Strong second day

CYPREMORT POINT — While some of the Teche Area’s youngest saltwater anglers made waves in the Junior Division, Lynn “The Bear” Hebert of Jeanerette made a big splash with a 50.2-pound garfish that hit the scale Saturday afternoon on the second day of the 65th annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo.

Hebert’s long, slender and ugly gar, easily first in the Inside Division, and the surge by Junior Division competitors Hayden Amy, 8, and Riley Louviere, 9, were among the highlights going into the third and final day of the fishing rodeo today at Cypremort Point. The scales reopen for the last onslaught of fish from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Two big boats, fishermen in kayaks and dozens of smaller boats showed up under the pavilion alongside Quintana Canal on Saturday. Anglers and visitors were treated to a free supper of deer sausage, rice and gravy and white beans cooked by IR&GC fishing rodeo chairman Brock Pellerin and Karl Prados.

The big garfish went after a snack, a large pogey, and got hooked by Hebert around 1 p.m. Hebert was fishing with his brother, Chris Hebert of Jeanerette, and brother-in-law, Charles Latham of Youngsville.

They were in his 21-foot Sea Hunt, Bon Temps, and that was the only “rodeo-sized” fish landed, he said.

“I caught it right on the bottom. It wasn’t much of a fight until it got close to the boat. Then it jumped. My brother, his eyes opened up wide. He was surprised how big it was,” the skipper said.

Hebert was counting on the gar to stay atop the Inside Division leaderboard through 1 p.m.

“I’m hoping, so long as it’s still in first. I hope we have three firsts when it’s all said and done,” he said, noting his brother has a first-place drum at 30.7 pounds and his brother-in-law has a first-place redfish at 32.1 pounds going into the final day of competition.

His gar was the biggest fish through the first two days.

Amy made a charge to take over the lead for Best All-Around Fisherman in the Junior Division with 338 points. He fished for a second straight day with his father, Brooks Amy of New Iberia, aboard Fish Karma, their 24-foot Blue Wave. Jacob Fisher of St. Martinville, the elder Amy’s long-time fishing buddy, also fished on Fish Karma.

The youngest Amy took over the first two places in slot redfish with 7.61- and 7.54-pound entries.

“He fished hard. He fished hard two days. All I know is he caught all the fish that counted today,” his father said. “That’s two good slots, one on the east end (of Marsh Island) and one caught near The Worm.”

The key was to find clear water, he said, and baitfish.

“No bait, no fish,” he said.

His son used shrimp under a popping cork to catch the reds, he said.

“Oh, yeah, he’s got that twitch” with the rod tip to trigger bites, he said.

They planned on fishing again today, he said.

Louviere and his sister, Madison Louviere, 11, fished aboard an 18-foot Bonita skippered by their father, Chris Louviere of Sorrel. Vincent Louviere Jr. and his son, Brayton, also fished on the 1983 model boat.

Young Louviere moved into second place in the race for Junior Division Best All-Around Fisherman with 230 points. Going into today, he had first- and second-place drum at 2.60 and 2.35 pounds, respectively, and a third-place slot redfish at 7.40 pounds.

The Inside Division’s Best All-Around Fisherman title could go to Jeamie Romero of Lydia, who was in the top spot for two straight days. Romero, who fished with her husband, Brian Romero, a veteran charter boat captain who owns Smokin’ Reels Charters, has accumulated 483 points for a commanding lead over runnerup Angelic Broussard, who has 274.

Romero still had three fish on the leaderboard, a second-place flounder at  2.24 pounds, a second-place sheepshead at 4.37 pounds and a third-place slot redfish at 7.65 pounds.

Smokin’ Reel I also set the pace for the Inside Division Boat Captain’s Award for the second straight day with 563. Hebert’s Bon Temps is second with 386 points.