Gulf Breeze Optimist Fishing Rodeo ropes in community support

Support from the community in all areas marked the Gulf Breeze Optimist’s 36th annual Fishing Rodeo on May 14 - 15.

According to rodeo chairman Verne Rhodes, the community came out to help cook, weigh fish and more.

“We’ve had tremendous participation and support from the community and  from the Optimists themselves, who participated by cooking, weighing, taking pictures of the children and their fish, cleaning fish to be fried, computing the results and keeping tabs of first, second and third place for 19 different categories of fish,” Rhodes said.

The grand prize winner was selected at random from the first place winners, and it was Bill Daughdrill, whose trigger fish was the $1,000 big winner. Other prizes included a rod and reel for all boys and girls under 6-years-old who caught a Pin fish, first place in each category won a $100 gift certificate from Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle, second place in each category won a $50 gift certificate from Gulf Breeze Bait & Tackle and third place in each category received a $25 gift certificate from Pensacola Hardware.