Paulo Firmo of Miami, left, and teammate Linda Denkert of Islamorada caught simultaneous redfish, helping them become the winning team in the Robert James Sales Redbone Tournament. Photo by Capt. Dave Denkert

Firmo wins the Redbone Celebrity Tournament

By Jill Zima Borski

Leading the Robert James Sales Redbone Celebrity Tournament from start to finish, the winning team said it was all about the guide. Anglers Paulo Firmo and Linda Denkert credited Capt. Dave Denkert with the knowledge and skills that took them to the top.

Despite winds of 35 mph on the first day of fishing Nov. 6 in the Upper Keys, anglers Firmo of Miami and Dave’s wife, Linda, of Islamorada, caught 11 bonefish compared to the next highest team’s tally of six. The next day, with windy conditions continuing, Firmo and Denkert racked up 17 redfish to bring them a total of seven and four “redbones” respectively, which put them ahead of the competition. Redbones are paired combinations of bonefish and redfish, and bring anglers’ bonus points.

Firmo, who interestingly has one functional eye, was the tournament’s grand champion for the second time in a row, as well as the artificial lure division champion. He also won the Redbone last year with Capt. Denkert and teammate Wade Davis.

Denkert said his anglers were 11 for 18 bonefish, which meant they lost seven in the process after hooking up. That caused some concern for him, but in the end two double-headers — both anglers hooked up simultaneously — and the 11 total bonefish were more than enough for victory.

Linda, the women’s champion, said she enjoyed being able to sight cast to the fish they saw, which calls for accuracy. She said “blind casting” isn’t as fun because it’s less challenging. But, it’s obvious the team did have fun. They caught snook — a non-tournament species — because they were there.

Lots of fish were caught — 30 bonefish and 58 redfish by eight teams over the two days.

Perennial powerhouse Jim Bokor, Jr. of Buffalo, N.Y., an executive at Robert James Sales, the Redbone’s primary sponsor, caught a total of four bonefish and seven redfish with four “redbones” to earn second place in the talented field, while his teammate, John Denk, of Chicago, nabbed two redfish and two bonefish. Denk said he has fished the Keys about five times in his life and had caught both species before. Bokor, Jr. said the best part of his tournament was fishing with Denk.

Bokor, Jr. earned the general division champion, most redfish releases with 12, as well as the largest bonefish award. But, it wasn’t easy. He said the first day of fishing was windy; the waters were muddy, and when they saw bonefish that first day, they were “going Mach 7,” speeding away across the flats.

The teammates also ribbed their captain, the experienced guide Richard Black. “He’s learning,” they said. “He’ll be all right. He’s figuring it out.”

Capt. Craig Brewer’s angler Mike Sedelsky earned the largest redfish award, with the fish measuring around 30 inches.

The junior award went to Caleb Bokor, who fished with Capt. Frank Ortiz. Bokor caught four bonefish and a redfish, and his young teammate Jacob Bohnstedt caught two bonefish and two redfish.

The winning celebrity angler was 91-year-old Stu Apte of Islamorada, an author, fighter pilot and world-renowned tarpon angler. He fished with Warren Comstock and Capt. Eric Lund.

Redbone, Inc. is a non-profit company founded in Islamorada that raises money “To Catch the Cure” to benefit cystic fibrosis. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease affecting approximately 30,000 children and adults in the United States. Its sponsors are Robert James Sales, Tom Thumb Food Stores, Florida Keys Fishing Guides, Image Graphics, Rich Products, Mercury Marine, Breezy Palms, Lorelei Cabana Bar, Islamorada Fishing Club, Costa, Papa’s Pilar Rum, and Pure Fishing.

The final event in this year’s Robert James Sales Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series Trilogy is the Sunrise/Sunset Tarpon Tournament set for April 8-10, 2022 in Islamorada. Visit www.redbone.org for more information.

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