CYPREMORT POINT – Approximately 2 hours before the scales closed Saturday, Kevin Horton and his 18-foot Nautic Star checked in to weigh fish on the first day of the 61st annual Kay-Cee Saltwater Fishing Rodeo.

Horton and his crew of two nephews, Ian Broussard and Cooper Menard, all stuck fish on the leaderboard, including Menard’s first-ever bull red, which went to the top of the Kids Division at 23.9 pounds. Their boat was the fifth one in after the scales opened at noon and their fish were the last ones weighed before the scales closed at 6 p.m.

While it was a historically slow day for the annual fishing rodeo, it was a special day for Menard, 10, a fifth-grade student at Delcambre Elementary School.

“He (Menard) never caught a red before today,” Horton said after the youngster’s bull red hit the scale.

“My wrist hurts from pulling on it (reeling in the bull red),” Menard said, proudly, with a smile.

Horton, Broussard and Menard put in a full day of fishing. The veteran skipper tried many of his favorite areas on a hot late summer day.

“We went by the Pass (Southwest Pass). We’ve been all over, bro,” Horton said.

They caught the bull reds on Carolina-rigged live croakers, he said.

Going into the second day, Horton owns the top spot in the Redfish category in the Inside Division with a 30.1-pound bull red, followed by Broussard’s 24.3-pounder.

Broussard, 18, also had an 0.66-pounder sitting in first place after Saturday. The Catholic High School graduate is in the running for Best All-Around Fisherman in the Inside Division. He trails Nicole Smith, 67-62.

Smith had a good first day. She stuck three fish on the Inside Division leaderboard Saturday with a second-place croaker at .53 pounds, third-place croaker at 0.50 pounds and third-place slot redfish at 4.18 pounds.

A familiar name in fishing rodeo circles has the inside track on the Best All-Around Fisherman title in the Kids Division. Young Hayden Amy, who fished with his father, Brooks Amy, and Perry Scott, is the angler to beat with a whopping 121 points.

The youngster dominated the Kids Division leaderboard with first-place drum (4.42 pounds) and croaker (0.27 pounds) and second-place redfish (10.4 pounds) and drum (2.89 pounds).

Scales open again today from noon to 6 p.m. at fishing rodeo headquarters under the pavilion along Quintana Canal. The fishing rodeo ends Labor Day Monday when the scales close at noon and awards are presented at 1 p.m.

The Kay-Cee event had one strike against it – the passage early Aug.29 of Hurricane Ida. Strike two was the unforeseen, for the most part, gas shortage in the Teche Area.

Dusty Hulin, acting as interim weighmaster for Wayne Hollier, who is recovering from an illness, talked about the dilemma with Horton while they were weighing fish Saturday. Hulin believes 15 boats at the most might be participating in the fishing rodeo.

“There are a bunch of things going against us,” he said, naming the storm and the fuel shortage.

A possible third strike came from a report that many avid saltwater fishing rodeo-goers who live in the Teche Area were heading out of town this weekend to help hurricane victims in and around Galliano. They reportedly are going to repair roofs and cook.

“A bunch of people are going to help our neighbors to the east. That needs to be. Our neighbors needs need help,” he said.

The Kay-Cee event was canceled last year because of coronavirus concerns and restrictions. Brian Boutte, fishing rodeo chairman, and the fishing rodeo committee waited until after the hurricane cleared the state to announce Tuesday morning it was on.

Following are the results Saturday after the first day of the 61st annual Kay-Cee Saltwater Fishing Rodeo at Cypremort Point:

INSIDE DIVISION

Redfish

1, Kevin Horton, 30.1. 2, Ian Broussard, 24.3. 3, Jennifer Baudry, 22.1.

Speckled trout

1, Chad Baudry, 2.18.

Flounder

None entered.

Sheepshead

None entered.

Drum

1, Brad Smith, 3.56. 2, Caleb Baudry, 3.01. 3, Jennifer Baudry, 2.33.

Croaker

1, Ian Broussard, 0.66. 2, Nicole Smith, 0.53. 3, Nicole Smith, 0.50.

Slot redfish

1, Brooks Amy, 4.89. 2, Perry Scott, 4.75. 3, Nicole Smith, 4.18.

BEST ALL-AROUND FISHERMAN INSIDE DIVISION LEADERS: Nicole Smith, 67. Ian Broussard, 62. Jennifer Baudry, 42.

INSIDE DIVISION BOAT CAPTAIN’S AWARD LEADERS: Miss Ali Claire, 104. Slippery When Wet, 100. Stacy, 99.

KIDS DIVISION

Redfish

1, Cooper Menard, 23.9. 2, Hayden Amy, 10.4.

Speckled trout

None entered.

Flounder

None entered.

Sheepshead

None entered.

Drum

1, Hayden Amy, 4.42. 2, Hayden Amy, 2.89.

Croaker

1, Hayden Amy, 0.27.

BEST ALL-AROUND FISHERMAN KIDS DIVISION LEADERS: Hayden Amy, 121. Cooper Menard, 37.