Eric White takes a dolphin off the scale Saturday. It was caught on the Megalodon. - Don Shoopman / The Daily Iberian

CYPREMORT POINT — Critical Path, a 38-foot long Fountain skippered by Andre Hebert of Lafayette, staked its claim Saturday to the Offshore Division’s Boat Captain’s Award and, probably, will boast the Offshore Division’s Best All-Around Fisherman when the scales close today on the third and final day of the 59th annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo.

Of course, it depends on how many of their fish are bumped down or off the leaderboard by an anticipated onslaught of at least half-a-dozen or so more big boats that registered in the Offshore Division. But Hebert’s veteran crew stuck quality fish on the leaderboard, including Jeanerette angler Lee Bishop’s 56-pound, 4-ounce Warsaw grouper and the boat captain’s own contribution, a 33-pound, 3-ounce yellowfin tuna.

“We could keep this coming out of the boat for a while. You’d be surprised,” Hebert said to a bystander watching fish after fish after fish pulled from the long boat’s multiple ice chests.

After the last fish was weighed, and the big boat withstood a mild challenge from Dr. Darryl Elias Sr.’s Megalodon, Critical Path boasted 17 fish on the leaderboard, a satisfying end to an otherwise bumpy trip far into the Gulf of Mexico.

Hebert and his crew of Lee Bishop, Brennan Bishop and Chris Bishop, all of Jeanerette, and Jake Onebane and Britt Schoeffleur, both of Lafayette, got bounced around by high seas, including some 8-footers, while going to the lower edge of the Vermilion block, then passing by Candy Mountain.

“We couldn’t really cover much more ground than that because of the conditions. There were some 6- to 8-footers but for the most part 4-footers … overall, not comfortable for trolling,” Hebert said.

They didn’t seriously considering turning around and heading back to port, he said.

“We got offshore and it was rough but, you know, we made it happen. We were already out there,” Hebert said.

“It was brutal. It wasn’t what the Weather Channel and everyone else was calling for,” Lee Bishop said.

Scales will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. IR&GC fishing rodeo chairman Sandra Smith and weighmaster Mackie Boudreaux expected other big boats to check in and weigh their catch.

Other  Offshore Division challengers will have to top some hefty fish in a bid to win cash prizes for first-, second- and third-place in each category for the first time in the fishing rodeo’s history. Teche Area businesses donated the money to pay for each place in the Offshore Division, Smith said. The IR&GC will pay out $500 per fish at $250 for first, $150 for second and $100 for third in a change made to encourage more offshore boats to go out for the three-day holiday weekend event.

Apparently, it’s working. 

Critical Path had all three places in yellowfin tuna, blackfin tuna and grouper, and two places in bonita, barracuda, red snapper and dolphin. Chris Bishop leads the way with six places while Onebane has four places.

Megalodon, which had a crew of Dr. Darryl Elias Jr., Keith Sellers, Marty Delaune, Eric White and Dr. Mike Tarantino, stuck nine fish on the board Saturday.

After no-shows Friday in the Runabout Division, three boats came in Saturday. The trio was led by The Erectors, skippered by Bridgette Greer, which dominated the leaderboard. Cynthia Joubert set the pace with four fish while had three for The Erectors.

Five Runabout Division categories, however, were blank.