Born in 1965 in Charleston, South Carolina, C.A. Richardson moved with his family to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1967, where he quickly developed a passion for the coastal environment and inshore fishing. Growing up around the beaches, piers, and shallow flats of Tampa Bay, Richardson spent his youth mastering the art of light-tackle angling. Those early years—filled with casting artificial lures for snook, redfish, tarpon, and trout—became the foundation for the career he would later build.
His early story is documented on the About Me page of his official site.
As a young adult, Richardson carried his growing expertise into competitive fishing, entering regional and national tournaments throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Competing from North Carolina to Texas, he refined his precision with artificial lures and earned recognition as a standout shallow-water angler. This tournament experience prepared him for what would become his life’s work: educating anglers and raising the standards of inshore artificial-bait technique.
Recognizing a major gap in high-level saltwater education, Richardson launched Flats Class, a traveling fishing school dedicated to teaching anglers how to successfully target inshore species using artificial lures. His instructional approach—adapted from bass-fishing methodologies and optimized for saltwater flats—quickly gained national attention. Flats Class became one of the most respected technical fishing programs in the country, helping anglers understand not just how to catch fish but also why certain techniques work.
From the success of the school emerged Flats Class TV, a groundbreaking technical flats-fishing show that blends on-the-water instruction with real-world scenarios. The series has been widely praised as one of the most educational shows in the inshore angling world, a sentiment echoed in his ambassador profile with Raymarine.
Today, C.A. Richardson continues to guide anglers professionally in the Tampa Bay region, offering specialized inshore fishing charters and highly sought-after tarpon charters. His guiding style is rooted in technical accuracy and artificial-lure strategy, making him one of the most trusted educators in shallow-water sight-fishing.
Beyond guiding, Richardson collaborates closely with major fishing brands to design and enhance artificial lures, gear, and instructional content. His partnership with Z-Man—outlined in their pro angler profile—highlights his influence on product development and angler education.
Committed to conservation, Richardson uses his platform to advocate for responsible fisheries management and habitat protection. His conservation-minded approach is regularly highlighted in features like his Bates Fishing Co. profile.
With the growth of his online learning platform, Flats Class University, C.A. now reaches anglers around the world through structured courses, monthly content, community forums, and live Q&A sessions. The digital school allows him to continue his mission: elevating the skill level of anglers and protecting the waters that make the sport possible.
From a kid casting jigs on the banks of Tampa Bay to an authority in technical inshore artificial-bait fishing, C.A. Richardson has built a legacy rooted in education, conservation, and mastery of the flats.
