This year’s Rodeo has seen a number of wahoo brought to the scales.

And as Capt. Mike Graef of the Huntress put it “they’ve been waaaho’s not weeeho’s.”

In other words, they have been pretty good size - nothing wee about them.
As a matter of fact, the top two on the board right now is a 59.2 and a 58.2-pounder. And a 71.8-pounder is leading in the Extended Voyage category.

Monday afternoon, Capt. Graef and his crew brought in one of the wahoo’s that tilted the scales at 41 pounds. The angler on the rod was Kim Morgan of Texas.

“I told you I wouldn’t let you down,” she shouted at Capt. Graef as Weighmaster Bruce Cheves announced the weight of her catch, that took a daily for the largest by a lady today.

She also weighed in a 12.8-pound king mackerel for a daily spot on the leaderboard.

Don’t forget the scales are open until 7 p.m. daily until the end of the month.
See you there.
-Tina Harbuck

The sun was out, but the wind was blowing - which kind of made for a slow afternoon at the docks.
However it didn’t keep the folks away. The bleachers were full and people were roaming up and down.

We did have a few fish to come in - a 12.6-pound king mackerel, a 3.4-pound triggerfish, that later got knocked off by a 5.8-pounder trigger caught by Rick Mealer of Decatur, Ala., aboard the Melanie Dawn with Capt. Bud Miller.

Capt. Miller said they were fishing about six miles off the beach and he really didn’t want to venture out in further. “It was too much for me,” Miller said.
They also weighed in a 5.4-pound triggerfish.

A few minutes later a young Patrick walked up with a pinfish to weigh. And of course Weighmaster Bruce Cheves worked his magic to get the fish to weigh 1 pound, so the kid could receive his certificate and rod and reel. This time, he weighed the fish while it was still in the net - which brought the weight up to 1.8-pounds. Another successful recipe.

About 15 minutes later, the New Florida Girl’s American Spirit with Capt. Jim Green pulled in at the Rodeo.

“It was a windy and sloppy day,” Capt. Green said. They were fishing about eight miles off the beach down near Navarre.

Jeff Eisner of Kentucky did manage to pull in a 4.2-pound red grouper for a daily award.
Eisner’s catch brought the count for the number of fish entries up to 581.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.
Don’t forget the scales are open daily from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on the docks behind AJ’s.
See you there.
-Tina Harbuck

A windy and chilly day meant slow-going at the Destin Fishing Rodeo docks behind AJ’s on Saturday.

Still, the third Shark Saturday, sponsored by the Inn on Destin Harbor, saw two shark come in — a tiger and a mako.
The mako, caught by Scott D’Agostino of the Scotty D., weighed in at at 65 lbs. The tiger shark was smaller than that.

An hour before the scales closed for the night, Weighmaster Bruce Cheves had weighed in 14 fish as gusty winds buffeted the boats on the harbor and spectators in the stands.

“It’s just thumpin’ out there (on the water),” said Rodeo Executive Director Helen Donaldson. “It’s been a pretty slow day.”

Earlier, more than a hundred families braved the chilly air to hit the Rootin’ Tootin’ Rodeo Round-up on the Okaloosa Island Pier. The day is set aside for the littlest anglers and everybody’s a winner.

“We had 142 kids fishing on a cold windy pier,” Donaldson said.

— William Hatfield

With the wind blowing, not much going on at the docks.

However, Rodeo Weighmaster Bruce Cheves will autograph your “Fifty Years of Fishing The Destin Fishing Rodeo” book, which is a pictorial history of the Rodeo from 1948-1998.

His picture can be found on page 4 of the book - and the books can be purchased for $5 at the Rodeo merchandise trailor.

Don’t give up on the Rodeo today. You never know what might come in at the docks. The scales are open until 7 p.m., so grab your jacket and come on down.

See you there.
-Tina Harbuck

For the second time in four days, Capt. Greg Marler and the crew aboard the Gentle Winds have landed a shark and brought it to the Rodeo scales for a courtesy weigh.

The one they brought in a little before 6 p.m., caught by Todd Thomason of Indiana, weighed in at 91.4 pounds.

The Gentle Winds also had other fish to weigh. They brought in a 23.8-pound blackfin tuna and a 23-pound barracuda. Neither made it on to the leaderboard, but the 11.6-pound grouper caught by Kevin Johnson of Georgia did - for a daily.

FOR MORE PHOTOS FROM DAY 15 OF THE DESTIN FISHING RODEO, CLICK HERE.

Don’t forget that Saturday is Shark Saturday - when the angler who lands the largest shark of the day takes home $250. The scales are open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. on the docks behind AJ’s.
See you there.

-Tina Harbuck

If it doesn’t weigh a pound — just add water.

When Logan Terry walked up with his pinfish — still attached to his rod and reel — Rodeo Weighmaster Bruce Cheves knew he was going to have to do something to get the pinfish to weigh a pound. In order for a youngster to receive a rod and reel and certificate, their catch must weigh at least a pound.

Well Bruce does what he has to do.

—Tina Harbuck

Rich Krivan of Pittsburgh pulled in a 6.8-pound triggerfish earlier today for a top spot on the leaderboard of the Destin Fishing Rodeo. He was fishing with Capt. Cliff Cox on the Sweet Jody.

“It wasn’t bad out this morning,” Capt. Cox said. “But it’s getting choppy now.”

Eight-year-old Cadiz Cantwell, also fishing with Capt. Cox, weighed in a remora for a certificate and rod and reel. A remora, also known as a sharksucker, is kind of strange looking. It has a little suction cup thing on its head where it attaches itself to shark and other fish.

Anyhow there is still plenty of day for boats to come in with who knows what. The scales will be open until 7 p.m.
See you there.

-Tina Harbuck

Rain may slow the anglers down, but it doesn’t stop the fish from biting. Think about it, the fish are already wet.

Anyhow, we had a few folks come in with fish before the rain, during the rain, and after the rain today.
Before the rain, about a half dozen king mackerel were weighed in.

During the rain, Capt. Harold Staples on the Al-Lin backed in with a 9.4-pound black snapper caught by Pam Protzman. Protzman also weighed in a 16.2-pound amberjack for a spot on the leaderboard. The crew also had a 5.8-pound triggerfish that came up a bit short for the board.

You know it’s hard to get photos of these guys with their fish when the rain is coming down. But I’ve got to give it the anglers and Miss Destin Kelsie Jacobs (she’s quite the trooper) for standing in the rain for photos - while us photographer people stand under the judges tent to snap the photos.

The Daybreak came in a little after the deluge of rain with a couple of big amberjack. Greg Tubbs of Alabama weighed in a 60-pounder.

Capt. Cliff Cox on the Sweet Jody pulled in a little before 7 with four fish to weigh. They weighed in an 18-pound blackfin tuna, 2.8-pound flounder, 9-pound grouper and a 2.2-pound mingo. The fish that made it onto the leaderboard was the flounder caught by Carol Smith of Texas - which was fish entry No. 520.

I’m thinking the Sweet Jody was the last boat, because most had already passed by.

TO SEE DAY 14 IN PHOTOS, CLICK HERE.

Tomorrow’s another day and the scales open at 10 a.m. on the docks behind AJ’s.
See you there.

-Tina Harbuck

With clouds looming overhead it’s a slow afternoon at the Destin Fishing Rodeo.

However a few boats have weighed in fish.
The majority have been king mackerel with one amberjack.

The latest and greatest which was brought in just a few minutes ago was caught by Lance Caine of Destin while fishing on the Sea Whit with Capt. Bud Miller. Caine pulled in a 28.4-king mackerel which brings the total count of entries to 512.

There is still plenty of time left with the scales not closing until 7 p.m. - so come on down.
See you at the docks.

-Tina Harbuck

There wasn’t much action on the docks this afternoon until the Lucky Lina with Captain Steve Lathi backed in with two for the leaderboard.

Cynthia Turner, 14, of Kentucky, reeled in a 3.4-pound triggerfish that took the top spot for the day in the teen division.

Turner’s second fish, a king mackerel that Weighmaster Bruce Cheves weighed in at 8.2 pounds, earned her a daily.

Captain Lathi said it was pretty choppy out there this morning, but as it heated up, it got real pretty.

The bleachers behind AJ’s are filling up, so come on out to see who comes in next.

You never know what you’ll see on the docks.
-Tosha Sketo