board, was glad to be aboard the top boat. He fished one tournament in 2022 and none in 2021. He was recovering from a back surgery in 2019, 2020 and 2022.

Khamphilavong and Landry welcomed him back with gusto on a memorable trip.

“Oh, man, it was a great feeling to get back out there. You know what? We had a wonderful day from the first cast. Craig threw the first cast and caught an oversized red. From there it was fast and furious. I did a lot of netting. I caught some but I did a lot of netting, too,” Migues said.

“We had a good trop. You know what? We’ve never caught 8-pound redfish like that. It’s one of those days. It was one of those days. It doesn’t happen too often, especially in a tournament.”

The next SFA tournament is scheduled for April 22 out of Quintana Canal Boat Landing. It will be a draw-the-number for the high end of the slot tournament with a three-fish limit allowed.

For more information on SFA membership and tournaments, call Amy at (337) 316-8175.