What is Redbone?

In 1984 Gary and Susan Ellis’ newborn daughter, Nicole, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes the body to produce an abnormally thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and can lead to life-threatening lung infections. They were told that with considerable care, she should live to her early teens. After asking the question, “What is cystic fibrosis?” they set out to find a way to fight it.

In 1988 with the help of their friends, including baseball legend Ted Williams, they founded the Redbone Celebrity Tournament Series to help fund CF research. Guides, anglers and celebrities from film and sports teamed up on thirty-three boats to fish for redfish and bonefish. From that tournament came the name “Redbone.” They raised $16,000 that first year and more importantly, introduced cystic fibrosis into the conscience of the very caring community of the Florida Keys.

From that small seed, the Redbone Series has grown to include the Redbone Trilogy, fourteen Redbone@Large tourna ments throughout the United States, Costa Rica and Mexico, four Redbone Bahamas Bonefish Classic. In the last twelve years, Tournaments bearing the Redbone name have averaged over a million dollars a year to fight cystic fibrosis.