CYPREMORT POINT – As one hard-fishing crew of three closed in on its second straight Angler(s) of the Year title in the Southcentral Fishing Association, the boat captain has his eyes on a bigger prize – the SFA Classic.

Keo Khamphilavong, Craig Landry and Randy Migues, all of New Iberia, sealed the deal on another AOY on June 17 with their third win in four of the five regular-season tournaments out of Cypremort Point’s Quintana Canal Boat Landing. Their 15.65 pounds topped a nine-boat field that showed up on a hot and windy Saturday to fish from 6-3 p.m.

“We’re glad to get it done. We’re finished with that (AOY). I don’t think anybody can catch us,” Khamphilavong said a few days after the clutch win worth $360.

“We’re pretty happy with that. Our goal is to win the championship. Our focus is on winning the championship. That would put the icing on the cake for the rest of the year,” he said about the 2023 SFA Classic set for Aug. 12.

Why the extra incentive to win the SFA Classic, which has a rich pot for the winning boat? Khamphilavong said he and his crew have yet to finish first in that event.

For the longest while that Saturday in the fourth tournament of the season the ice chest was devoid of “slot”-sized redfish aboard his yellow 24-foot long Blazer Bay.

“We didn’t catch out first tournament fish till like 11:30. We’re like, ‘We’re going to get skunked in both tournaments,’” he said, noting there also was a Baldwin Fire Department Redfish Tournament held June 17. His boat finished second with 22.5 pounds for $500.

“Craig broke the ice. He caught a 25(-incher). Then we got a 26 ½. Randy actually caught the big one.”

Migues’ “big one” weighed 8.65 pounds, the biggest of the day to capture the Calcutta prize of $125. It bit on a bait shrimp under a popping cork.

Khamphilavong laughed at his own expense and said the captain served as only the “netman” as he didn’t contribute a single slot redfish.

The winners won the first two SFA tournaments of the year before missing a payday in the third tournament on May 20, one won by Heith St. Germain, Kiptyn St. Germain, Jason St. Germain and Clint “PeeWee” Fremin.

The first-place team needed every ounce to turn back the challenge of SFA director and boat captain Brooks Amy, who fished with his son, Hayden Amy, his father, Perry Scott, and their long-time fishing buddy, Jacob Fisher. The Amys and crew’s two slot redfish weighed 15.60 pounds for second and $225.

The runner-up team team in Fish Karma, a 24-foot long Blue Wave, also reeled in first place in the Baldwin Fire Department Redfish Tournament. The three men and young boy collected $1,000 with a three-fish “slot” limit weighing 23 pounds.

Caleb Evans, Bo Evans and Cody Hass finished third in the fourth SFA tournament with 12.05 pounds worth $135.

Khamphilavong said he and his tournament partners lost a few big redfish and released four more than 27 inches long, too big for the 16- to 27-inch slot.

“We had a good time. We’re happy. We knew we were going to place,” he said.

Landry caught his redfish on ultra-violet Matrix Shad soft plastics on a ¼-ounce leadhead tipped with shrimp under a popping cork. They also used cracked crab to no avail.

“Nobody else caught a lot of fish. It was rough,” Khamphilavong said.

He believed the light turnout was due to “bad conditions,” plus the tournament being held on Father’s Day Weekend.

The SFA’s fifth and final regular-season tournament is July 29.