Rita Hutchinson
July 31, 2008
Helen Ann Hebert Martin
August 4, 2008
August is the time when kids go back to school and the summer months wind down. For locals, it’s also a time to enjoy fishing before completing those end-of-the-summer projects.
Three fishing rodeos are scheduled for the month. Each one brings something unique to the community that may help these project procrastinators to relax for a weekend.
The 3rd annual Hook On & Hook Up with Cleopatra Fishing Rodeo is set for Aug. 1-3.
The rodeo is open to the public and will be held at the Coco Marina in Cocodrie, La. Tickets are $20 per person.
People who buy tickets will also be given a T-shirt and a drink koozie as part of the price.
Liz Trosclair of the Krewe of Cleopatra is the chairwoman of the event. She said over $8,000 in cash and prizes will be handed out over the three-day period.
“We have a $1,000 cash drawing and 21 door prizes,” she said. “We will also have a DJ on Friday and Saturday night from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.”
The scales are open Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Cash prizes of $500, $300 and $200 will be given to the top three finishers in redfish under 27 inches, redfish over 27 inches and the speckled trout categories.
The top three finishers in drum under 27 inches, flounder and sheepshead will receive $400 for first place, $250 for second and $150 for third.
A $300 prize will go to the first place finishers only in the five fish string of redfish under 27 inches and five fish string of speckled trout categories.
There is also a children’s category with separate divisions for speckled trout, sea cat and drum under 27 inches and redfish under 27 inches.
Children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by a ticket-holding adult.
All of the proceeds for the event benefit the Krewe of Cleopatra, but Trosclair said the money goes to more than just putting on the parade.
“We donate to food drives, and we have Christmas drives that we do,” she said. “There are a lot of things we use the money for. It’s not just for the parade.”
Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can contact Trosclair at (985) 876-5394 or Carla at (985) 637-1550.
That same weekend, the oldest fishing rodeo in Terrebonne Parish, the Terrebonne Sportsman League’s annual International Fishing Rodeo, begins its 58th year of existence at the East Park Recreation Center in Houma.
“As far as I know, the only fishing rodeo older than ours is the Grand Isle International Tarpon Rodeo,” league president Larry Jordan said.
The rodeo is divided up into five divisions: offshore, shoreline, blue water, freshwater and scuba. Both adults and kids will be competing in the same categories, since there are no separate age groups.
“We do a children’s rodeo at the beginning of each year,” Jordan said. “The only requirement we have is all of the participants must have a ticket.”
Tickets to participate are $15 and can be purchased at Songy’s Sporting Goods, Southern Outdoors, Capt. Allen’s, Bayouside Seafood or Terrebonne Marine.
Prizes will be awarded to the top three finishers in each division and to the top 10 finishers – over- and under- – in the redfish and drum categories. Only freshwater catfish will be weighed, according to Jordan.
“We don’t give out the same thing for everybody,” he explained. “All of the first place prizes will be a certain item, second place will be a certain one and so on. Last year we had batteries, and for best all-around; we’ve also given away a GPS. It’s not necessarily something fishing-related; it’s going to be a variety of things.”
The scales are open Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants in the scuba division have from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday to weigh in their catch.
Also on Sunday, the recreation center will provide refreshments such as hamburgers and drinks for everyone. Before the winners are announced that afternoon, a live auction will take place with a variety of products.
“It’s not just for men, but for women and children as well,” Jordan explained. “We’ll have stuff for everybody up for auction.”
For more information about the rodeo, contact Jordan at (985) 601-4110.
The following weekend, Aug. 8-10, the Krewe of Hercules will hold its annual Redfish Rodeo at the Harbor Light Marina in Cocodrie.
The marina will have live entertainment Friday (Treater) and Saturday (Don Rich) and a live auction at 7 p.m. Saturday night.
Tickets for the event are $25 and include an official rodeo T-shirt.
This year’s rodeo boasts over $14,050 in cash prizes available to anglers in various inshore and offshore categories. Prize money includes $1,000 for top redfish (over and under 27 inches) and top five redfish stringer under 27 inches. Second place in each of those three categories will receive $500 and third place gets $200.
A $600 first prize will go to the largest speck and the largest five-speck stringer. Second and third place receive $300 and $200.
The largest drum, lemonfish, red snapper, king mackrel and amber jack winners receive $500, while second place receives $300 and third $100.
A $200 first prize will be given to the person with the largest flounder, seacat and sheepshead with $100 and $50 going to second and third place.
The largest miscellaneous fish earns a first-prize only of $200.
In case of a tie, the first fish weighed is the winner.
Anyone who breaks the state record in the redfish over-27-inch category will give that win a 2008 Ford Ranger Pickup from Terrebonne Ford.
Suzuki is also giving away $1,000 in cash prizes for the largest redfish under 27 inches. To be eligible, boats must be powered by a Suzuki motor five years old or earlier. Fishermen must also have won the under 27 inch category.
Saturday’s festivities will include a jambalaya cook-off starting at noon. The winner of that receives $1,000, followed by $500 for second place, $300 for third place and $200 for fourth. The entry fee for the cook-off is $100.
For more information, contact S.P. LaRussa at (985) 872-0444 or M.J. Plaisance at 985-232-1658. The Hercules Web site also has information at www.kreweofhercules.com.
