ESPN Saltwater

ISLAMORADA, Fla. — Joe Viar would have been the grand champion angler of the Mercury Redbone Celebrity Fishing Tournament if not for a rule that he helped get adopted.

Seigo SaitoReporters talk with Joe Viar.

Viar, of Alexandria, Va., caught and released two bonefish Sunday, worth 200 points, to go with three redfish, worth 225 points, that he caught Saturday. That gave him two slams — a redfish and a bonefish — worth an extra 200 points, and a total of 625 points.

Unfortunately for Viar, his teammate Bonnie Christ, who also lives in Alexandria, did not catch a fish, so he could not be the top angler. That honor went to Randy Frick, who had 350 points. His partner, Jim Bokor Jr., had 325 points. Had Christ caught a single keeper bonefish or redfish, that would have given Viar the grand champion angler crown.

The rationale behind the rule was to prevent one angler from catching all the fish while the second angler never made a cast in an effort to give the first angler the individual title. Tournament chairman Gary Ellis agreed with the rule, which put a premium on teamwork.

"Normally, Bonnie and I win the team title," said Viar, who has fished the Redbone for 15 years. "We're consistent team winners."

The only man to win all three Superfly fly-fishing events, which are held the Friday before the Redbone, the SLAM and the Baybone, in one year, Viar has never won a grand champion angler title. He did not second-guess his efforts to get the rule approved that cost him that title.

That rule also cost Christ the title in the 2008 Baybone in Key Largo.

"Last year was the same situation," Viar said. "I needed to catch one more fish for Bonnie to be the grand champion angler and she finished as the runner-up."

Sight-fishing Saturday in Florida Bay near Flamingo with Capt. Andy Thompson, Viar gave Christ the first shot at all of the redfish that they saw, but she couldn't get any of them to bite. Viar said he caught his three redfish on Berkley Gulp! shrimp backing up Christ.

Sunday they fished for bonefish by staking out on oceanside flats in Key Largo.

"You couldn't see jack," Viar said. "We were staked up and soaking live shrimp."

And only Viar's shrimp got eaten by bonefish. But that's the way it goes sometimes.

"In 2005 and 2008, we won the team title and she caught one more fish than me," Viar said, smiling. "She got invited to the IGFA World Inshore Championship and I got to pay and carry her rods."

Steve Waters is the outdoors writer for the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale. Read more of his stories at www.sunsentinel.com/outdoors.