For $10, From 9:00 a.m. - noon, anglers, 12 years old and younger, can go to the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier and try to catch the big one.

Participating anglers will receive a free rod and reel, bait, a Rootin’ Tootin’ Rodeo Round-Up T-shirt and lunch.

For more information, contact the Rodeo office at (850)837-6734.

-Patrick Donohue

One would be hard-pressed not to feel like The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore walking down to the docks behind AJ’s earlier this afternoon. Simply put, the weather is nasty today. The rain has finally let up but the wind is still blowing to the tune of 24 to 41 mph and has kicked up whitecaps in the harbor.

If you manage to make it to the Rodeo tonight, you may be in exclusive company.

Rodeo executive director Helen Donaldson said the judges for this morning and tonight have been called off and Miss Destin, Emily Kaltz, will be getting a call soon to inform her that she will have the night off as well.

Longtime Rodeo weighmaster Bruce Cheves isn’t going anywhere though. The weighmaster’s scales have been moved under an overhang to protect Cheves and any potential, and perhaps fearless, anglers and their catch from the elements.

With 5 to 7-foot seas and 20-knot winds in the forecast for the rest of the day, the docks could be a pretty desolate place tonight.

Tomorrow isn’t look any better. The National Data Buoy Center is calling for 10 to 20 knot winds out of the Southeast with widespread thunderstorms.

-Patrick Donohue