Fish Fanfare: Rodeo celebrates prize catches

The trophies were lined up, folks in the food line were light hearted and the bartenders were busy as about 200 people came together Saturday to put a rap on the 60th Destin Fishing Rodeo. 
Bud Miller, chairman for the Rodeo, thanked the anglers for being a part of the past 31 days. 
“We've never had this number of entries and we thank you for having fun this year,” he began.
Anglers were all ages, male and female, very young children and seasoned veterans. There were winners who put their hooks in the Gulf that first day and caught their prized fish, and there were those who heralded, “this ain't my first Rodeo!”
Mike Towns of Hendersonville, Tenn., took first place in the charter boat division of the Bass Pro Shops Red Snapper Division.  He took home a $200 gift card and an etched glass Rodeo award.
“This was a great night,” he remarked.  “I'm glad I was here to get this!”
Kimarri Whitfield is in the 4th grade in Columbus, Miss., and he came to Destin for the Larry Hatchett Fishing Foundation's day for children who are orphaned or in foster care. His 7-pound triggerfish brought him second place in the Half Hitch Tackle sponsored Junior Division. 
“I didn't know I was going to get to come back here this soon,” he said. 
Fellow Hatchett Foundation angler Rebecca Hyde, also of Columbus, took first place in the Half Hitch Tackle Triggerfish Division with her 10.4-pound trigger.
“I turned 15 the day after the Rodeo closed, and I found out that I won that day — so it was a really good day!” she said. “They told me that the fish was close to the Florida record.”
The Jimmy Shirah Memorial Award, Largest Skipjack by a Junior Angler, went to 12-year-old Katy McDonald of Destin. 
“I was really proud and excited about this,” she giggled and said. “Capt (Ken) Creel is the greatest Captain!”
In the end, a good time was had by all.
“Destin must be the only fishing community around where you get an excused absence to go fishing during the Rodeo!” Bud Miller said.