The Grabuone Outfitters team is gearing up for their 10th annual Snake Grabbin’ Rodeo this weekend at Lake Washington.
Although the rodeo itself won’t start until Saturday morning, the weekend festivities are set to begin at 8 p.m. Friday with a live musical performance by local band Mudshyne at the pavilion behind Roy’s Store.
Grabuone Oufitters team member Jimmie Nichols said the kick-off party is a great way for out-of-towners and locals to mingle and get to know each other before Saturday’s main event.
“We decided to bring in a band that night because a lot of people come in on Friday and stay over for the event,” Nichols said, noting folks are welcome to bring food and drinks for a good night of fun.
Local residents are encouraged to attend and participate in the fun, too.
“The more, the merrier is the way we look at it,” Nichols said.
The Snake Grabbin’ Rodeo main event will start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with a rules and safety briefing for the five participating groups along the pier at Roy’s Store.
After the morning meeting, each team will be paired with their guide and go out to catch as many wild snakes as they can.
Although it is too late to sign up to participate, Nichols said folks are welcome to come and out watch the action.
“Everybody who has a boat is welcome to come and follow the teams and watch,” he said, noting last year there were about 150 spectator boats out on the lake.
At the end of the event, every snake caught each team catches must be left unharmed and returned to the water.
“Our event is 100% catch and release … we’re all sportsmen and that’s one of the rules. If you’re caught intentionally harming one of the snakes, then you’re out; that’s the end of it for you for us,” Nichols said.
The competing teams will return to the pier at 2 p.m. for the ‘snake roundup’ to count how many snakes they caught for a chance to win first-, second-, and third-place trophies.
Starting at 3:30 p.m., Uncle Si from A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” will be at Roy’s Store selling signed copies of his book, “Si-Cology” for those who would like a chance to say hello, get an autograph and have their picture taken with him.
Uncle Si will also announce the winner of a raffle ticket drawing for a new Glock pistol at 5 p.m.
All proceeds from the book and raffle ticket sales will go to Sanctuary Hospice Center.
Nichols said Grabuone Outfitters will then try their best to match whatever money that gets raised to also donate to Sanctuary Hospice Center.
Saturday night, folks are invited to enjoy a live musical performance by Shake the Bucket, which will start at 7:45 p.m. at the pavilion at Roy’s Store. Crawfish will also be cooked and sold at the event.
“At the end of the day, it’s a family-oriented event so if anyone wants to come out, they’re more than welcome,” he said.
Mississippi Snake Grabbers
What started as a group of law enforcement friends getting together in the summer to go fishing that quickly turned into a joke about catching snakes soon became the start of the annual Snake Grabbin’ Rodeo.
In 2015, the television show, “Mississippi Snake Grabbers,” was filmed and originally aired on Country Music Television (CMT), with 12 of those episodes now available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Nichols said 85% of the show was filmed at Lake Washington, which features himself and the other five original Grabuone group members: Brad Vincent, Brent Shorter, Joey Mayes, Shane Gibson and Joey Rigby.
For the past nine years, Nichols said Grabuone Outfitters had sponsored the event for Jared Howington, a child with a chronic illness who has since made great improvements with his health and is now in college.
This year’s rodeo, however, will be held in memory of Vincent, who was a Mississippi State Trooper and died suddenly of heart attack last year.
“This was the best time of year for Brad — it’s where he took his vacation every year, at Lake Washington — so we decided this year to call it the Brad Vincent Memorial Snake Grabbin’ Rodeo,” Nichols said.
After learning Vincent often donated to Sanctuary Hospice, Nichols said that’s why they decided to donate their proceeds there this year.
“This year, we hope to make Brad’s memory shine. We miss him and we love him,” Nichols said.
For more information about Grabuone Outfitters, visit grabuone.com.
