By Louis Bonnette

Special to the American Press

Chad Bailey had a pretty good run during the weekend’s Salty Catch Fishing Rodeo, hauling in two first places as well as the largest fish of the event.

Fishing with the “Outlaw” team out of Oakdale, Bailey notched his two titles while striking another positive mark with a fish bait he made himself.

His winning efforts came with a 59.5-pound tuna and a 79.5-pound grouper, the largest fish of the two-day outing, which headquartered on the beach at The Golden Nugget.

Most of the fishermen found the water both inland and offshore to be almost perfect for fishing and they hauled in a good amount of fish in all categories.

Bailey said that he caught the grouper on a blue runner (bait fish about 7 to 8-inches long) when the crew was dropping baits deep in the water and he latched onto the tuna with a toss of his own bait out the back end of the boat.

The grouper, he said, took 30 to 45 minutes to land, the tuna a little less.

“It’s a top water popper that I made myself,” he said of the bait that lured the yellow fin, adding that he calls the bait the Bob Seger in reference to its sliver color and Seger’s Silver Bullet band.

Bailey also said that it’s the fifth yellow fin tuna he has caught with the bait since he built it.

Another top fisherman in the offshore adult category was Joe Rustam, also fishing on the “Outlaw.” He had winning catches in king mackeral (21.5-pounds) and barracuda (21-pounds) and a second place in dolphin (6.56-pounds)

Other first places were produced by Cade Theriot (9.73-pound dolphin), Corey Raggio (69.5-pound wahoo), Daniel Jones (37.3-pound cobia) and Daniel Licatino (19.3-pound red snapper).

There were no double winners in the inshore adult category and the largest fish landed was a 43-pound drum by Angela Trahan. Brad Baker won the redfish division with a 36.83-pounder and that specie had an abundance of fish in the 20-30 pound category weighed in.

Cass Bryson was a two division winner for offshore youth as he came in with an 11.4-pound king mackeral and a 16.9 and a 16.21 red snapper. Inshore youth fishing was led by Elena Smith with a 27.05-pound redfish and Ayson Dovey with a 39.53-pound drum.

In the guide division, Casey Sonnier took the top spot with first places in speckle trout and flounder and a second in redfish.

Named the top boats in the tournament were the Reel High offshore and Fesco inshore while the top lady angler offshore was Abby Bellon (19.18-pound wahoo) and Angela Trahan (43.0 first place drum) inshore.

Selected the best in the youth divisions were Sebastian DeBarge (inshore and four places) and Cass Brison (two wins and two seconds) offshore.

Tournament director Crystal LaFosse said there were over 200 fishermen and fisherwomen registered for the tournament.

Salty Catch Fishing Rodeo

Offshore Adult

TUNA: Chad Bailey 59.5; Scott Solari 59.l; Dillon Youngbloed 56.5.

DOLPHN: Cade Theriot 9.73; Joe Rustam 6.56; Cade Theriot 4.7.

GROUPER: Chad Bailey 79.5; David Deshotel 39.0; Wayne Soileau 23.28.

WAHOO: Corey Raggio 69.5; Sam Chol 37.5; Abby Bellon 19.1

COBIA: Daniel Jones 37.3; Patrick Savoy 30.0; Garrett Cutler 27.75.

KING MACKERAL: Joe Rustam 21.5; Daniel Licatino 15.59; Joey Murty 13.56.

RED SNAPPER: Daniel Licatino 19.3; Todd Bryson 18.71; Andrew Meche 18.58.

BARRACUDA: Joe Rustam 21.0; Paul Durio 16.0; B. J. Crookshank 15.95.

Offshore Youth

DOLPHIN: Foster Peterson 14.11; Keyton Soileau 11.15.

KING MACKERAL: Cass Bryson 11.4; Cass Bryson 10.48.

RED SNAPPER: Cass Bryson 16.9; Cass Bryson 16.21; Foster Peterson 15.22.

BARRACUDA: Louis Brown 13.42; Keyton Soileau 10.42; Louis Brown 8.93.

Inshore Adult

SPECKLE TROUT: Jarrod Jessop 6.62; Michael Fesco 5.40; Home Dupin 3.88.

REDFISH: Brad Baker 36.83; Jesse Landry 35.15; Michael Fesco 33.1.

FLOUNDER: Michael Fesco 4.72; Jarrod Jessop 4.50; Kristopher Daigle 4.03.

CATFISH: Nathan Paul 5.91; Randy Burleson 5.68; Nathan Paul 5.59.

DRUM: Angela Trahan 43.0 Brad Baker 37.47; Jake Lamonte 35.41.

Inshore Youth

SPECKLE TROUT: Fisher Dupin 1.98; Fisher Dupin 1.94; Elena Smith 1.40.

REDFISH: Elena Smith 27.05; Ayson Doxey 24.82; Elena Smith 24.82.

FLOUNDER: Sebastian DeBarge 2.0; Elena Smith 1.61; Ayson Doxey 1.50.

CROAKER: Elena Smith 0.42; Sebastian DeBarge 0.42; Elena Smith 0.39.

DRUM: Ayson Doxey 39.53; Sebastian DeBarge 32.19; Sebabastian DeBarge 31.42.

Guide

TROUT: Casey Sonnier 2.0.

REDFISH: Bradley Lanningham 25.01; Casey Sonnier 10.57.

FLOUNDER: Casey Sonnier 1.29.