As the top two anglers from the Elite Redfish Series that sends pros out solo, Gary Moreno of Baytown, Texas, and Bo Favre of Bay St. Louis, Miss., are teamed up this week.
It was quite the impressive season for Moreno, mainly because it was his first ever competing in the one-man tournaments. Asked if he found it that easy, Favre chimed in: “He sure made it look that way.”
Moreno, who works in the petrochemical industry, ended atop the point standings after events in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.
“We were all over,” said Moreno, asked to detail how he achieved that status. “Now, I spent two to three weeks ahead of time studying Google Earth, watching YouTube and any other information I could find on the internet that would lead me to catching fish in those areas — how they did it and what they used to be successful. Then I’d go two days ahead of time, ‘OK, this is what they did,’ and I would adapt.”
If the name Favre seems familiar, it’s because it is. Yes, he’s related to the famed NFL quarterback Brett Favre.
“My grandpa and his dad are first cousins,” said Favre, who played football at the same high school, Hancock North Central, under Coach Irvin Favre, Brett’s father. Bo’s vague on details, but he’s pretty sure he attended family reunions with the record-setting QB.
“I was young. He’s 10 years older than me. He was just coming out,” said Bo, who as safety and cornerback might have picked off his relative if they had ever played together.
“He wasn’t called the gunslinger for nothing,” Bo said. “Sometimes it was a good thing he had guys like Sterling Sharp on his side.”
Moreno feels pretty good to have an experienced pro like Favre as they compete in the Port Aransas Redfish Cup.
“We are confident … and we’re worried to death,” Moreno said. “We’re going to be humble, and if the Lord is with us, we’re going to bring home 14 to 18 1/2 pounds a day.”
On the morning of the first day, Favre said he was still sizing up things. He said everybody is holding back information, especially Kevin Akin, the hometown favorite who is teamed with Elite Series pro Drew Cook.
“I feel that Kevin Akin is the man to beat,” Favre said. “Everywhere we go, he’s kicked my butt for the past 10 years — I kicked his a couple times — but he’s said, ‘Oh, I’m not on anything. Kevin, you’ve been telling me that for 10 years and kicking me.'”
Favre said he believes he and Moreno will need about 15 pounds a day, and 45 pounds total will take home the $75,000 first prize.
