Editor’s Note: Longtime Log Photographer Kathy Harrison has seen the rodeo from behind the lens for more than a decade, but during the 66th Annual Destin Fishing Rodeo she was able to experience the rodeo from the deck of a boat. Here’s her firsthand experience.
They make it look so easy, or so I thought.
When a boat brings in its catch, especially during the rodeo, it never occurred to me how much work it involved. So after many years of looking for an opportunity to go on one of the charter boats during the rodeo, it finally came through Monday morning. Sunday night I got the green light to go aboard of The Destiny.
I had a hard time sleeping that night, as I went over and over again in my head what to take on a six-hour fishing trip. I packed lunch and my equipment and lots of water and made it in to the dock at 7:30 a.m. As I stood at the end of the dock, I waited in line to board the charter boat along with 31 other passengers who looked more prepared than me.
I was there to take pictures and capture the experience, after all I have never fished before, and to be honest, I was not much interested in fishing. People quickly tagged their fishing poles with colorful towels, and some with a cigarette box. I realized that these must be die hard fishermen and that things were about to get serious.
We got an introduction from the captain and off we went on our way to the first spot. The people, who tagged their fishing pole with their cigarette box, were next to me. They were Kevin and Laurie Gray, a local couple, who have been married for 14 years. She loves to fish, especially during The Destin Fishing Rodeo. Once she started, Laurie was hooked.
Also next to me were Linda and Jason Kirwan from Santa Rosa Beach. They had colorful towels and brought their own fishing poles. Not only did they fish this day, but they had a 10-hour trip on the books for the rodeo finale Friday.
I made my way around and meet Ray Siminski from North Carolina who was visiting his son who recently moved to the area. Ray hadn’t been to Destin in 50 years and remembered when it was underdeveloped and was surprised at how much it has changed throughout the years.
Three years ago while fishing in another tournament he entered a striper fish that weighed in at 36.12 pounds, which beat the first place by 4 oz. The fish won him $5,000, which was quite the surprise he told me.
A couple spots next to Linda and Jason, I met Richard and Vonnie Holsapple from Kentucky. The two knew each other back in high school and re-connected years later and were married. After retiring, they fish regularly, especially during Vonnie’s birthday in the month of October. They both love to fish with Captain Reid Philips and Captain Chris McConnell and their crew, who always make the trips fun and memorable.
And soon as we made it to the first stop, it became very real. The two mates, Christian Holden and Jordan Colson, set up the stations with an empty basket and a bucket filled with squid for bait. After a brief explanation of the basics, it was time to fish!
As I stood to the side of the boat watching those around me get ready and wait for the first horn, the one that lets you know that it is okay to drop your line, I got ready to capture the moment that I was waiting so long to photograph.
What does it take to bring in a fish? What is the excitement all about? Is it really that difficult? Then it happened. I got asked if I would like to fish. Oh boy, me? There I was, about to experience fishing for the first time! Yes, I said, and before I knew it I was holding my own fishing pole over the rail of the charter boat. I was fishing.
I held the fishing pole tight, making sure I didn’t tangle my line up with others and waited for my first fish to bite — a big one; I was ready; I was ready for it. I could not wait to go to the weigh-in, wait for weighmaster Bruce Cheves to say, “time is….”
And then it happened, a quick tug on the line. I started to reel my line in as quickly as I could. It was harder than I thought. Wow, it must be a big one, how lucky. Come on, come on. All of the sudden, there it was, the end of the line coming all the way up, I leaned over the rail and to my surprise there were two Mingos. Oh boy, not one, but two! I screamed I was so happy. Take my picture, take my picture. I felt myself posing with the biggest smile holding what to me was the biggest fish in the rodeo.
Not really, they were barely big enough to keep, but they were like a trophy to me. At the end of the six-hour trip, no one caught a fish that was big enough to weigh. No one was disappointed though. In fact everyone looked happy and some were looking forward to their next trip.
As for me, in my search of learning the joy of fishing, I learned that the excitement comes along through those who love the sport and with a crew that is fun and full of knowledge like the one on The Destin Princes.
I don’t know what it is to be a winner, or at least not this time, but as I walked back to my car I felt like a little kid carrying their first trophy after playing for the season. I had six filleted fish in a plastic bag, and a heart filled with memories of the people who have taught me the joy of fishing and the crew, who, yes, made it look easy because of their love for fishing.