When it comes to the Destin Fishing Rodeo, there is a lot of tradition — after all it’s an event that’s in its 59th year.

One tradition that was started four years ago by Miss Destin Amanda Sumrall is gutting a fish. Day after day, fish come in and weighmaster Bruce Cheves has his hands full gutting the fish before they are hoisted onto the scales. Of course he has help from Richard Laedeke and Ann White. But four years ago, Amanda decided she didn’t mind getting her hands dirty and wanted to capture the “whole Rodeo experience” so she decided to try gutting a fish.

Since then, it has been something that every Miss Destin has tried her hand at.

Well, this year’s Miss Destin Emily Kaltz gave it a try over the weekend. She said she gutted a dolphin on Friday, then on Saturday evening I watched her gut a king mackerel first hand.

Cheves calmly guided her through the process of where to cut, what to pull out and then toss aside. She grimaced a little, but she made it through with flying colors.

Way to go Emily.

-Tina Harbuck

It’s almost the end and the count of fish weighed in at the Rodeo is at 726. It’s a bit breezy out, which means big waves — which means there’s no telling how many fish will be weighed today.

However the sun is shining and the scales will be open until 7 p.m., so come on down to the docks behind AJ’s. You never know what might come in.

Late last night we had one of those unusual catches come in.

Local angler Jordan Couch came walking up with a fish in a bucket. But it wasn’t a flounder or a trout — it was a freshwater bream he caught out at Sandestin.

Rodeo Weighmaster Bruce Cheves put the frisbee-size bream on the scales and it titled at 2 pounds. Now, I’ve caught my fair share of bream, and it certainly was a sight to see.

Even as big as it was, there is no category for bream on the Rodeo leaderboard.

However, the crowd got a charge out of seeing the fish.

-Tina Harbuck

Sure the charter boats stay busy throughout the month of October with the Rodeo, but the captains still take time for their kids.

On Saturday, Capt. Steve Lathi took his daughter Katrina Ann out fishing on the Lucky Lina - and luck was with them. The 13-year-old landed a 17.4-pound amberjack to get on the leaderboard. Yes, the children of charter boat captains have their own category in the Rodeo.

And getting on the board is nothing new for Katrina Ann. A couple of years ago she landed the winning sailfish.

Don’t forget the scales open at 10 a.m. tomorrow and close at 7 p.m. So come on down to the docks at AJ’s and enjoy the fun.

-Tina Harbuck

Twelve-year-old Cody Williams of Fort Walton Beach took a swim in the harbor this afternoon.

Why, would you go swimming on a chilly afternoon, you might ask?

Well it wasn’t because he wanted too. He did it out of tradition.

Young Williams landed his first-ever billfish while fishing with Capt. Mark Walker on the Bounty Hunter. And tradition at the docks calls for first-timers to get tossed in the water.

The youngsters pulled in a 52-pound sailfish and found a place on the leaderboard.

Now he didn’t bring the sailfish to the docks, they tagged and released the billfish to swim another day.

However, we did see a 110-pound bull shark brought in this afternoon. The crew aboard the Just B Cause brought in to the docks for a courtesy weigh. It didn’t make it on the board because the minimum weight for a shark entry in the Rodeo is 200 pounds.

As of 5:30, 26 fish have been written up, but there is still plenty of time left in the day. Scales don’t close until 7 pm. So come on down.

-Tina Harbuck

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

The leaders in the private boat division for red snapper were 21.4 and 15 pounds. Note the past tense.

As soon as Rodeo weighmaster Bruce Cheves took a look at the two red snapper the Legal Dose hauled to the scales, he said “bye-bye” to the ones that were on the board.

Capt. Andy Lindsey and the crew aboard the Legal Dose backed in at the scales a little after 6 p.m. with two whopper red snapper. Jimbo Holloway reeled in a 29-pounder and Greg Hughes pulled in a 26.6-pounder — kissing the two leaders on the board goodbye.

Once the fish started coming in Thursday afternoon — it got busy on the docks.

A couple of junior anglers fishing on the Daybreak with Capt. Eric Thrasher got on the board for dailies. Jack Koetter, 12, pulled in a 23.2-pound grouper and 11-year-old Austin Happel reeled in a 25.2-pound amberjack.

Austin’s brother Elliott Happel, 13, took first place in the Teen Division with a 36.8-pound amberjack and a 7.8-pound red snapper.

Around 6:30 p.m., Capt. Robert Hill on the Twilight came in with two or three tubs of fish. Dennis Gravitt of Georgia got on the leaderboard with a 39.6-pound cobia. Capt. Hill said they caught five cobia — and had three on at one time.

The last fish of the evening was a 30.4-pound king mackerel caught by Joseph Waybright of Georgia on the private boat Ole Miss. His catch took first place in the private boat category for king mackerel and third overall in the King Mackerel Jackpot.

This is just a sampling of some of the fish brought in Thursday. For more on the Rodeo, see Saturday’s Fish Flash in The Log.

- Tina Harbuck

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

Capt. Greg Marler and the crew aboard the Gentle Winds came in just before 4 p.m. today from an overnight trip.

They had tubs and tubs of red snapper, bull mingo, amberjack, blackfin tuna and some of the biggest white snapper I’ve seen. They also had an unusual catch - a trumpet fish.

The trumpet fish is very slender and long. Rodeo Executive Director Helen Donaldson said it reminded her of a very large shrimp.

This one was a little over a yard in length and had the coloring of a shrimp.

Weighmaster Bruce Cheves said, “it’s just an odd ball … part of the reef community.”

The trumpet fish has an extended jaw that allows the fish to get down into very tight spaces.

Come on down and check it out, Capt. Marler left the trumpet at the docks for others to see.

The scales are open today until 7 p.m.

-Tina Harbuck