Report on Kids Fishing Rodeo Held in September 2017

Details and photos posted soon. Thanks to our sponsors and supporters who helped us provide this event free to the kids in our parish.

Sponsors for 2017 Kids Fishing Rodeo:

Shell Pipeline Company, LP
Tower Place LLC
MIC-LIN Enterprises, LLC (Geico Local Office)
Loyson Porta Accountant
Knights of Columbus/St. John the Evangelist
Melissa & Scott Kogler
Mobile Electric Supply, LLC
St. Elizabeth Hospital
David H. Wilcox Insurance Agency, Inc.
Academy Sports & Outdoors
Jumonville’s Bakery

Thanks to EASL members who donated throughout the year in support of the event:
Mark Gautreau
Barney Callahan
Jim Hebert
Barney Gautreau
Goosie Guice
Tommy Martinez
Dane Bourgeois

EASL Squirrel Rodeo Postponed to October 21-22, 2017

NOTE: Due to the weather expected with Tropical Storm Nate, EASL’s annual squirrel rodeo has been postponed to October 21-22. (It’s usually held the first weekend of Squirrel hunting season.) Per Byron Gautreau, chairman of the committee.

INFO: EASL hosts a very unique event on the opening day of squirrel season. It puts on a squirrel rodeo where entrants weigh in squirrels similar to a fishing tournament. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place “total weight”, and for “biggest squirrel”. All squirrels are donated, cleaned, and cooked up the next day at a Merle Gautreaux’s house. Every EASL member is invited to enjoy the squirrel stew — and the camaraderie of other members. There is card playing, tall tales told, hors d’oeuvres served, and sometimes a Saints game to enjoy. Todd Braud cooks up the stew, and other members bring the side dishes. The squirrel rodeo is definitely a very unique event, and one that everyone looks forward to in October.

Contact squirrel rodeo chairman Byron Gautreau for details at 225 936 9291 and see the latest EASL “Sportsman” newspaper for rules.

Pan Fish Rodeo Set for Saturday, May 13, 2017

Pan Fish Rodeo Set for Saturday, May 13

The 2nd Annual EASL Pan Fish Rodeo will be held Saturday, May 13. The format is largely the same as last year, except the weigh-in will be 3PM instead of 2PM. A complete list of rules, procedures, and details about payouts to the winners is below.

1)  No registration is needed prior to fishing. Just fish any public water you choose starting at sunrise, and register at the weigh-in.

2)  Must use hook and line, live or artificial bait.

3)  There is no fee to enter the rodeo. However, participants must be an EASL member. Fishermen under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a member.

4)  Each person will fish individually, no teams, so you must keep your fish separated from others you are fishing with.

5)  Use your own judgement and keep only fish that are a size you can eat.

6)  Return to P.J.’s Landing no later than 3:00 p.m. with your limit of pan fish for weigh-in. Someone will be there for 2:00 p.m.

7)  Pan fish will include bream, perch, crappie, and other like fresh water fish. No bass or catfish will be weighed, but can be donated to the fish fry.

8)  Each person’s catch will be weighed as a whole and recorded. The weight of your biggest fish will also be recorded.

9)  Cash prizes will be paid to the winners with $25.00 for 1st place, $15.00 for 2nd, $10.00 for 3rd, and $10.00 for biggest overall pan fish.

10) All fishermen are asked to prepare a share of their fish to be cooked at our May meeting on the 15th of the month.

We hope all will come out for a fun day of fishing, and will join with fellow members and their families for a fish fry social at the May 15 monthly meeting. We hope for a big turnout, and to continue the rodeo as a yearly event with your participation. For more details or information, call rodeo chairman, Mike Lambert, at 225-644-3804.

crappie photo

Results of EASL 2016 Squirrel Rodeo

la-squirrelResults of EASL’s 2016 Squirrel Rodeo (photo of squirrel not to scale, also it’s not a real squirrel but enjoy!)

There was some discussion at the September EASL meeting as to the opening date of this year’s squirrel season. One faction contended that it opened on the third of this month and the other held to the first. Several members rose, and reminiscent of Doc Holiday at the O.K. Corral, drew their mobile phones, handily holstered on their hips, to confirm that opening day was in fact October first this year. Seems that those acting as the Clanton Boys were looking at last year’s opening date, an understandable error, and maybe even excusable. But not excusable by the State Game Wardens in a year where the first Saturday in October falls after the third of October and one is caught with squirrels in his hunting sack on the third.

For clarification, squirrel season always opens one half hour before sunrise the first full weekend in October…to simplify, the first Saturday in October. I could be partially incorrect if you bring up the Spring season. The 2017-2018 Fall season opens on Saturday, October 7, 2017.

To get to the business at hand…the rodeo was again held at Merle Gautreaux’s home. The new chairman was yours truly. Everyone was reasonably pleased with the new chair’s performance. He mostly sat in a chair, pointed his fingers and barked out orders. The past chairman graciously agreed to usher him through his first ordeal and was the only one who expressed displeasure with the new administration. The old chairman was appointed weighmaster and was called upon to weigh the bags of squirrels as they arrived. This seemed to interfere with the leisure time that he anticipated spending during his retirement as chairman.

There were seventeen hunters who participated. Fourteen weighed in squirrels. There was a total of fifty-seven squirrels weighed in. Three hunters had full limits. Most consisted of grey squirrels with a smattering of red squirrels.

The winner was Richard Gautreaux with a full limit of eight red squirrels weighing in at ten pounds even. Richard also had the largest squirrel which weighed in at one pound and five ounces. He claimed that he hunted near Opelousas in a section of woods that he had recently scouted.

Second place was Kevin Prettelt with eight squirrels totaling eight pounds three ounces; and in third place was Gary Lass with eight squirrels weighing seven pounds one ounce.

Special thanks to Perry Berteau for cooking the jambalaya and beans for the weigh-in and cleaning party. It was jam up!

Sunday’s gravy was cooked again this year by Todd Breaux. A few more squirrels were added from Saturday evening’s and Sunday morning’s hunts. Total squirrels weighed in was fifty-seven; total in the stew was around seventy-five. There was some talk about the possibility of subsidizing the stew with a couple of Merle’s laying hens in order to have enough for the crowd, but the extra squirrels gave them a reprieve.

The entire weekend was enjoyed by all, with much laughing, joking and retelling of old lies, and everyone went home with full stomachs, even the grumbling weighmaster.

There was one incident on Sunday involving a conspiracy and possible attempted theft of a chicken by one of the cooks…but then that’s another story.

— Byron Gautreau, Event Chair

 

2016-squirrel-rodeo-weigh-in-sheet

 

 

EASL Squirrel Rodeo October 1-2, 2016

Join us at the 2016 EASL Squirrel Rodeo on Saturday, October 1, and Sunday, October 2. Once again, it will be held at Merle Gautreaux’s home. Squirrel hunting is Saturday, October 1, from legal shooting hours until the end of weigh-in. Weigh-in will start at 10:00 am and end at 3:00 pm. Jambalaya by Perry Berteau will be served around noon.
Sunday afternoon features the announcement of winners and the serving of squirrel gravy cooked by Todd Breaux.
Hunters must be EASL members to enter. All EASL members are invited to Saturday’s jambalaya dinner and Sunday afternoon’s squirrel gravy. Contact Byron Gautreau at 936-9291 with any questions.

(photo from 2014 squirrel hunt, Ashlee Fink.)

Ashlee Fink First Place Squirrel Rodeo 2015 squirrelrodea

Ashlee Fink Wins First Place in EASL Squirrel Rodeo

EASL’s 2015 Squirrel Rodeo on Saturday, October 3rd had 19 hunters this year.  First Place: Ashlee Fink, with a limit that weighed 8.7 lbs. Second Place: Mike Brown, with 7 that weighed 8.1 lbs, and also tied for biggest squirrel. Third Place was Gary Lass with 8 at 7.1 lbs. Hunters enjoyed a jambalaya cooked by Perry Berteau. On Sunday, EASL members enjoyed a tasty squirrel gravy cooked by Todd Breaux at Merle’s place. Thanks to our cooks, Dwain Gautreaux for chairing this annual event and Merle Gautreaux for hosting.

Ashlee Fink First Place Squirrel Rodeo 2015

Results, Article for EASL’s 55th Kids Fishing Rodeo

Check out great photos from EASL’s 55th Kids Fishing Rodeo in The Advocate’s article:

http://theadvocate.com/news/ascension/13051440-123/rodeo-offers-some-reel-quality

WINNERS:
Biggest Fish Overall: Seth Baye, 3.3 pounds
Most Fish Caught, Girls: Elizabeth Kennison, 48
Most Fish Caught, Boys: Ayden Fatheree, 58

Age 2-4
Most Fish, Girls: Sophie Bordelon, 17
Most Fish, Boys: Leighton Fatheree, 17
Biggest Fish: Miles Bowman, .47 lbs.
Age 5-7
Most Fish, Girls: Braylee Lambert, 29
Most Fish, Boys: Nikolaus Kahn, 34
Biggest Fish: Keenan Wilson, .63 lbs.
Age 8-10
Most Fish, Girls: Kaylyn Carter, 47
Most Fish, Boys: Wesley Robinson, 41
Biggest Fish: D’Shawn Hunt, 2.80 lbs.
Age 11-14
Most Fish, Girls: Sadie Bourgeois and Karlie Delhommer, 12
Most Fish, Boys: Kanaan Watts, 27
Biggest Fish: Rosa Rodriguez, .60 lbs.

Sophie Singer win kids rodeo 2015

Another Successful EASL Kids Fishing Rodeo for 2014

EASL’s 54th Annual Kids Fishing Rodeo

By: Dane Bourgeois

Waiting for My Door PrizeOn Saturday, August 2, 2014, 175 kids showed up for the “54th Annual EASL Kids Fishing Rodeo.”  It was a big success! Once again it was held at Twin Lakes Mobile Estates in Dutchtown. Thanks to Mr. Bobby and Mr. Virgil for their hospitality and hard work in preparing the grounds so that the kids had easy access to the lakes.

OK, Let's Fish As always, there were several kids in line to register before our team of EASL members and volunteers were set up to sign them up. But it didn’t take long to get everything lined out. In just a short while, kids were getting signed up and donuts were being handed out. It seems everything was lined out.

Wait, not so fast. Did I say that “everything was lined out?” Everything but the crickets, that is. It seems like no one thought about getting cups to put the crickets in. I told a couple kids if they could carry a couple crickets in their hands, they would catch more fish. They weren’t buying it. These kids were young, but not all that gullible. We needed to do something, and do something quick! So I jumped into my truck and was off to EASL’s storage shed. Within a couple of minutes I had the cups and lids and was headed back toward Twin Lakes. As I approached the lakes I could hear everyone cheering… “Here he comes to save the day!” Not really. I don’t know if anyone even knew that I went to pick them up. What’s important is that shortly after the cups arrival, there were crickets all around the lakes and at 7:00 sharp a horn was blown to signal that it was time to fish.

Patience Before the Horn BlowsThere was a big chance of rain early in the day. But as the morning played out the weather gods shined on us. The sun never poked out from behind the clouds, so the temperatures stayed a little cooler than normal which was a blessing. There was a lite sprinkle for a few minutes, but didn’t discourage any of the kids, or should I say “the fishermen”. It actually felt good.

Well as always before you knew it, two hours had passed by and the horn sounded once again. It was time to stop fishing and start counting and weighing fish.

Kids Rodeo 2014 A Weigh We GoWhile the fish were being counted, a delicious jambalaya cooked by Mr. Pete and Jeff Bourque and Mr. Barrett Jenkins was being served, as well as all the hotdogs and cool-aid one could want. Thanks to some fast counting & weighing, it was time to announce the winners.

Kids Fishing Rodeo and Bike Winners

 

 

There were 175 kids that participated – 116 boys and 59 girls. The results are as follows:

Overall Winners:

Biggest Fish – Caden Hughes with a 2.7 lb. catfish

Most Fish (Girls) – Mikaylah Bordelon with 54

Most Fish (Boys) – Ayden Fatherree with 48

Age Group 2-4:

Biggest Fish – Miles Bowman with .33 lb.

Most Fish (Girls) – Abbygail Lambert with 9

Most Fish (Boys) – Phoenix Townsend with 21

Age Group 5-7:

Biggest Fish – Cleore Billiot with .59 lb.

Most Fish (Girls) – Lillian McClure with 53

Most Fish (Boys) – Kace Poche with 40

Age Group 8-10:

Biggest Fish – DeShawn Hunt with 1.05 lb.

Most Fish (Girls) – Emilee Kennison with 43

Most Fish (Boys) – Caleb Gautreau with 41

Age Group 11-14:

Biggest Fish – Garrett Leeper with .73 lb.

Most Fish (Girls) – Elizabeth Kennison with 31

Most Fish (Boys) – Garrett Leeper with 29

Bike Winners:

Girls – Olivia Hutchinson and Tiffany McCormick

Boys – Carson Dabadie and Jackson Peltier

 

Support from Shell Pipeline Company LPAfter the rodeo and bike winners were announced, all kids registered were awarded a pickup truck full of door prizes. Thanks to the following sponsors & contributors who helped make this possible:

-Twin Lakes Mobile Estates

– American Sportsmen Against Poachers

-Benton Equipment Co.

-Shell Pipeline Company LP

-Bayou Metal Works

-Motiva Rec Club

-Parish President Tommy Martinez

-Pure Fishing

-Fluker’s Cricket Farm

– St. John Knights of Columbus council 8342

-Cabela’s

-Jumonville’s Bakery

-Riverside Barber Shop

-Canal Bank

-Acadian Ambulance

– Diversified Materials & Consulting

-Industrial Consulting & Supply Corp.

-Robert Taylor Enterprises

-Harry Robert Insurance

-Diez Sign Co.

-Hutch’s Ace Hardware

-Ryan Shilling

-Mike & Carrie Brown

-any others I may have failed to mention

All the kids were on their way home by 11:00a.m. I tip my hat to all EASL members who helped put this together and made it such a success. We will need a rodeo chairman for next year. There is a list of things that need to be in place prior to the weekend of the rodeo and it’s the chairman’s duty to see that these things are being taken care of. I ask that someone consider stepping up and volunteering to chair this outstanding event. I promise it will be a rewarding experience.

 

2014 EASL Squirrel Rodeo Set for October 4 & 5

Join us at this year’s EASL Squirrel Rodeo on Saturday, October 4th and Sunday, October 5th.  Once again, it will be held at Merle Gautreaux’s home.

Squirrel hunting is Saturday, October 4 from 10am to 2pm with weigh in on Saturday, October 4 at 3pm.  Jambalaya will be cooked on Saturday by Perry Berteau.

Sunday afternoon features the announcement of winners and serving squirrel gravy cooked by Todd Breaux.

Hunters must be an EASL member to enter.  All EASL members are invited to Saturday’s jambalaya dinner or Sunday’s squirrel gravy dinner.

For more information, contact Dwain Gautreaux, 225 921 4173.  (photo from 2013 squirrel hunt.)

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Kids Fishing Rodeo at Twin Lakes in Dutchtown, Saturday August 3

53rd Annual EASL Kid’s Fishing Rodeo will be Saturday, August 3, 2013 at Twin Lakes Park, Dutchtown, LA (where Hwy 74 crosses I-10).

DSC_0057s

FREE to all kids 2 thru 14 years of age

  • Registration starts at 6:30am
  • Fishing is from 7:00am-9:00am
  • Several age groups and prize categories, so even the “little ones” can win
  • Trophies awarded immediately after tally of results
  • Lots of door prizes, including 2 bicycles

TO PARENTS:

  • Bring an ice chest with water or drinks to keep your kids hydrated while they are fishing.  We will serve kool-aid and water after 9:00 A.M.
  • Kids must bring their own rod and reel or cane pole and must use live bait (crickets, worms, etc.) No artificial lures allowed
  • Bring a bucket for the fish and a couple of chairs
  • Keep all fish that are caught, no matter how small (sorry, no turtles or eels)
  • Kids are allowed to fish with only one rod and reel or cane pole
  • Parents may help bait the hook and cast, but the kids must land the fish
  • Parents do not have to be EASL members for their kids to fish
  • CHILDREN MUST NEVER BE LEFT UNATTENDED

For more information contact Ryan Schilling (225) 413 – 9193

Easl Fishing Rodeo 2013 flyer.

KFR