[StBernard] Redfish Cup to lure anglers to Hopedale

[Westley Annis]

Didn't the parish lose money over this event and was alleged to have
"padded" the numbers by certain promoters to make it believe to be a huge
success when those I've spoken to who attended (2005) claim there was quite
a let-down in attendance and satisfaction? I thought this event would be
forgotten. Every promotion claims 10,000 in attendance when the real numbers
could have been as low as a few thousand.

--jer--


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Redfish Cup to lure anglers to Hopedale
Event expected to draw 10,000 over weekend 
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
By Kim Gritter
St. Bernard bureau 

Nearly 100 professional anglers from throughout the country will descend on
St. Bernard Parish this weekend when the 2008 Oh Boy! Oberto ESPN Redfish
Cup Tournament makes Hopedale the fourth stop on its five-stop tour. 

Set for Friday through Sunday at Breton Sound Marina, the tournament is a
traveling professional fishing competition comprised of 49 teams who will
compete for as much as $2 million in prize money. 

Broadcast nationally on ESPN2, the local event is expected to draw about
10,000 spectators for the weekend. 

This year's Chalmette leg of the tour will be the first since Hurricane
Katrina. The local event is sponsored by St. Bernard Parish Government and
the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Louisiana Culture, Recreation and
Tourism. 

St. Bernard Parish Tourism Director Elizabeth "Gidget" McDougall said a
tailgate party will be held each day with food from local restaurants, and
there will be music, children's activities, exhibits and free sports-related
promotional items. 

The menu will include boiled crabs and shrimp from St. Bernard Catholic
Church sponsored by Cox Petroleum LLC, crawfish pasta and brownie sundies
from Charlie's Diner, seafood wraps from the Old Violet Gang, fried seafood
and po-boys from Today's Ketch Seafood, jambalaya by 4-H Club members and
funnel cakes by Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Society. 

The first 500 visitors Saturday and the first 750 Sunday will receive free
Redfish Cup T-shirts. 

Returning again this year is the popular Splash Dog competition where dogs
from throughout the country compete for cash prizes in a longest-jump
contest. Mike Jorns, a long-time St. Bernard Parish resident who now resides
in Covington, will compete with his 4-year-old black Labrador retriever
Reagan. 

Tailgate parties will begin Friday at 2 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. The
parish's annual Blessing of the Fleet will be held in conjunction with the
tournament Sunday at 11 a.m., followed by a tailgate party at noon. Pro
weigh-in is set for 3:30 p.m. each day. 

Businesses, civic organizations, clubs or individuals will participate in a
paddle-decorating contest. First-, second- and third-place awards will be
presented at the event Sunday at 2:30 p.m. on the main stage. 

A shrimp-peeling-and-eating contest sponsored by the Old Violet Gang will be
held Saturday at noon, with awards presented at 2:30 p.m. A Ducks Unlimited
kids BB target shooting contest also will be held. 

Live music will be provided by Harvey Jesus on Saturday from noon to 2:30
p.m. and Bobby Cure and the Summertime Blues on Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. 

Continuous shuttle bus service will run Saturday and Sunday from 9:15 a.m.
to 3 p.m. from the Frederick J. Sigur Civic Center, 8245 W. Judge Perez
Drive, Chalmette, to Breton Sound Marina. 

Net Gains, the community-focused initiative of the Redfish Cup, will visit
Slidell today from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at Academy Sports & Outdoors, 61107
Airport Road. 

Net Gains, presented by ARC Dehooker, invites children 7 and older to learn
fishing and conservation tips and receive a Redfish Cup goodie bag and a
photo with a pro angler upon completion. 

The Redfish Cup tour kicked off April 25 in Punta Gorda, Fla., followed by a
stop in Port Arthur, Texas. After leaving Chalmette, the tour will travel to
Pensacola, Fla., on Sept. 26 to 28. The 2008 championship will take place
Oct. 10 to 12 in Biloxi, Miss. 

Coverage from the Chalmette stop will air on ESPN2 Aug. 23 from 7:30 to 8
a.m. and Aug. 30 from 7:30 to 8 a.m. 

For information about the Redfish Cup, visit www.VisitStBernard.com or
http://redfishcup.com/. 

. . . . . . . 

Kim Gritter is editor of the St. Bernard Picayune. She can be reached at
kgritter at timespicayune.com or 504.826.3792.