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April 7, 2015Warm season wildlife food plots
April 7, 2015
To most folks in south Lafourche Parish, Cut Off native Paul Dufrene IV is a lumberman – another in a long line of Dufrenes that have operated a family-owned lumber yard since the 1950s.
But in recent years, the local has added a new title to his plate: professional fisherman.
Dufrene IV has fished professionally for a decade in various circuits and tournaments throughout the South, enjoying success at all of his stops along the way. The local angler is currently a member of Academy Sports and Outdoors Yellowfin Elite Series – a fishing league that hunts redfish and tours the Southeast throughout the spring and summer.
Dufrene’s time on the circuit has been well spent, and he’s progressively risen through the ranks. In the 2014 season, the South Lafourche High School graduate was named the series’ Angler of the Year – an honor that he said is one of the biggest accomplishments of his career.
In the first tournament in 2015, Dufrene showed that he’s not letting up – finishing third at the La. Crawfish Festival Kick Off Classic, which took place on March 26-28 in Chalmette. The strong finish earned Dufrene $7,000 cash. He’s racked up more than $100,000 in career earnings as a competitive angler.
“It’s really a blessing,” Dufrene said of his side-gig. “It’s a chance to stay competitive in something and we all have a lot of fun. To be able to win Angler of the Year was something that was a great accomplishment and something that meant a lot to me. There’s a lot of strategy that’s involved. It’s more than just catching fish. … It’s competitive, but it’s a blast.”
For Dufrene, the rise to one of the most prestigious series in the country was a long time coming.
The Cut Off native said that he’s loved the outdoors his whole life, touting that he’s had a fishing line or hunting gun in his hands since he was a small child.
As a young adult, Dufrene said that passion for Sportsman’s Paradise continued, and he joined a couple fishing clubs. He also competed in as many rodeos and tournament as possible to stay competitive within the sport.
“I got my start in local clubs and at local events,” Dufrene said. “I was small-scale, and I just stuck with it and started having some success. From there, I was able to work my way up to the big tour, and now, we fish in the Yellowfin Series and things have sort-of gone from there.”
The format and structure of the Yellowfin Series is very similar to that of the popular bass tournaments that folks see on TV. During competitions, it’s every man for himself with just one angler allowed per boat. Tournaments usually run for four days total with three of those days spent live in competition.
The catch limits and specific regulations of each tournament vary depending on the location of the event, but most times, fishermen are allowed to weigh five reds – the person owning the most weight in fish at the end of the weekend earning the tournament title.
But Dufrene said competitive tournament fishing is way more complex than just hopping in a boat equipped with rods, reels and tackle.
The prized angler said that weight is deducted from an angler’s total if fish are dead at the time of weigh-in – a rule that adds strategy to the day.
Dufrene also prides himself on being a sight fisherman – a technique that involved the angler physically using his/her eyes to observe the fish in the water.
That, too, also involves constant tweaking and maneuvering to make sure that conditions are just right to have a successful day.
Rules dictate that only fish 27 inches or fewer in Louisiana can be weighed for competition. It also varies depending on which state they are fishing in.
“There’s so much strategy involved in the sport,” Dufrene said. “There’s a lot more that goes into it than what people probably realize. You aren’t just catching fish, putting them in the boat and then moving on. A lot of the game is making sure that you’re fishing for the right fish and that you’re keeping them healthy in the boat throughout the day so that you can get them to and from the weigh-in alive.”
But whatever strategy or system Dufrene has put in place for himself has seemingly worked in a big way. Dufrene was one of the most consistent anglers on the tour last season, routinely placing in the top five in competitive events – if not better.
The Cut Off native weighed in 248.39 total pounds of reds in that year and didn’t weigh a single dead fish.
Dufrene also got his first victory on the Yellowfin Elite series during his successful 2014 run. He kicked off the year with a win at an Open event – a victory that started his momentum forward in the season.
“Last year, things went really well for me,” Dufrene said. “We did pretty well in a lot of tournaments.”
And now the goal is to keep going strong.
Equipped with an army of sponsors including Frogg Toggs, Majek Boats, Redfish Mafia, Yamaha Outboards, Dufrene Building Materials, K2 Coolers, American Rodsmiths, Dockside Marine and Quality Companies, Dufrene said he wants to compete to win Angler of the Year again.
The local angler said he’s grateful for everyone who’s helped him along the way, touting that he never imagined he’d have this much success within the sport when he was a local club fisherman.
“It’s really something that’s memorable,” Dufrene said. “You get to know a lot of the other guys and you just make a lot of good memories. I’m really blessed for this opportunity, and I look forward to continuing in the future.”
Dufrene and the rest of the series will have their talents featured on TV this summer as Destination America has committed to airing tournaments and weigh-ins. To learn more about the fishing league, those interested may visit Www.theredfishseries.com.
A TOUR FILLED WITH LOCAL FISHERMEN
While Dufrene continues to build his accolades on the tour, he’s busy competing against a slew of other local fishermen.
Raceland native and professional tournament angler Chad Billiot fishes on the series, and has won two titles in his career.
Also regularly competing are locals Nicky Savoie and Lance Reynolds.
Savoie is a South Lafourche High School graduate who played college football at LSU. He enjoyed a brief stint with the New Orleans Saints during his playing career, as well.
Reynolds is another fellow Tarpon. He, too, has enjoyed success as a pro angler. In the opening tournament of 2015, Reynolds finished second with a total weight of 110.68-pounds.
Reynolds said that he enjoys the thrill of fishing in the pro tournaments, touting that it’s fun to stay competitive, while also doing something that is a hobby for most-all men in Louisiana.
The local is regarded by many as someone to lookout for in the 2015 fishing series – a competitor that can win tournaments.
Jay Cedotal is also a graduate of South Lafourche and is Dufrene’s partner in team events.
The duo placed first in the Louisiana Saltwater series opening event in Slidell on March 21, netting the team $3,200.
Cut Off native Paul Dufrene IV shows off a giant red that he caught during a tournament last year. The local is one of the top anglers on the Academy Sports and Outdoors Yellowfin Elite Series. As a pro fisherman, the local has won several titles and has taken home more than $100,000 in total purse winnings.
