Pat Giorgio looks at the reading on an electronic scale while weighing fish at fishing rodeo headquarters Saturday. 

CYPREMORT POINT — The heat was on but the fishing success, not so much, apparently, early on the opening day of the 57th annual Kay-Cee Saltwater Fishing Rodeo.

Boat traffic was light for most of Saturday afternoon at fishing rodeo headquarters along Quintana Canal. Under the pavilion, the leaderboards were less than half full three hours after the scales opened.

Then, in the last hour or so, some familiar faces from past fishing rodeos made an appearance and the game was on. By the time the scales closed at 6 p.m., most of the categories were full and some noteworthy fish in first place in the Inside Division and the Kids Division.

The two-day holiday weekend fishing rodeo ends today at 2:30 p.m. Scales open at 11 a.m.

Paul Dupre and his sons spent a hot day on the water before checking in around 3 p.m. Saturday. Caleb, 16, and Isaac, 15, and their friend Andy Cnanthaponh, 15, all students at New Iberia Senior High, put fish on the board.

Caleb’s 4.18-pound sheepshead stayed on the leaderboard, a first-place entry going into the second and final day. Isaac Dupre had a third-place, 0.3-pound speckled trout at the end of the day.

Before they left to get ready for another day of fishing in the Sea Wolf, a 24-foot Champion, his father said, “Oh, yeah, it was hot. I’ll have to bring a shirt tomorrow.”

Fishing was slow, at best fair, he said.

“We went to The Worm, the Pass (Southwest Pass), the reefs, that’s about it. I’d say it was fair,” he said. “All the other fishing rodeos and pleasure trips we did much better. They (fishing rodeo officials) told me nobody else did good today, just small fish.”

Another mid-afternoon arrival was Lonnie Myers and his wife Kristal Verret Myers, who went out in their 18-foot Spring bass boat with Alaina Myers, 9. Alaina was all smiles as her 3-pound redfish was weighed and moved to the top of the Kids Division.

Bigger fish came in later, including a much bigger red in the Kids Division.

Luke St. Germain’s 26.8-pound redfish took over the top spot in that division, followed by Avery Derouen’s 6.2-pounder and 4.9-pounder.

Derouen stuck two other fish on the board, including a first-place speckled trout (.84 pounds) and third-place croaker (.43 pounds).

The biggest fish on opening day was fishing rodeo veteran Glenn St. Germain’s 31.2-pound bull red that vaulted into first place in the Inside Division. Mary Hebert’s 27-pounder was a close second when the scales closed.

There were other big fish, including Lynn “The Bear” Hebert’s 25.4-pound drum, which he weighed late in the afternoon to knock young Cameron Hebert’s 22.3-pound drum down to second place while her father, Trent Hebert, saw his 21.8-pounder slide to third place in the Inside Division.

Trent Hebert’s young son, Micah, joined his sister Cameron and his father on the leaderboard with a 22.3-pound drum, the only one weighed in in the Kids Division.

Jason Landry, fishing rodeo chairman, said, overall, it was a slow day. 

“We didn’t have the first boat to the scales until about 2:30. We’ve probably had 10 boats so far,” Landry said about 4 p.m. “There are people fishing it but everybody says the water’s messed up, high and dirty.”

Landry and other fishing rodeo officials were helped by Boy Scouts from Troop 133. Ethan Shores, Riley Downs and Peyton Peltier brought fish from the boats to the scales and back.

Landry said he was glad the Kay-Cees decided to hold the fishing rodeo in the wake of major flooding that began Aug. 12. His home was flooded out.

“It was definitely a good idea to have it. I don’t think fishing will be as good as the last few years with the water the way it is. I think everybody’s enjoying a break from the last couple of weeks and getting on the water.”