By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The fish may not have been biting quite as much as normal, but one of the best values around saw another great turnout as the St. James Boat Club held a successful Junior Choupique Fishing Rodeo Sunday.
The Boat Club has held the event for 30 years as children ages 0-15 compete for prizes and recognition. Competitors in three age groupings fished along the banks of the Blind River Point and boat launch areas from 9 a.m. to noon, with first, second and third place plaques awarded to those who caught the biggest fish, and another to whoever caught the most fish.
The event cost just 25 cents a competitor, the fee including a free hot dog, bag of chips, soft drink and a chance to win raffle door prizes.
“We didn’t have the fish we’ve had in the past because of Hurricane Issac,” said Craig Calgagno, the chairman and commander of the St. James Boat Club. “The storm ran them off. But we
did great, especially in light of the circumstances.
“We got off to a fast start. We were still registering kids when they started bringing them in. It slowed down around 10:30, but we caught 14-15 bass overall today. People were asking, ‘Where are the bass coming from?’ It was a great day and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.”
Ten-year-old Jace Bourgeois of Gramercy had a big Rodeo debut. Bourgeois caught 13 total fish, by far the largest number, in his first year competing.
“I just tried really, really hard,” said Bourgeois. “I was just excited to have a chance to fish. It feels good.”
Said James Bourgeois, Jace’s father, “He fishes a lot, so I thought he’d do pretty well. I didn’t think he’d catch so many. A lot of times, this conflicts with my work shifts, but this year we decided to come. He wanted to try it out.”
Others came from outside of the area. Brad Dodd took his 6-year-old daughter Sofia, the two traveling from Baton Rouge.
“She loves fishing,” said Dodd. “We usually fish out by LSU Lakes. We thought it would be a fun time to come down today, and we absolutely enjoyed it.”
The 25-cent price tag has been the same for the event’s entire existence, and Calcagno said it won’t change.
“This is for the kids,” said Calcagno. “The board doesn’t want to change the entry fee. Even if we lose money, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the kids.”