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NAPLES — With the winners announced and the awards banquet winding down Sunday night, Redsnook Catch and Release Charity Tournament chairman Andy Hill finally found a moment to let out his breath and relax with a glass of white wine.

For more than nine months, Hill had been organizing this year's tournament, which raised more than $60,000 toward the Conservancy of Southwest Florida's juvenile snook research study. He has fished the tournament every year since 1997 with partner Terry McMahan, finishing second on many occasions but never winning -- until this year.

To Hill's and McMahan's surprise, the duo took home top honors in the tournament's unguided spin division, edging the team of angling great Roland Martin and former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Mike Alstott.

Asked what he was going to do to celebrate the occasion, Hill said, "Talk to my wife for the first time in nine months. Lining up sponsorship and putting together this event has kept me very busy. We were always the bridesmaid but never the bride. It feels great not only to win but that this was a very successful event all around."

More than 50 teams competed in this year's tournament in five divisions. Many of the anglers who participated agreed that the fishing was unusually tough this year, mainly due to low tides and instances of rain.

"The conditions slowed the bite down," Hill said. "But it was the same for everybody."

Guided Bait division winners Dan Summers and Michael Watkins gave all credit to their guided Aron Blaisdell. Fishing off Marco Island, Blaisdell said he took the winning team to his "secret" spot, where the duo were able to catch all the fish they needed by 8 a.m.

"These guys really helped themselves," Blaisdell said. "It was that one good spot that saved us."

After 13 years affiliated with the YMCA, this is the second year the Redsnook has benefited the Conservancy, which had Conservancy president Andrew McElwaine excited about future possibilities.

"This really helps us build bridges with the fishing community," McElwaine said. "The money raised from this event should fund the juvenile snook study completely. It the first time in thirty years a study like this will be conducted, which is about twenty years overdue. It will provide us a great indicator of the health and problems of the local fisheries."

Results

Guided Bait

1. Dan Summers and Michael Watkins guided by Aron Blaisdell

2. Jack Kuhn and Jack Hughes guided by Jim Stoner

3.Walter Crawford and Keith Predmore guided by Kevin Merritt

Unguided Bait

1. Chris Turner and Rich Gordon

2. Jeff Ball and Dereck Pruitt

3. John Ralston and Scott Lansing

Guided Spin

1. Chris Hueston and Sondra Jack guided by Scott Guthrie

2. Jim Bokor and Robert Collins guided by Matt McLean

3. Marc Lockhart and John Chonody guided by Ron Huston

Unguided Spin

1. Andy Hill and Terry McMahan

2. Roland Martin and Mike Alstott

3. Kevin Johnson and Jim Janosek

Fly

1. Dave Tepper and Brian Bovosi guided by Bill Faulkner

2. Michelle Brown and Curtis Grant guided by Al Keller

3. James Brown and Ron Alderton

Largest Snook

Guided Bait -- Walter Crawford 36 inches

Unguided Bait -- Scott Lansing 30 inches

Guided Spin -- Marc Lockhart 31 inches

Unguided Spin -- Kevin Johnson 36 inches

Fly -- James Brown 34 inches

Largest Redfish

Guided Bait -- Mic Lundon 31 inches

Unguided Bait -- Laura Almand 32 inches

Guided Spin -- Sondra Jack 28 inches

Unguided Spin -- Roland Martin 28 inches

Fly -- Brian Bovosi 23 inches

Slam

Team -- Bill Sullivan and Bob Potter

Junior -- Christian Dagge

Female -- Sheri Duncan

Corporate

M & I Bank