“The newer one had a lot more gore,” the weighmaster says with a grin.

It is days like these that have been known to test the endurance, love and dedication of even the truest of Rodeo bleacher bums. It is hot — really hot and there isn’t a fish or a boat in sight.

Less than 20 people have braved this steamy, yet bizarrely picturesque October afternoon and sit waiting on the bleachers for a big catch. Today has been a slow day down on the docks, thus far. Just five boats and one angler on foot have visited Mr. Cheves and his scales so far.

But the Rodeo faithful and their beloved weighmaster know this won’t be the case for long.

“It’s has been a little slow this morning but this afternoon could be a zoo,” he said. “We have had days where we were slammed from the time we opened the scales until about three in the afternoon, we have a little break and it starts right up again. You just never know.”

The weighmaster cited last night, the Rodeo’s first night, as evidence of how weekday life works down on the docks.

Cheves said in the first four hours, he weighed just 24 fish. When he called it a night at about 7:30, the first day of the Rodeo finished with 66 fish and their anglers in the books.

Expect a wild night tonight.

-Patrick Donohue

Ashton Jones, 13, also of Alabama, weighed in a 29.4-pound king mackerel and a 5.2-pound red snapper.
Capt. Davis said the boys caught the king and wahoo at the same time. He said they were fishing about 48-miles out from Destin.
Not long after the Anastasia pulled out, young Chris Hodgson, 7, of Destin, with his family in tow, walked up carrying a flounder in a bucket. Weighmaster Cheves asked the youngster if he planned on keeping the flounder or letting it go. He said they were going to keep it.
The flounder was still flouncing around, and Cheves said he needed to kill it so it would be still on the scales.
Cheves then took the flounder, and reared back and slammed the fish down on the docks and said — “now it’s dead.”
The youngster flinched a little, but he quickly recovered after he received his rod and reel and certificate for his 2.2-pound flounder caught off the docks at Fishing Fleet Marina.

- Tina Harbuck