Scalise pledges support for HNC depth crisis
July 12, 2016
Grand Isle woman ends drought at Tarpon Rodeo
July 12, 2016
After more than four years without a tarpon, the Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo got two — all within the span of about 30 minutes.
The final day of last weekend’s rodeo was dramatic, with literally hundreds of fishermen from all over the country scrambling to the weigh scales to try and win the rodeo’s top prizes.
When it was all said and done, the biggest winner was Grand Isle native Monique South, who won the tarpon division with a beautiful 88-pound, 10-ounce fish.
Her catch was exactly 14 pounds better than the 74-pound, 10-ounce tarpon fellow Grand Isle native John Cheramie had weighed just minutes before.
The tarpons snapped a four-year drought for the rodeo, which has been in existence for 68 years and is among the most prestigious in the Gulf.
South said winning first place was gratifying — even if it was unexpected.
“I had no idea,” she said with a laugh after weighing the fish. “I just tried my best to be as calm as possible. Once I got the fish in, I was happy. Once I got here and weighed it and learned that it was first place, I was even happier. It was a great day and a great rodeo. It’s awesome that I was able to get the top tarpon at this event.”
For South, the victory was part of a theme.
Turns out, 2016 was the year that the ladies ruled the Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo.
Long before South put a hook in the water and scored the trophy fish, local insurance agent Ashley Barrios was named the event’s Admiral.
Barrios said the honor was special to her for two reasons.
First, she said she loves to fish — a hobby Barrios said dates back to when she was a little girl fishing with family and friends in the marshes of Southeast Louisiana.
But second and perhaps of greater importance is that Barrios was the first female admiral in the rodeo’s 68-year history — an honor she said touched her at the heart.
“It’s been something that I consider to be very, very special,” Barrios said. “We were talking about the event and planning the event and people suggested that I could be considered to be the Admiral. To be the first female is great. We had to wait 68 years to get to this point, but now I think it opens it up and it can now be known that anyone who loves the water and who loves fishing can do this — it’s something that I’ve enjoyed and I’m happy to have experienced everything that the week has brought.”
Now back to South — the talk of the tents for the final day of the event.
For the first two days of the rodeo, it looked like the event would be tarpon-less for a fifth-straight year as anglers didn’t have much luck in the Gulf’s warm, fruitful waters.
Midway through the day on Saturday, anglers began to stir when Cheramie got to the weigh station with his fish, which many thought would be the champion.
But a little more than 30 minutes later, South came in with an even bigger tarpon, which she said she caught through a test of patience.
“I didn’t rush anything,” she said. “I did the best I could to remain patient throughout the day and it paid off, because we ended up being rewarded with something which was pretty special.”
Everyone at the rodeo said the tarpon wasn’t the only thing special about the weekend. They all tend to agree that the event itself was pretty nice, too.
Barrios said organizers with the Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo take pride in providing fun that the whole family can enjoy.
Throughout the week, there are several children’s divisions and all child anglers receive prizes for competing in the rodeo.
In addition to the kids, there are also kayaking and spearfishing divisions and each are growing in popularity, according to Barrios.
The rodeo features a massive air-conditioned tent, which stays loaded with cool air and even colder drinks.
Throughout the week, bands perform in the tent to keep the good times rolling — even for those who aren’t on the water.
“This is a family rodeo,” Barrios said. “You can come here with your kids, your grandkids, your nieces and nephews — whoever and have a good time. There is something here for everyone to enjoy. There are styles of fishing that appeal to everyone. The people who organize the event really try very hard to make sure that everyone is included. We don’t want anyone to be left out. And I think when you look around the tent and see the amount of people here, it shows that this is something the community supports.”
Barrios said one of the drawbacks about being the rodeo’s admiral is that she didn’t get the opportunity to do much fishing, because she was busy promoting and doing interviews to get buzz going.
Next year as she relinquishes the title, she said she can’t wait to get on the water once more.
“I was tied up this year,” Barrios said with a laugh. “But next year, I will be back at it again.”
Grand Isle native Monique South can’t help but smile while showing off her 88-pound, 10-ounce tarpon, which won the Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo. The fish ended a four-year span without a tarpon in the event.
