16-year-old reels in big catch on first day of Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo
Hundreds of anglers will be hitting the Gulf this weekend for another year of the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.
While the competition is just getting started, one 16-year-old fisherman has already reeled in a catch that’s tough to top.
Both the adult and kids competition kicked off Thursday as part of the 78th annual Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.
The youth competition, known as the Landry Ford for Kids Memorial Tournament, got off to an exciting start with a familiar face making an early weigh-in. Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo President Richard Valdez said, “The Landry Ford for Kids Memorial Tournament, when those kids come in it’s so exciting. And actually, interesting enough, this morning Landry’s son was like the second one in here with a fish. He brought in a jack crevalle, so very excited to see that.”
Anglers now have until Sunday to reel in the biggest catch.
Organizers say about 500 people are participating in this year’s rodeo.
One young angler is already turning heads after landing a massive 312-pound bull shark on the first day of competition. Angler Rodie Armes said, “My little brother throws a live bait over the side of the boat, a barracuda comes up and eats it. After that, we threw it in the ice chest. Then we hooked a snapper, a good snapper, and a big shark comes up and eats it. We said, ‘Let me hook up to him,’ and we hooked up to him. Chopped that barracuda up in half, threw it over, and then five minutes later we hooked into him. It didn’t take me but 45 minutes to get him into the boat.”
The rodeo isn’t just for anglers. It’s an event for the whole community featuring live music, local vendors, food, shopping, and rides throughout the weekend.
This year’s Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo wraps up Sunday. Until then, competitors will continue vying for the top spot on the water.
