This is the first year that the rodeo recognized “Living Legends of Louisiana Fishing.” The honorees are, from left, fishing fanatic Allen Sumas, charter boat captain Dudley Vandenborre, retired physician and fishing addict Bob Weiss ’62, and Br. Billy Dardis, S.J. ’58, Jesuit’s director of special projects who is an avid fisherman and the icon of the rodeo for the past 23 years.

View the 2015 Jesuit Fishing Rodeo Photo Gallery

The 2015 Blue Jay Fishing Rodeo included 240 registered participants, a new fish toss competition, and special presentations to a stringer of Louisiana fishing legends. The 23rd annual event took place on Saturday, June 27, at Jesuit’s John Ryan Stadium.

A strong easterly wind and popcorn thunderstorms limited the number of entries that were displayed on ice, but the weather did little to dampen enthusiasm for this increasingly popular event of connection for students, parents, alumni, and friends of Jesuit.

Blue Jay Fishing Rodeo chairman Mike McMahon ’85 congratulates William Martin of the Class of 2020 for hauling in the largest fish, a 28-pound bull redfish. Martin will be a pre-freshman at Jesuit when the 2015-16 school year begins.

The inaugural Ray Coates ’44 Memorial Mullet Throwing Contest — named in honor of, and in memory of, longtime Jesuit coach and teacher Ray Coates — hooked contestants, who used their best underhand bowling style to fling the frozen “cigars” as far as possible. Mullets are known for jumping out of the water and taking flight, but these fish never flew so far. Coates, a Jesuit alumnus of the Class of 1944 who died July 3, 2013, often used the word “mullets” in an endearing fashion when referring to his pupils.

Special plaques honoring “Louisiana Fishing Legends” were presented to masters of the sport. After Bob Weiss ’62, Allen Sumas, and Dudley Vandenborre were recognized at the weigh-in festivities as the inaugural legends, rodeo chairman Mike McMahon ’85 surprised Br. Billy Dardis, S.J. ’58 by including him among the honorees for his unwavering support of the annual summertime event, as well as for his fervent love and devotion to God, the Blessed Mother, Jesuit High School, and thousands of Blue Jays.

About the Legends…

A retired physician who fishes 300 days out of the year, Weiss is known on the water as “Dr. Pontchartrain.” He is the father of three Blue Jays (Rob ’87, Philip ’91, and Sean ’93) and the grandfather of Robert Weiss ’16. In 2012, Weiss won the Coastal Conservation Association Star Tournament with an 8.02 pound speckled trout, netting him a new 18-foot Nautic Star boat.

Sumas bought his first skiff when he was 12-years old and used it to catch fish that he sold to Schwegmann’s for 25 cents a pound. Sumas turned over his fish money to his mother to help with family expenses. His recalled that his best day on the water was in 1993 when he caught nine fish each weighing better than nine pounds. “I eat, sleep, and dream about fish,” he admitted.

Vandenborre, often described as the “Master of Lake Pontchartrain” and the “Fish Whisperer,” worked as a roofer before taking the plunge as a full-time fisher. In addition to designing lures, including the well-known Deadly Dudley, Vandenborre currently is the captain of his own charter fishing business.

In honoring Br. Dardis, who is director of special projects at Jesuit, McMahon said Brother has been the cornerstone of Jesuit’s fishing rodeo.

Chef Carl Schaubhut ’00, juggling a spoon in one hand and a microphone in the other, explains to his audience one of his easy recipes: South Louisiana Seafood Chowder, sans potatoes.

“When Brother goes fishing, he concentrates only on catching fish,” said McMahon. “Brother doesn’t put down his rod until it’s time to go home. He doesn’t read tide charts, solunar tables, or even check the weather forecast. He simply and repeatedly states, ‘Don’t worry, the Blessed Mother will provide.'”

The weigh-in festivities were held in the shade of the Wally Pontiff, Jr. Pavilion and featured a cooking clinic put on by alumnus Carl Schaubhut ’00, executive chef at Café Adelaide (located in the downtown Loews Hotel), who demonstrated the art of concocting a South Louisiana seafood chowder without using potatoes.

The largest fish was brought in by one of the youngest participants — William Martin ’20 reeled in a bull redfish that tipped the scale at 28.2 pounds. Martin will be a pre-freshman Blue Jay when the 2015-16 school year begins. Other winners at the 2015 rodeo are pictured in the accompanying photo gallery.

2015 Blue Jay Fishing Rodeo Results