Kevin Horton loves to hook, play and land 28- to 30-pound redfish most of the time. In fact, he’d rather fight those than the heavier bull reds.

The exception for the Avery Island fisherman is when there’s a tournament going on, such as the Cypremort Invitational Fishing Association tournament that began July 7 and ended Sept. 30. Then it’s time for the “real one” to be on the business end of the fishing line, a redfish weighing 35-plus pounds.

“The little ones fight a whole lot more,” Horton said Wednesday evening while talking about his first-place redfish in the CIFA contest, a 38.72-pound bull red that sat atop the Redfish Division leaderboard most of the summer.

The “real ones,” though, are money.

“That’s what we call a ‘real one,’ ” Horton said, happily, after the scales closed once and for all at 7 p.m. a week ago today at Dago’s Mobil & Grocery in Lydia.

CIFA’s Redfish Division winner was caught on an outing with his fishing buddy, Kenny Benoit, another Avery Island resident. They went to one of their favorite redfish fishin’ holes to fish with Carolina-rigged live croakers.

Around 11 a.m., Benoit put a 37.88-pounder in the boat and that got both of them pumped up. It was destined to be the division’s leader for all of about 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Horton, 42, a facilities maintenance manager 17 years for the McIlhenny Co. on Avery Island, set the hook on a bull red that was a little heavier than the one reeled in by Benoit.

“I didn’t think it was that big,” Horton said.

Horton and Benoit’s redfish caught that day finished first and second in the CIFA contest.

The third-place redfish, a 34.87-pounder, was weighed in by Charles Latham of Youngsville.

Fourth place went to Ty Bonin of Avery Island with a 33.44-pound redfish.

The fifth and final spot was nailed down by Shane Suire of Avery Island, who had a 32.52-pound redfish.

The Speckled Trout Division was won by Bo Amy of New Iberia. (See related story on Page A12.) 

Troy Amy of New Iberia, CIFA president, tipped his cap to the winning redfish.

“That’s a nice redfish,” Amy said. “Big ones like that always come in the first month when it first opens.”

About Horton and Benoit, he said, “That’s good for them. They love bull red fishing. They love doing it. They go catch lie croakers and sit on the spot.”

Horton said he day they caught the first- and second-place redfish they probably caught 65-70 bull reds. Three of them were over 30 pounds and most of them were at 30 pounds.

“It’s not too often you catch two real ones on the same day,” he said. “He caught his right at the end of the tide and I caught mine at the beginning.”

Benoit also caught a 2.90-pound speckled trout a few days later that finished fourth in CIFA’s Speckled Trout Division.

Horton said he has been fishing the CIFA tournament longer than he can remember. He also fished the defunct Acadiana Redfish Association, which was ultra-popular in the Teche Area, he said, both he and Benoit.

His CIFA winner isn’t the biggest bull red of his saltwater fishing career, he said, noting he caught an estimated 42-pounder while red snapper fishing offshore once a long time ago and had to release it right away.

He’ll take the first-place bull red any day.

“It feels good. Everybody likes to win,” he said. “We don’t brag too much over here (Avery Island).

He recalled that four or five years ago there were less than 100 anglers fishing CIFA. This year membership numbers 105.

“It’s a lot more fun with a lot of people fishing,” he said.

Avery Island was represented well, he pointed out.

“Four of five on the redfish board are from Avery Island,” he said, naming himself, Benoit, Ty Bonin and Shane Suire.”

“It’s a good group of guys right there. They are good fishermen, very good fishermen,” he said.

Plus, he said, “All of the speckled trout (finishers) have Avery Island ties.”