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A perfect way to earn a living

Professional fishing brothers from Lithia stay busy year-round catching redfish and winning tournaments.

By JESSICA KLIPA
Published December 16, 2005

RIVERVIEW - It's two days before the next fishing tournament, and Bryan Watts and his twin brother Greg launch their 22-foot Ranger Bay Boat at the Williams Park dock.

Bryan stands at the captain's chair with his arm propped up on the rail. His shirt is neatly tucked inside his jean shorts, sporting his belt with brown embroidered fish.

Cool morning air blows, carrying with it salty ocean spray. The brothers' conversation sounds like small talk, but really, they're plotting strategy.

Bryan and Greg are professionals who travel the nation to compete in redfish tournaments.

They stay busy year-round, competing in the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Cup aired on ESPN, the Forest L. Wood Tournament and the Inshore Fishing Association tournament. The brothers, who live in Lithia, have fished in Belize, Costa Rica and Canada.

Fishing with Bryan and Greg isn't as easy as it might seem. Getting ready for the three-day Redfish Cup Tournament in Clearwater, held in October, meant scouting out the best fishing spots the week before.

From as far north as the Courtney Campbell Parkway all the way south to Sarasota Bay, the Watts brothers don't stop until they find the spot that will yield the fattest fish within an 18-27 inch slot limit. On the final day of the tournament, the team with the most weight wins.

For the Watts brothers, 45, fishing has always been about winning. Growing up, Bryan and Greg spent hours competing with each other when they fished for bass at Lake Juliana in Polk County.

All those years of reeling in fish have finally paid off. Together, they can earn more than $40,000 in one tournament.

"It's a dream come true," Bryan says. "To some people it's a hobby. To us, it's a perfect way to make a living."

They started winning bass tournaments in the 1980s, but switched to redfish tournaments in 2000. Then, they caught the eye of a few sponsors. One year later, they claimed the Inshore Florida Association Championship and Team of the Year award.

Their career as professional fishermen didn't take off until 2002 when they decided to quit their fiberglass business to try a hand at saltwater fishing.

Within a few years, the Watts brothers had made a name for themselves in the tournament world. In 2003, another Team of the Year award and a championship in the Oh Boy! Oberto Redfish Tournament lured a slew of sponsors.

Bryan and Greg attribute their success to teamwork. It only helps that they're twins. They seem to get along - most of the time.

On the boat, Greg jokes about their success last year.

"I took the team all year," Greg says.

He grins, looking at his brother.

"I can take that and not get mad anymore," Bryan says.

All jokes aside, there isn't anyone else that Greg would want on his team.

"We've got something other teams wish they had," he says.

At the mouth of Tampa Bay, the sun has finally made its way through the foggy blanket, casting an orange glow to the edge of the boat. It looks like the perfect place to pull a hat over your eyes and soak in a little sun.

But for Bryan and Greg, this is no time to relax. Water slapping up against the boat alerts the fish that the boat is in the area. Greg takes a position in front of the casting platform, while Bryan stands on the captain's chair.

"Chances are, I won't be standing up here tournament day. I'll be right+down there keeping a low profile," Bryan says, nodding to the spot behind him.

Today, he's studying the fish.

Bryan concentrates on dark moving spots in the water that give the fish away. Sometimes, he and Greg spot a patch of water rippling along the bay's surface. That means a school of redfish is passing by.

Redfish usually hide in the potholes and grass. They won't be hungry until high tide, when the water is deep enough to swim to the mangroves to feast on the crabs and shrimp.

With a tip from the weather station that tells them the water temperature, the brothers know where the fish like to be. For instance, when the water reaches the 80s, redfish find relief from the sweltering heat on light-colored sand bars. When the water drops to the 60s, they warm themselves near the black mud.

Wind and tide play a part in determining the best tactics, too, but the No. 1 concern is finding the redfish's food source.

The brothers use the most up-to-date fishing equipment to do just that. With Berkley's fairly new biodegradable Gulp bait, they use shrimp and watermelon sinking minnows to lure the fish in. Sometimes, they even cast line into a patch where the fish were swimming and just wait for them to come back.

Not this time, though. Bryan and Greg have their eyes set on a school of redfish moving parallel to the boat. The brothers cast their lines into the shallow water. Bryan feels a tug at his line. Then, Greg's line moves too.

"This is what it's going to take right here," Bryan says.

Bryan positions himself at the front of the boat to catch his redfish, but Greg's redfish won't give in so easily. It takes a dive under the side of the boat. Greg yanks the bowed rod and thwarts the redfish's escape.

As it turns out, Bryan was right. It takes two. For the rest of the morning, the brothers reel in one floppy redfish after another.

[Last modified December 15, 2005, 10:04:04]