CYPREMORT POINT – Catching a boatload of big redfish, including ideal “slot”-sized redfish, while scouting for an upcoming tournament usually bodes well for tournament day.

“They’ve got some big fish everywhere, tournament fish. I don’t know why but they’re there,” Keo Khamphilavong said about waters in and around Marsh Island.

Still, Khamphilavong was concerned April 19 because he and Randy Migues caught only two small redfish, the kind they might need in the Southcentral Fishing Association’s second tournament of 2023 on April 22.

How’s that? The SFA strays from the standard 16- to 27-inch slot in the second tournament each year with a draw-the-high-number before the 6 a.m. takeoff from Quintana Canal Boat Landing. The number drawn April 22 by SFA director Brooks Amy was 21 inches.

What Khamphilavong, 58, and Migues, 66, did, too, was look for waters that would be promising with a north wind because that’s the direction it was forecast to blow following a strong cold front that blew across Acadiana on April 20.

It all worked out for the two New Iberians, who won their second straight tournament and topped a 12-boat field that fished April 22. Their three-fish limit weighed 10.35 pounds worth $580.

“I’ll be honest with you, I was hoping we’d just place with that,” Khamphilavong said after that caught an estimated 40 redfish inside an undisclosed location inside Marsh Island.

“But they (the three winning redfish) were just some fat fish. We knew if we’d catch fish in the island they’d be heavy fish,” he said about the three redfish measuring 20 7/8, 20 5/8 and 20 ¼ inches long.

“We got lucky again,” Migues said. Khamphilavong agreed.

They fished with fresh shrimp under a popping cork while mostly “blind casting” because of the overall water conditions.

“The water was dirty everywhere. It was muddy everywhere. Where we found some decent water we caught some fish and stayed where we were,” Khamphilavong said.

Bo Evans and Caleb Evans, two accomplished local redfish fishermen, finished second and Milton Davis’ boat boasted the redfish with the most spots.

The winning team was missing a team member. Craig Landry of New Iberia missed the recent tournament because he was inducted into the New Iberia Recreation Department Softball Hall of Fame that Saturday.

Migues, a retired carpenter with the Iberia Parish School Board, was fishing his second straight contest after fishing only one in 2022 and none in 2021 because of multiple back surgeries. He more than held his own as he’s getting his sea legs back.

It was a rough ride going across Vermilion Bay that Saturday, he said, but it turned out to be a nice day down the stretch in Khamphilavong’s 24-foot Blazer Bay.

“My back’s holding up pretty good. Got a few aches and pains like everybody else but I’m doing a lot better,” Migues said. “Been an unusual year. Lot of fish are in Marsh Island right now. The fish are so big. We tried to catch small fish this time. Just got on the bank, banged it, fished with corks and just stayed with it. Worked it up and down all day and stayed with those fish. Sure is nice to find fish that cooperate.”

They won the first tournament of the season with two redfish weighing 17.55 pounds to stun the field of 17 boats.

Khamphilavong and Migues are proud of the winning streak.

“I tell you what. It feels good. It was a long time coming. Well, you know, I tell all my buddies I’m not fishing to lose. I’m fishing to win,” Khamphilavong said. “There’s three more tournaments left. I’m hoping we place in them, you know?”

With two straight wins, Migues said it’s time to buy a raffle ticket.

“It feels good to be in this position, no doubt. We definitely know we’re going to fish the Classic,” he said.

Their main objective this year is to win the elusive SFA Classic set for Aug. 12.

“Our goal is to win the championship. The payout is really good this year,” he said.

The next SFA tournament with a conventional 16-to-27-inch “slot” limit is scheduled to be held May 20. The remaining schedule of regular-season tournament dates: June 17, July 15 and Aug. 12.