| Rodeo History and Fishing Facts
by Kaye Florane and Richard Meek
The Big Bass Rodeo was founded in 1946 by Paul Kalman. Paul spent many hours of his childhood fishing the tree-framed waters of City Park. For Paul, and many others, it was an angler’s urban heaven. The only requirements were a hook, line, length of cane and a lazy summer afternoon.
After serving and being injured in World War II, Paul conceived the idea of an annual fishing rodeo, planting the seeds of what would become City Park’s Big Bass Rodeo. A reporter for the New Orleans Item at the time, he persuaded his bosses to sponsor the inaugural event. Armed with a meat scale borrowed from John Schwegmann’s original grocery store, the Rodeo launched in 1946..
Under his guidance, the rodeo grew and drew as many as 1,000 participants. Although Paul passed away in 1987, shortly after the Rodeo’s 40th anniversary, his legacy lives on today with the Paul Kalman award presented to the angler 12 years or less who lands the largest bass.
In the 1980’s Joe Courcelle introduced catch-and-release to the Rodeo. He built a 400-gallon tank and asked fisherman to turn in their live catch which he then released back to the lagoons. Joe served as Weigh Master for over 30 years until 2010 when he stepped down due to health reasons.
In recent years, the “Fishtival” has been added to the Rodeo bringing a festival atmosphere to the event and includes educational exhibits of wildlife, ecology, and conservation along with raffles for charter fishing trips and fishing tackle, food, music and more!
Due to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, City Park was unable to hold the Big Bass Rodeo in 2006 and 2007 as the lagoons were being restored and fish restocked. In 2008, the Rodeo returned and reclaimed it rightful spot as the country’s oldest freshwater fishing tournament with over 600 registrants vying to win a trophy in one of five fishing categories.
The largest fish ever caught in City Park was a 52 pound buffalo fish hauled in on July 21, 1976 by twelve year old Tommy Descant of Chalmette. In February 2005, a giant 44 pound Blue Catfish was landed by Ross Reboul, a junior at Jesuit High School. This giant catfish measured 42 inches long and 26 inches around. Biologists believe it had lived in the lagoons for approximately 21 years! In 1968 City Park boatman Cecil Doiron caught a bass that went into state record books.
Each year brings the opportunity for some lucky or skilled angler to catch a record breaking bass. Good luck and good fishing!
|
