Weather wise, Sunday afternoon was great down at the docks behind AJ’s for the 59th Annual Destin Fishing Rodeo.

The fish, however, were a little slow coming in. But that didn’t dampen the spirits of the people that packed the bleachers.

As a matter of fact, there were a couple of times when they started chanting — “FISH, FISH, FISH.”

At one point, they started doing the wave. One thing about the Rodeo; there is never a dull moment.

Most of the talk on the docks today was still about the huge Mako that was hauled in last night.

Weighmaster Bruce Cheves said all they want to know is “will they bring in anything big tonight?”

Last night proved it.  You just never know.

“That’s the biggest thing I’ve ever weighed in the Rodeo,” Cheves said about the 844-pound mako. Cheves has served as Rodeo weighmaster for the past 17 years.

Once the shark was gutted it lost about 200 pounds. Cheves said about 70 to 80 of the lost pounds was the shark’s liver.

“It had a red snapper in it that could have been a daily,” Cheves said. In addition to the 10-to 12-pound red snapper it had a 5-pound white snapper in its belly.

“It also had the remnants of a lot of other fish,” Cheves said.

-Tina Harbuck

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