Choice for Rodeo ‘08 down to two
Two area businesses are vying to play host to the 60th edition of Destin’s longest-standing tradition.
At the end of August, AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar and HarborWalk Marina turned in bids for the consideration of the Destin Fishing Rodeo’s Board of Directors. The board met in September to review the proposals and will meet once more before making their decision public on Nov. 9 at the Rodeo’s awards dinner.
AJ’s Seafood and Oyster Bar has been the Rodeo’s home since 2002, and HarborWalk played host to the event from 1999-2001.
Rodeo Executive Director Helen Donaldson sent out bid solicitations to businesses such as Harbor Docks restaurant, AJ’s., East Pass Marina, Destin Fishing Fleet Marina, The Ship’s Chandler and any other business that might have interest in hosting the event.
The Rodeo has criteria that a prospective host must meet. The venue must:
– be a well-lit and secure venue for Rodeo staff, participants and spectators;
– have a structure capable of weighing a 14-foot fish;
– have docks capable of allowing boats to pull up to the scales, as well as room for boats to wait without blocking the harbor;
– have adequate seating for 75-150 people; and
– offer a leaderboard, space for a merchandise trailer and an office for Rodeo staff.
Donaldson said the Rodeo’s contract with the venue would be a two-year deal, securing the Rodeo’s home for 2008 and 2009.
Hosting the Rodeo and the thousands of spectators it attracts annually would be attractive for any business, Donaldson said.
“It’s a great business decision. The Rodeo attracts lots of people during a generally slow time of year and it attracts business to that property,” she said.

-Patrick Donohue

It was like the day after Christmas down on the docks this morning.

All that remains of your excitement, anticipation and euphoria are a few scraps of wrapping paper and despite all your shiny, new stuff, a sinking feel of letdown. The leaderboard, empty bleachers and the bizarrely wide open space where the scale once swung is all that remains to remind us of what was just last night so much a part of everyday life in Destin.

It’s the day after the Rodeo, the first day of November, and strolling the docks, it’s difficult not to have that same, sobering feeling.

The merchandise trailer is locked up, weighmaster Bruce Cheves is no where in sight and the Rodeo office is being packed up and moved back to its permanent home on Stahlman Avenue in front of the Community Center for the next 11 months.

The Rodeo’s last order of business will be its annual awards dinner, Friday, Nov. 9 at AJ’s.

-Patrick Donohue

Tonight before the last night celebration at the Destin Fishing Rodeo drifts toward felonious behavior, Rodeo weighmaster Bruce Cheves will pay tribute to those lost in the past year.

Long a Rodeo tradition, Cheves has assembled a list of names of those from Destin’s fishing community and from the community at large that have passed away in the past year.

When he deems appropriate, Cheves will ask the crowd to be quiet and he will ring the bell once for each name on the list.

Normally a pretty jovial, fun-loving guy, Cheves takes the tradition very seriously.

“Well, let’s just put it like this. If someone wants to talk while I’m ringing that bell, we’re going to turn that cannon around,” he said, referring to the small but noisy cannon used primarily for fish gut art, positioned toward the water.

-Patrick Donohue

Those attending the Rodeo’s last night tomorrow at AJ’s will probably be in for a little of both.

The last night of the Rodeo is always a pretty festive occasion. Weighmaster Bruce Cheves, Rodeo chairman Tim Broom and others will likely be dressed up in their ghoulish best.

Cheves will also be partaking in one of his favorite Halloween pastimes - fish gut art. The art happens when Cheves loads a cannon with fish guts and other equally nasty components and fires it against a white board.

For this year’s art, Cheves has promised an array of colors.

“Along with fish guts in our fish gut art, we will be incorporating the use of different spherical containers of color,” he said.

What else will Cheves be doing to close the Rodeo in style?

“We are going to do whatever we can get away with without getting arrested,” he said.

Could be a great night. Let’s hope the weather keeps up its end of the bargain.

-Patrick

It’s sale time down at the Rodeo’s merchandise trailer.

Starting today, long and short sleeved “Pirate” t-shirts, the trash can slam t-shirt, youth windshirts and the Rodeo’s camouflage caps are all 50%.

The sale will likely be running through the end of the Rodeo, Oct. 31, according to Rodeo executive director Helen Donaldson.

People have be known to wait until the t-shirts go on sale and then descend on them like wasps, so those still shirt-less would be wise to head down to the docks while the gettin’s good.

-Patrick Donohue

If there’s one thing I’ve learned covering the Destin Fishing Rodeo and Destin’s charter fishing industry it’s that the bunch of guys and gals that live and breathe to fish Choctawhatchee Bay and the Gulf of Mexico are worlds tougher than I’ve ever dreamed of being.

A fact that was brought into stark reality earlier this morning when I wandered down to the docks to do some reporting on a Rodeo story for this Saturday’s Log.

“Did you guys have any fish yesterday?” I asked Rodeo executive director Helen Donaldson, fully expecting a swift and prompt negative response to my inquiry.

“Yeah, we had a few. The binder’s right there,” she said, pointing to the Library of Congress-size three-ring binder that holds the contents of all the Rodeo entries in 10-day volumes.

On a day when the waters off Destin closely resembled the waters off Nova Scotia with its deep, menacing dark blue hue and equally daunting wave action promising a nasty ride to anyone daring enough to venture out of the harbor, the Rodeo had eight entries.

A trio of triggerfish from the Finest Kind and the Destin Princess were weighed along with a gaggle of fish from the Daybreak.

The Daybreak’s Capt. Eric Thrasher (which I still think is the coolest name ever for a charter boat captain) and his anglers brought in a flounder, a red snapper, a grouper and an 18.8-pound amberjack.

The forecast for tonight looks good. Capt. Bud Miller of the Melanie Dawn called in from off Pensacola on an overnight trip to say that the water is smooth, lots of boats are out and they’re pulling in some nice fish. Could be a good night.

-Patrick Donohue

The sun is finally peeking through the clouds but the thermometer in my car is registering a nippy 55 degrees.

Down on the docks, there are a few people wandering around but the slips at Destin Fishing Fleet Marina and HarborWalk Marina look disappointingly full.

The whitecaps in the Gulf of Mexico are visible from the docks behind AJ’s as waves crest over the jetties. It’s going to be another slow day at the Rodeo.

“You could fish today but why?” says Rodeo weighmaster Bruce Cheves.

Rough weather has saddled the Rodeo for the past week. The slow days have even made the Rodeo office’s crew grow tired of their much-beloved, slow day past time — cribbage. The games lately have been described as “hours long” and everyone appears to be exhibiting cribbage fatigue. Everyone except Rodeo chairman Tim Broom who has become an avid cribbage convert.

“He’s not burnt out yet,” said Rodeo assistant director Marion Palmgren.

-Patrick Donohue

It’s windy and wet down on the docks and the Destin Fishing Rodeo has once again, been thwarted by Mother Nature.

Marion Palmgren, the Rodeo’s assistant director, said this is the nastiest continuous stretch of weather the Rodeo has had in “a long, long time.”

The current conditions down on the docks?

“It’s windy and if it’s not raining now, it’s looking like it’s going to soon,” she said.

Capt. Robert Hill of the Twilight stopped by The Log office this morning and if the weather kept the Twilight in its slip, you can be sure there aren’t many boats that ventured out to hook some fish today.

The chance of rain today is a grim 70 percent but only a 30 percent chance tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

-Patrick Donohue

After driving rain and rough seas made the docks behind AJ’s a ghost town and sent Rodeo officials into the office for a rousing, and no-doubt cut-throat, cribbage tournament, the Rodeo could use a win this weekend.

Everyone down on the docks is hoping the favorable weather predicted for this weekend and Destin finally gets a little sunshine and maybe a few fish down on the docks.

Tomorrow morning, the Rodeo will holds its annual Rootin’ Tootin’ Rodeo Round-Up at the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier from 9 a.m. to noon.

The event, for anglers 12 years of age and younger, is the result of a lot of teamwork between the Rodeo and local businesses.

Anglers and their family’s will get free hot dogs from Anglers Restaurant, free Pepsi courtesy of Buffalo Rock, free rods and reels from Half Hitch Tackle, tackle from Bass Pro Shops and bait and a free t-shirt courtesy of the Destin Fishing Rodeo.

The cost of admission is $10 and Rodeo executive director Helen Donaldson said the Rootin’ Tootin’ is one of the highlights of the month of October for her.

“I can’t wait. It’s so great to see the kids out there, having a great time. For a lot of them, this is their first exposure to fishing and to see them out there with their folks, it’s really great fun,” she said.

The National Weather Service is predicting sunny skies for tomorrow with a 10 percent chance of precipitation.

Looking out onto the water of Destin Harbor, the wind blowing through your hair, it’d be tough not to think that today would be a perfect day to be out on a boat, with an adult beverage (only if you’re of age, of course), trying to hook a big fish for the Destin Fishing Rodeo. But apparently, you’d be tragically mistaken.

“Come here,” says Rodeo weighmaster Bruce Cheves, motioning me over to look out toward Destin’s East Pass. “You see those rocks? You see how high those waves are coming up on those rocks? Yeah, when you’re out there and you get past those rocks, the fun-meter drops to zero.”

The wind is the story again today down on the docks. Yesterday a combination of driving rain, occasional lightning, and gale force winds kept the docks quiet. But the day wasn’t a total wash.

The biggest catch of the day yesterday was this 16.2-pound wooden plank complete with barnacles, an angler retrieved from the harbor and Cheves weighed.

“We tried to gut it but we didn’t have a Skil saw,” Cheves riffed.

Today’s count is up to five fish as two lady anglers aboard the Perfect Shot weighed in a 12.2-pound grouper and a 2.6-pound triggerfish, to compliment the trio of red snapper that came in moments earlier on the Lucky Lina.

Destin City Manager Greg Kisela, Destin Fire Control District Commissioner Jimmy Neilson and Lt. Col. Hank Casteline from Eglin Air Force Base are the Rodeo’s volunteer judges for the rest of the night and if this afternoon is any indication they might be in need of some company, so stop down and pay them a visit.

Rodeo officials are hoping for a calm, quiet, gorgeous weekend with the Rootin’ Tootin’ Rodeo Round-Up happening Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to noon at the Okaloosa Island Fishing Pier.

-Patrick Donohue