The Florida Redfish Series is hosting its championships in Panacea for the first time this weekend, drawing anglers from across the state to Wooley Park.WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW: Florida Redfish Series championships come to Panac ea for the first time this weekendAfter 4 rounds of competition, 75 boating teams and 50 kayakers qualified for the championship. While the series has held tournaments in Panacea before, this marks the first time the championship itself has been held there.Co-founder and Tournament Director Chris Harwood said the decision to bring the championship to Panacea came after competitors pushed back when the area was left off the 2026 tournament schedule."We had actually left Panacea off the tournament schedule in 2026 and got numerous texts, phone calls, posts about Panacea, and not being on here. How much everybody loves fishing here. This is a great place to hold a tournament at, as far as the fisheries, where you, because you can launch here, you can run to St. Marks, you can run to Econfina Ocilla, you can run," Harwood said.Many competitors arrive in the area before the championships to prefish, which Harwood said helps boost the local economy bringing anywhere from $200,000 to $250,000 to the area.Conservation is also a central focus of the Florida Redfish Series. All fish are required to be brought back alive and released."All the fish that are brought in by the anglers are brought in alive, and they're released alive. We don't - this is not a kill tournament. Teams actually get penalized weight if they bring in a dead fish, right? So, you know, we put all the fish back into the local waters that are taken out the way in. The kayak guys, they take a picture, and it goes right back in the water. So there's literally zero impact to the fishery here, as far as you know, harming the estuary," Harwood said.The tournament is open to the public. Saturday's weigh-in begins at 3:00 pm.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less