GULFPORT, Miss. (WLOX) – COVID-19 was not kind to the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo last year, forcing officials to cancel and this year, the weather has been a challenge for competitors.
Without a doubt, organizers and fishing enthusiasts like James Luzenberg of Saucier said it was good to be back. His 139-pound alligator gar was as much of a challenge to get his largest catch yet onto the scales as it was into the boat.
“Honestly, it wasn’t far off the boat, man,” he said. “He was probably 20-30 yards. It didn’t take long to get him, but when he surfaced, he came out the water vertical. It took three of us to get him in the boat.”
Luzenberg loves fishing, but enjoys competition just as much. That’s why he appreciates being back in the mix at the Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.
“It was good to be back, man, just to be back in the boat having a line in the water.”
And weighmaster Donnie Armes is more than happy to slap those big catches onto the scales,…