Knights of Columbus members from two local councils met Tuesday night to start loading equipment to take to Cypremort Point for the 50th annual Kay-Cee Saltwater Fishing Rodeo.

Instead, they wound up postponing the holiday weekend event, bowing to the ominous threat posed by Hurricane Gustav. Ronnie Boudreaux, veteran fishing rodeo chairman and weighmaster who made the announcement this morning, said the fishing rodeo has been rescheduled for Oct. 4-5, the weekend before the Gumbo Festival in New Iberia.

The fishing rodeo, which was scheduled to start at sunrise Saturday and end Labor Day Monday, needed to be postponed because of the potential impact it will have on people in the Teche Area, Boudreaux said.

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“There’s no way we can put fishermen in that kind of danger. I hope we’re wrong �- but we just can’t take that chance,” he said. Plus, he said, people will have to take care of their possessions and make plans accordingly.

“We can’t move all our equipment over there. No way,” Boudreaux said.

Boudreaux had said Tuesday afternoon that a meeting to decide the fate of the fishing rodeo would be held tonight. One of the 15 members who was on hand Tuesday night to load equipment had a laptop computer with him, he said, so they looked at the situation.

“I don’t believe 24 hours will make that much difference (in the decision-making process),” Boudreaux said. “That thing is coming in the Gulf. I know it’s early. My contention is we don’t want to get anybody hurt.”