Here they come, those summertime fishing rodeos. Hope you’re ready.
It all starts at the end of the week with the opening of the recreational red snapper season, and the new rules that allow every day fishing for this prized offshore species. Yep, not the weekends-only seasons of past years, but a seven-days-a-week opportunity for fishermen. You must have the fee-free Recreational Offshore Landing Permit to take red snapper – only if a fish measures 16 or more inches – with a three-per-day limit.
What’s more, that season lifts the curtain for so much activity in coastal Louisiana, and it’s the Statewide Tournament and Anglers’ Rodeo – the S.T.A.R. – that kicks off the summer-long fishing rodeo run.
The S.T.A.R. is CCA Louisiana’s biggest event. It runs through Labor Day, and, as usual, comes with the lure of a chance to share in $750,000 worth of prizes. In its 29th year, the big-money prizes lay in catching redfish and speckled trout, payouts in things like a Chevy pickup, NauticStar bay boats rigged with Mercury outboards, GatorTail boats, kayaks, a Ladies Division, and, in the Children’s Division, four Weldbilt bateaus/Mercury outboards, plus tackle packages running into the thousands of dollars in several offshore species categories.
There is an entry fee, and you must be a CCA member. The registration website: membership.joincca.org.
There’s much more
The Catholic High Alumni and Brother Martin High rodeos open a busy June rodeo stretch.
Catholic High’s begins June 1 with weigh-ins the afternoons of June 2-3 at Moran’s Marina off Fourchon Road. Brother Martin’s event runs June 2-3 with the weigh-in set for 3-5 p.m. June 3 on the school’s Elysian Fields Avenue in New Orleans.
Both rodeos have the usual inshore and offshore species categories and Open and Youth divisions, but differ in “other” offerings.
Catholic High’s boosts “calcuttas,” a separate entry sheet for competitions like 5 Trout stringer, 5 Mangrove stringer, 5 Red Snapper catch, the Rep. Garret Graves Red Snapper Challenge, a 3 Redfish all-slot-limit stringer, an Offshore Grand Slam (yellowfin tuna, wahoo, dolphin), and an Inshore Grand Slam (speckled trout and a 16-under 27 inches redfish).
You can register on the CHS website: catholichigh.org/alumni.
Brother Martin’s rodeo includes bass on its list, and the usual 5-trout stringer with a twist for the “heaviest” and “lightest” stringers, a “most spots redfish,” for the largest non-gar species in open and student categories and a Father-Daughter combo catch.
Go to the school’s website: brothermartin.com, then “alumni and “events & reunions” pulldowns.
R U “swoll” enough?
That’s the question Dr. Nick Rauber asks every year since the Swollfest Rodeo began 25 years ago. Since then the “swollest” part comes from the hundreds of thousands of dollars this committee has raised for children’s hospitals at Our Lady of the Lake and St. Jude’s, it’s Outdoors Wish Foundation, and wounded veterans.
This year’s rodeo runs June 7-10 from Grand Isle Marina on Grand Isle with all the usual offshore & inshore species categories.
The big prize goes to the “swollest” fish, the heaviest of the four-day run. Weigh-in runs 4:30-6:30 p.m. June 8-10 with Kayak, Best Boat (Offshore, Inshore & Deep Drop divisions) and a Salty Kids leaderboard with offshore and inshore categories for youngsters 15 and younger.
The registration website: swollfest.com. For more info, email: swollfest@cox.net.
Blue Jays up next
Jesuit High’s 31st Brother Dardis Fishing Rodeo shows up the next weekend, June 16-17 with organizers putting “no territorial limitations” on where you can catch any number of species in 19-and-Older and 18-and-younger, 5-Trout, Biggest Fish and Father-Daughter divisions. Included among saltwater species are categories for bass and freshwater catfish.
Registration is under way on the school’s website: one.bidpal.net/brotherdardisfishingrodeo
Hook a Kid
That same weekend, June 17-18, the Knights of Nemesis Social Club will hold the 18th Hook a Kid on Fishing Rodeo with a noon-3 p.m. weigh-in at Campo’s Marina in St. Bernard.
Organizers said registration and fishing pole distribution begins at 10 a.m. June 17 with each 12-and-younger angler getting a fishing pole and other gifts when accompanied by an “adult fishing entry.”
You have to register by June 9. Rodeo tickets are available at Picou-Fradella Construction (8331 Lafitte Court, Chalmette), Campo’s Marina and Hook & Line (2915 Paris Road, Chalmette).
Included are Kid and Adult divisions in numerous categories with cash prizes for a 5-Trout stringer and the redfish with most spots.
For more, go to the club’s website: knightsofnemesis.org.
Big timers
Of course, all rodeos have registration fees, including July’s run of – put these on your fishing calendar – the July 6-8, Golden Meadow-Fourchon Tarpon Rodeo, and the granddaddy of them all, the July 27-29 International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo.
Bag a lion
Meaning lionfish, the invasive reef-fish eating monster the Florida Wildlife Commission has decided to feature in its annual Lionfish Challenge.
For adventuresome Louisiana SCUBA divers, it’s a chance to dive in Florida waters to take as many lionfish as possible from June 1-Oct. 1. There are prizes in several categories.
For all the rules, go to the FWC website: FWCreefrangers.com/lionfish-challenge.
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