COFC Grand Isle Rodeo
Images from 2023 COFC Grand Isle Rodeo
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
.jpeg/:/rs=w:370,cg:true,m)
About Us
History of the Cut Off Fishing Club
A Brief Perspective of South Lafourche’s 45-Year Old…
Cut Off Fishing Club
*****Introduction *****
Founded in 1977, COFC is a membership-based club limited to 60 active members and 5 honorary ‘retired’ members. Today, with HQ at Roland’s Tin Shed in Cut Off, on the bayou side of La Hwy-1, the club is dedicated to the hearts of true fishermen for the love of competition, fellowship and enjoying some good ‘DTB’ cooking. The club takes pride in offering competitive activities for both its members and the general public with its fishing rodeos. Rodeos not only reward the efforts of the fishermen who participate, it also generates economic growth for Lafourche and the surrounding region. Each year COFC donates a generous amount of proceeds from its annual June fishing rodeo towards funding several scholarships for its SLHS graduates, and to local charity organizations too. The COFC conducts 6-core events annually: 4-fishing rodeos - Yearly, Spring, June & Fall and 2-socials - Awards Day & Workers’ Appreciation Party. The club also helps support an additional event: St. Joseph Alter Rodeo for Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Cut Off.
****** History ******
It all started in November 1977, while enjoying a few cold refreshing beverages and ‘pleasant conversations’ after work at Roland’s Texaco in Cut Off, Rodney Pierce & Euris Dubois along with a few local friends there too discussed the idea of forming a small fishing club in Cut Off. After organizing a supper-meeting the following month, in December 1977, those 14 guys, (original charter members), showed up and got the ball rolling to form the new ‘Cut Off Fishing Club’ with Rodney & Euris recognized as the its founders.
From that meeting and subsequent meetings, several topics were discussed, including rules and regulations, (the early By-Laws), electing club officers, monthly meetings, club dues, parliamentary procedure, member quota, yearly board tournament fish categories, as well as a screening committee for new members. Meeting attendance fluctuated as many guys worked a rotation schedule away from home, either being employed in the oil/gas or fishing industry, there was still much enthusiasm to attract new members signing-up.
The original membership boundaries were from the old Cut Off Drugstore to the South Lafourche Bridge, and shortly afterwards pushed further north to the Intracoastal Canal in Larose. Club member dues were $25 and limited to 50-members with that quota filled in no time. The inaugural ‘Yearly Tournament’ was immediately set up in 1978, with a 13-fish category leader board. Throughout the year at the monthly meetings, members crowed around it hoping that their fish will place. With a year to fish that tournament, at least placing for a short period as the ‘club house champ’ was always, and still is a thrill, especially if it managed to hold until December 31st.
Moving forward the next 27-years, from 1977 to 2004 the club continued to progress on several fronts. Membership was increase to 60-members. One of those lasting changes occurred in 1979. Roland Curole purchased a tin building that housed a mechanic’s shop next to his gas station. Seeing an opportunity and with help from friends and club members in renovating it, the new “Roland’s Tin Shed” emerged. And it became the perfect place to create tradition with the COFC’s new HQ. Some of you may recall the Lafourche Gazette article in 1996 on ‘The Tin Shed’, written by Larry Weidel. It described the transformation of the building and the long residency that ensued for the COFC, not to mention being a social hang-out for the guys to enjoy some refreshing beverages, good DTB cooking, card games and lots of BS. The club’s additional new events included the Annual ‘Awards Day’ to honor its yearly leader board winners and added the ‘Memorial Award’ in recognition of its past deceased members; both the ‘Spring’ and the ‘Fall’ tournaments and Ladies Night Suppers (for wives/girlfriends!) and a Christmas Party. All this was funded with club dues, raffles and ‘passing the hat’ at that time.
With all going well, in 2003 the club decided to take a new direction in raising funds with cook-outs, raffles and such to help our area’s charity organizations with donations. Additionally, with much knowledge gained from the club participating at other rodeos and helping out with the cooking, the club members felt comfortable enough to create its own rodeo in order to generate more funds for its donations. Thanks to club members Daniel Orgeron and Euris Dubois who, following discussions, along with a few cold refreshing beverages at Cheramie’s Landing Marina with Brian Berthelemy (one of the owners), got the ball rolling. Subsequent meetings and approvals between Roy Dubois, (club president), Daniel Orgeron (club officer), Brian Berthelemy & ‘Tookie’/Diane Cheramie (all owners), they agreed to host its first COFC Rodeo. After several more meetings and discussions to raise these funds, the COFC’s started the ‘Annual June Rodeo’, its marquee event, open to the public with music, food, awards and prizes to finally become a reality. The club’s first COFC Rodeo took place on June 10th, 11th & 12th, 2004. Following a successful event and subsequently filing for tax-exempt status, donations continued in South Lafourche’s local area awarding scholarships to South Lafourche & Grand Isle High Schools as well as funds to other charity organizations.
After holding two successful rodeos at Cheramie’s, the infamous Hurricane Katrina came in 2005 and destroyed much of Grand Isle of which Cheramie’s was a casualty. They did not rebuild after that storm. With the 2006 rodeo cancelled, the club began looking for a new venue. Fortunately, Buggy & Dodi Vegas owners of Bridge Side Marina offered to host the 2007 June rodeo. The first rodeo there proved a great success. Net profits were greater allowing the club to increase its scholarships and donations to local charity organizations. From 2007-2016 Bridge Side Marina was home for the 3-day event. It seems the club broke ground in what became one of Grand Isle’s legitimate fishing rodeos. Many people can remember those enjoyable times at the rodeo. For many years, that unforgettable menu staple of fresh fried fish, white beans & rice was always worth the admission price. And who can forget those participating in the ‘boat parade’ led by Rodney Pierce on the eve of opening rodeo day from Bridge Side Marina to the back of Cheniere and then back …from there it was party-time, and work meshing together for those 3-days. The annual June rodeo flourished for the next 10-years; well all but one year.
That particular June rodeo interruption came in 2010, following the BP oil spill. Despite the cancellation, donations continued that year from the club’s funds. The club did also successfully file a claim with BP which helped reimburse its losses for the cancelled rodeo.
As the area’s economic climate fluctuated as a result of the oil industry downturn, a change of venue was agreed by members to host subsequent rodeos at the Cut Off Youth Center in 2017 & 2018. It was reduced from its 3-day bliss in Grand Isle to a 2-day, more family-oriented event. While enjoying the convenience of having the HQ locally in town, results met with limited financial success. However, donations did continue in the community, but was deemed unsustainable if continued there.
With that, the club sought another change of venue to help increase participation and basically get back to a marina ...near the water and on the coast. Following a vote by club members, the venue for the 2019 rodeo was at Moran’s Marina in Fourchon, LA. As hoped, participation increased and good times were had again at the COFC’s 16th Annual June Rodeo. Following a Covid-19 cancellation in 2020, the 2021 annual rodeo was held at Bridge Side Marina in August. And followed another postponement due to Hurricane Ida in 2021, a smaller event took place for members only at the COYC for its 2022 June Rodeo.
In the past years, over and above the club members’ volunteer help, COFC has donated its proceeds to many local organizations, including SLHS Scholarships, Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Relay for Life, Cerebral Palsey, Bayou Bell Ringers, Cut Off Youth Center, Larose Civic Center, Shriners, Give a Child a Wish Foundation, Volunteer Fire Departments, and TARC (in Houma). The COFC recognizes and appreciates its membership for the volunteer spirit towards helping the community and its many rodeo sponsors who help the club generate funds used in our donations.
Membership applications are available at the Tin Shed, Glenn’s Barber or via the club’s web page, to be completed and placed on the waiting list to join the club as membership openings arise.
On the web at: www.cutofffishingclub.com
Acknowledgements:
Roy Dubois
Lon Griffin
Wild Game Supper March 2, 2023
