Abbeville native carves 'Best in Show' red fish

Bob Jones of Abbeville has caught his share of red fish, so when he decided he wanted to carve a fish out of wood, it was a no brainer on what type a fish he would carve - a red fish.
Jones is a member of the Acadien Wood Carving Guild, based in Abbeville.
What began as a block of tupelo wood turned into a beautiful, prize winning wood carved red fish.
It took Jones 120 hours or around three months to get his red fish where he thought it should be, before entering it into the 39th Annual
Louisiana State Wood Carving Fish Carving Championship.
He entered it into the Open Class (pros and amateur) in the saltwater division. Open Class is the highest level of competition.
He not only won the salt water division, his red fish also won Best Of Show, meaning it beat out salt and freshwater fish carvings.
‘I had people coming up to me and telling me how good it looked before the judging,” said Jones. “Some even thought it was a mounted fish. I told them it was carved and they were surprised.”
Jones, who is retired from Chevron, said the hardest part about carving the red fish was trying to decide how to put it on a stand.
He has it placed on a piece of cypress tree, which he can remove the fish from.
Next competition for Jones and his red fish will be the Gulf Coast Regionals.
John Hacsunda of Lafayette, also a member of the Acadien Wood Carving Guild, did well with his entries.
In Division B, John entered a standing blue jay in the Decorative Life Size Carving Song Bird Category. The bird won first place in its division.
John also entered two things in Division C - miniature fowls. He took a first place and a third place.
He took home a third place in Division I with a painted paddle.