Shark, Spooks and Scamp: It's not over until it's over

Although today is the last day of the 61st Destin Fishing Rodeo — it’s not over until it’s over. And until Weighmaster Bruce Cheves “walks the walk” at 7 tonight to see if there are any boats coming around the point in hopes of weighing in a fish — the hunt is still on.

Thursday proved that the chase to get on the leaderboard is still on, as several folks got on the board for the first time.

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For more photos from Day 29, click here

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A little before 4 p.m., Omar Preiz of Mary Esther came walking up with a cooler that contained a winner. Preiz reeled in a 3.6-pound pompano while fishing off the beach in Navarre to take a first place in the Pier, Bridge, Jetty and Surf Division.

“I caught it right when I was about to quit,” Preiz said. “I literally only had about five minutes left.”

With a couple of small sandfleas for bait, he tossed them out and “the rod bent over,” Preiz said.

Good thing he didn’t give up.

Charter boat children even got on the board with a couple of days left in the Rodeo. Melissa Doubleday reeled in a 19.2-pound wahoo while fishing aboard the Swoop II with Capt. Matt Wheeler. Her catch found a top spot in the 13 to 18 age division for charter boat kids.

About 5 p.m., the Lady Em with Capt. Mike Eller backed in with Miss Destin Kelsie Jacobs aboard, as well as Kate Hutson (of For Reel Photos, the official photographers for the Rodeo) and other family members of the crew.

Hutson got on the board for a daily with a 17-pound king mackerel.

Miss Destin had a couple of fish to weigh. She pulled in a 13-pound king and a 4.4-pound black snapper. But the one that got away was the one that had her adrenaline pumping.

“I had a shark right at the boat,” she said. “It was bigger than me. I was so excited ... then it broke off.” They guessed the shark weighed about 200 pounds.

Minutes later the party boat New Florida Girl backed in with several fish to weigh. But Capt. Jim Westbrook’s folks had a couple get on the leaderboard.

Marlin Perry of Tennessee weighed in a 4.6-pound triggerfish for a daily award and then C.E. Solley of Texas found a second place spot on the leaderboard with a 17.8-pound grouper.

As Capt. Jim’s junior anglers were weighing in their catches for rod and reels and certificates, Capt. Robert Hill on the Twilight was waiting in line.

And believe me it was worth the wait for Capt. Hill and the crew, as well as for the bleachers full of folks that got to witness the haul they brought in from an “extended voyage.”

When they were backing in, there were some big tuna tails sticking out of the buckets. But the big ones were on the deck.

Greg McCabe of Hoover, Ala., hauled in a 96.2-pound yellowfin tuna.

“It took me an hour to get it in,” McCabe said. “They were all laughing at me, but when I got it on the boat, they weren’t laughing anymore.”

Temple Estopinal of Huntsville, Ala., weighed in a 76.2-pound yellowfin for second place.

All together they had 10 yellowfin tuna aboard the Twilight.

Capt. Hill said they were fishing about 140 miles offshore and caught them all at pretty much the same spot.

They also had a couple of scamp that got on the board, at least for a little while. Flint Jennings weighed in an 8.6-pound scamp and Cheng Tao a 7.8-pound scamp.

However, both scamp bit the dust when the Daybreak with Capt. Eric Thrasher pulled in from their “extended voyage.”

Capt. Thrasher said they were fishing about 110 miles out.

His group took over the scamp and knocked off one of the yellowfin tuna.

Leroy Mast, of Mississippi, weighed in a 9.6-pound scamp for first, and Rodney Mast (no relation) weighed in a 9.4-pound scamp for second.

The tuna that took over second was a 94.2-pounder caught by Kenton Mast of Ohio. Mast said it took him about 45 minutes to land the tuna.

This is just a sampling of what went on Thursday evening, but it says to me that it’s not over until it’s over.

So you might not want to miss today. It could be interesting to see who tries to break onto the board and with what.

It’s also the last Saturday for Shark Saturday where the angler with the largest shark of the day takes home $250.

And with it being Halloween, it’s sure to be a treat, and who knows what kind of tricks Weighmaster Cheves might have in store.

See you at the docks.