Grand Isle, La. - The hunt started at sunrise and with the first flash of silver in the water, Captain Lance Schouest dropped in his trademark tarpon lures.
Schouest is an expert at catching tarpon. He won the Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo in 2009, reeling in a fish weighing 192 pounds.
He'll be in the tournament again this year and he spent the day scouting the best spots for the sport-fish.
The Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo is the oldest fishing tournament in the United States. The three-day event brings anglers and spectators from all over to south Jefferson Parish.
Tarpon doesn't make a good meal; this is all about the thrill of the catch. That is, if you catch any.
We saw plenty of tarpon jumping out of the water but the only thing taking our bait was sharks.
Schouest knows the big one is out here, just waiting to be caught.
"You can see we got 'em rolling all over today and we've caught probably 20 sharks, probably five or six jacks," he says. "It's just putting it in front of the right one and that's what's going to happen this year, somebody's going to throw it in front of one of these big ones and they gonna win it right here in Grand Bayou."
Schouest hopes his luck will turn around before Thursday so maybe he can take home the Tarpon Rodeo title once again.
The Tarpon Rodeo starts Thursday and ends with the final weigh-in Saturday night.
