Jason Moss, right, talks to IR&GC Fishing Rodeo officials Brandy St. Germain, center, and his son Brandon Moss after weighing in two big redfish Thursday in the Inside Division.

CYPREMORT POINT — For a weekday start to one of the oldest fishing rodeos along coastal Louisiana, a lot of people stepped up to the scales to make it an exciting and tiring opening day under a blazing sun Thursday.

How hot was it?

Larry Hitter of New Iberia, who has fished many fishing rodeos and collected his share of trophies, got in just before the scales closed after a day of fishing the Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo, watched some of the action on the elevated weigh-in platform, wiped his brow and said, “Man, it’s hot. My forehead … you could cook an egg on it right now.”

There were many sunburned cheeks, arms and legs on the anglers who came in in a wave of boats after 3 p.m. Thursday. One hour later, about a dozen boats had checked in with fish to weigh, according to veteran weighmaster Mackie Boudreaux, and at least three times more docked to weigh fish before the scales closed at 6 p.m.

Today is the second day of the three-day fishing rodeo that ends when the scales close once and for all at 1 p.m.

Scales will be open today from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Judging by the mood of the crowd that lingered to watch boat after boat dock and unload fish, and by the way some anglers are putting fish in the ice chest, today ought to be hotter than a firecracker with even more fish hitting the scales. There could be more that draw oohs and aahs, like those elicited by the bull reds caught by the father-son team of Jason Moss and Lance Moss, both of New Iberia, to rewrite that category in the Inside Division.

The Mosses, fishing in an 18-foot aluminum boat, took over first- and second-places with redfish weighing 34.5 pounds and 33.9 pounds.

Charlie Oubre of New Iberia was more than ready for the second day. His 22-foot long Blazer Bay, aptly called Liquid Therapy, and crew of three are in line to win a third straight Inside Division Boat Captain’s Award. 

Oubre, Dav Thibodeaux of Jeanerette and Jonathan Rush and Brodie Eskind, both of New Iberia, had quite a few fish on the leaderboard around 5 p.m.

“If it holds up for the next hour and 10 minutes, we’ll be in good shape,” Oubre said.

But some heavy-duty rearranging of the leaderboard happened down the stretch, particularly in the flounder and sheepshead categories. Nevertheless, when the first-day points were added up, Oubre’s boat led with 250.

Elvis Jeanminette of Grand Marais was just as eager to get out today and add to his point total. Jeanminette, who fished half the first day with New Iberian Leonard “Tee Clyde” Norbert, appeared minutes before the scales closed and fashioned an early lead in his bid to be the next Inside Division Best All-Around Fisherman. Jeanminette has 250 points, followed by Troy Olander, with 239 points, and Michael Robideaux, with 177 points.

Jeanminette motored away from fishing rodeo headquarters after putting up first- and second-place white trout (.63 and .60 pounds), and a second-place croaker (.64 pounds).

Brock Pellerin of Jeanerette, fishing rodeo chairman, tried his hand at fishing most of the day before returning to fishing rodeo headquarters under the pavilion along Quintana Canal. His 19-foot long Fishmaster accounted for a single fish on the Inside Division’s leaderboard.

“It was hard. We ran and ran and ran and couldn’t catch no fish,” Pellerin said after the scales closed, noting he ran about 127 miles round trip on the water. “I like the turnout, though, for it being a Thursday. I think we had a really good turnout.”

IR&GC officials scheduled the holiday weekend event so it would end on Saturday instead of Sunday, a move they also made last year in order to give everyone a day to recuperate from a three-day fishing rodeo. Some anglers said they would be unable to fish the first day and it showed in the Junior Division, where the leaderboard took few hits Thursday.

More Junior Division anglers are expected to be out today with their parents getting off work for the Fourth of July.

For Ainsley Doré, who for years has watched older boys and girls pretty much dominate the Junior Division, it appeared her time has arrived in the Junior Division because she took the all-important early lead in the race for Best All-Around Fisherwoman. She stuck first-place flounder (2.37 pounds) and first-place sheepshead (1.03 pounds) to go along with a third-place speckled trout (2.11 pounds) on the leaderboard to rack up 258 points.

Doré, who was all smiles as the scales closed, is in a tight race for the big trophy, though, with Cade Neuville, with 228 points. Tyler Templeton has 179 points.