A family and friends fishing theme reverberated throughout the field of boats, big and small, that participated in the 71st annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo held July 4-July 6.

The family angle certainly played a big role for the most successful boat of the three-day holiday weekend event with headquarters under the pavilion along Quintana Canal at Cypremort Point. A seventh-grader said it best after all the fishin’, cornhole tossin’, weighin’ in, dancin’ to live music, eatin’ and imbibing’ and otherwise havin’ a good time came to an end late Saturday, July 6.

Alexis Romero, 12, who’s about to start at Iberia Middle School, put it best after winning the Junior Division Best All-Around Fisher(wo)man title for the second straight year while fishing the first two days with her dad, Drew Romero, paternal grandpa, Brian Romero, sister, Aubrey Romero, and cousins, Sophia Romero and Bentley Vinning.

“I’m really proud of it. I’ve always got my support. It’s just family time is all it really is. It doesn’t matter if you win … All the time, it’s just great,” Romero said about the Lydia crew’s experience.

Dozens of boys and girls who fished with one or both parents once again made the Junior Division as competitive as can be no matter the heat or sketchy popup storms that did their best to disrupt fishing the first two days in and around Vermilion Bay. Family and/or friends. Many will agree to a man and to a woman that’s what it’s all about, especially at fishing rodeo time!

The theme wasn’t confined to the Junior Division. There was plenty more in the Inside Division and even some in the Offshore Division.

Take, for example, the Louvieres from Sorrel. Chris and Bailey Louviere fished with Hudson, 5, and Harper, 8, and family friend D.J. Gentry on a Sun Tracker Bass Buggy. Dusty Davis had five kids on his 24-foot party barge, including his son, Layn, with Kynlyn Gary, Espn Gary, Austin Boutte and Rhett Thibodeaux (adults on board to mind the crew were Davis, Courtney Delcambre, Austin Thibodeaux and Alyssa Burke).

And Michael Chad Lipari Sr. went out in his 23 ½-foot Sea Hunt with his son, Michael Jr., 9, and friend Ray Dees and his son, Easton Dees, 9. Lipari’s son fished hard till the end and was rewarded on the third day with a 1.37-pound flounder that finished second in the Junior Division.

The theme carried over into the Offshore Division, where the crew on Andrew Godley’s Ghost in the Machine, a 39-foot Contender, included his son, Grant, and Chris Andre and his son, Rivers, plus Mike Andre and Jacob LeBlanc. Godley’s 73.7-pound yellowfin tuna and 8.6-pound mangrove snapper both stayed on the leaderboard throughout closing time at 1 p.m. July 6.

Kris Sinitiere rode to offshore waters on his son’s boat, The Boat, a 32-foot Edgewater owned by Kiley Sinitiere. The Youngsville anglers, originally from Franklin, fished with Jason Comeaux of Broussard in the South Marsh Island blocks.

Back to Alexis Romero. She had nothing but praise for her father, Drew Romero, a veteran charter boat captain who had his hands full with a young crew but still managed to forge a lead Day 1 through Day 3 in his bids for Inside Division Best All-Around Fisherman as well as the Inside Division Boat Captain’s Award.

Drew Romero rode three fish that stayed on the leaderboard and amassed a total of 891 points to outscore Randy Boudreaux, 527, and Brennon Bishop, 441. In the Boat Captain’s Award race, he totaled 1,295 points to finish ahead of Brooks Amy’s Team Karma, 762, and Jason McLean’s Blue Bullet, 354.

The double-winner didn’t hesitate to point out that fishing action wasn’t fast and furious.

“It was slow and hot, bub,” he said after weighing in on Day 1.

Following Day 2, he enhanced the report and said, “It was hot and miserable.”

However, the fishing was OK.

“Yeah, it was all right,” he said after he targeted fish at Tee Butte.

Drew Romero’s oldest daughter’s run at her latest title started slowly. Following Day 1, she had a first-place flounder (1.14 pounds) and second-place “slot” redfish (5.44 pounds) to show for the hours on the water. In the Best All-Around race, Alexis trailed Bowen Davis (who fished with his grandpa, Milton Davis), 170-174.

She made up for it the second day out by adding a third-place “slot” redfish (2.06 pounds), although her flounder slipped to second thanks to her younger sister’s 1.48-pounder. That red was the key, said the back-to-back champ who plans to be on the dance team and play softball at IMS.

Whatever endeavor she chooses, she has a large support team.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.