ESPN Saltwater

Ex-Denver Bronco Mark Cooper will film a live video blog for ESPNOutdoors.com after each day of the IGFA Inshore World Championship. Cooper will share his thoughts on strategy in the exclusive segment. Cooper, a second-round pick by the Broncos, played in the NFL for seven years and is most certainly the largest competitor at the event this week.

ISLAMORADA, Fla. — The 32 competitors at the Florida Keys Outfitters IGFA Inshore World Championship approached Tuesday much like a scavenger hunt. In other words, there were polarizing ideas on strategy but everyone had the same goal in mind.

The championship event was recently integrated into the ESPN Outdoors Saltwater Series presented by TakeMeFishing.org. Coverage will be presented on ESPN2 and ESPNOutdoors.com will be the tournament home for stories, photos and video content.

While most anglers were using the first day of competition to shape their strategy for the three-day event, some got on the board early by accomplishing a SLAM, landing three or more of the five scored species.

A Miami-based attorney, Barry Shevlin, landed three reds and three snook early and rounded out his day with a late bonefish, establishing the lead in the lightweight tackle division based on his total points accumulation and the SLAM accomplishment.

"I have this superstition," said Shevlin, who was guided by Joe Rodriguez. "Before every tournament lately, I have been eating chocolate doughnuts. It's working too. I have done very well in the last few tournaments."

For Shevlin, Wednesday's focus would be on rounding out his three-limit bonefish and then moving on to tarpon. With the longer ride out of the way, Shevlin will look to stay closer to the launch location and capitalize on his fishing time.

Shevlin qualified for this week's tournament through the Herman Lucerne-Grossman Memorial Fishing Competition, an event that boasts seven scored species and Shevlin felt his multi-species event experience is a key factor in his success.

Also accomplishing a SLAM was Delray Beach's Nick Cardella. The youngest angler in the field at 20, Cardella landed a permit, bonefish and a tarpon. His points total was lower than Shevlin and thus he trailed in the three-day event.

"Just follow the tides and go with the flow. That is the key," said Cardella. "We didn't have an exact strategy in the morning because we didn't want to lock ourselves in. Things worked out pretty well today."

In the fly division, Jared Raskob, who was guided by Dave Borras, established the lead, landing three species.