Grant Romero of Coteau, 15, smiles broadly as he holds the Junior Division Best All-Around Fisherman trophy Sunday afternoon during the awards ceremony at Cypremort Point. Romero, a student at Southside High School, fished with his father, Jack Romero, and Stacie Romero aboard the family's 24-foot Triton.
After fishing all three days in the Junior Division of the 69th annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo, Jason McClean, background, left, and his wife, Marty McClean, pose with bull reds caught that day. Easton McLean, foreground, left, had a 29.9-pounder that finished No.1 in the Junior Division while Auri Estis, right, had a 28.8-pounder that was No.3 in the Junior Division after the three-day holiday weekend event at Cypremort Point.
Grant Romero of Coteau, 15, smiles broadly as he holds the Junior Division Best All-Around Fisherman trophy Sunday afternoon during the awards ceremony at Cypremort Point. Romero, a student at Southside High School, fished with his father, Jack Romero, and Stacie Romero aboard the family's 24-foot Triton.
DON SHOOPMAN / THE DAILY IBERIAN
After fishing all three days in the Junior Division of the 69th annual Iberia Rod & Gun Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo, Jason McClean, background, left, and his wife, Marty McClean, pose with bull reds caught that day. Easton McLean, foreground, left, had a 29.9-pounder that finished No.1 in the Junior Division while Auri Estis, right, had a 28.8-pounder that was No.3 in the Junior Division after the three-day holiday weekend event at Cypremort Point.
CYPREMORT POINT — Once Coteau’s Grant Romero grabbed the lead in the Junior Division of the 69th annual Iberia Rod & Club Saltwater Fishing Rodeo, he never let go.
This was the 15-year-old fisherman’s last year in the Junior Division. He went out on a positive note Sunday by nailing down the Junior Division’s Best All-Around Fisherman title.
Romero’s smile was wider than the Mississippi River when someone in the crowd pointed out the results soon after they were posted on the leaderboard in the Junior Division.
Earlier, Romero said he’d be very “happy” and proud to win the coveted trophy, which he did with a three-day total of 834 points. He finished ahead of hard-fishing Hayden Amy, 752, and Bentley Vinning, 579.
Romero, who attends Southside High School, put most of his fish on the leaderboard Friday, the first day, but trailed Trey Jordan, 266-240. Jordan, 9, had a record-breaking “slot” redfish weighing 8.52 pounds while fishing with his grandfather, Keith Delahoussaye.
Fishing with his father, Jack Romero, and Stacie in the family’s 24-foot Triton, Romero added a 28.6-pound gar Saturday to surge ahead in the point standings. His 540 points led Amy, 453, and Vinning, 386.
He had a fish bumped off the leaderboard but also added a “slot”redfish Sunday to claim Best All-Around. After five years in the Junior Division, with his highest finish a third, Romero finally had the title.
Marty McLean of New Iberia, someone who has watched him throughout his days in the Junior Division, wasn’t surprised.
“He comes out here and works his butt off all weekend long. He makes his dad get up before 6 a.m. He’s ready to roll,” McLean, who fished with her husband, Jason McLean, and their son, Easton McClain, and Auri Estes, said. “They were out before the sun was up today. We stay at the same camp. He was gone.”
Young Romero finished with a first-place sheepshead (3.53 pounds), a second-place flounder (1.68 pounds) and third-place gar (28.0 pounds) and “slot” redfish (6.46 pounds).
His father said they fished all three days along Southwest Pass, inside Marsh Island and around Weeks Bay. They waited for Friday’s storms to subside before getting out around 1-1:30 p.m.
Most of their fish were caught at Southwest Pass, he said.
Easton McLean and Auri Estes had a great finish in the Junior Division with the McLeans on Sunday. He stuck a 29.9-pound redfish on the board to win that category while Estes had a 28.8-pounder to finish third.
McLean also boasted a second-place gar (35.2 pounds).
McLean, Amy and Vinning, plus many more, could be the next Romero.
Amy’s three-day showing included a big winning croaker (1.10 pounds), a second-place sheepshead (3.09 pounds) and third-place flounder (1.56 pounds) and sheepshead (1.65 pounds).
Vinning, fishing with his grandfather, Brian Romero of Lydia, who swept top honors in the Inside Division, finished with first-place flounder (2.00 pounds) and white trout (.81 pounds).
