Fontenot died Monday morning in Thibodaux
Tony Fontenot, longtime host of the Castin’ Cajun television fishing show, died this morning in Thibodaux. He was 59.
“He was a bright shining beacon for the fishing industry of Louisiana,” said Capt. Clyde Folse, the Crappie Psychic. “Everybody pretty much knew Tony Fontenot — the Castin’ Cajun.”
When he wasn’t out on the water in Southeast Louisiana pursuing all types of fish, the Schriever resident also was a state-licensed contractor who owned Cajun Home Improvements.
“We’re going to miss his Boudreaux-Thibodeaux jokes. He always had some jokes to tell,” said Capt. Tommy Pellegrin, with Custom Charters in Houma. “I always messed with him about them because my grandmother is a Boudreaux…. I messed with him that he was always talking about my family like that.
“I gave him input on his radio show, and me and him talked pretty much every week about where he should go fishing …. We were really good friends. He was a good friend of the family.”
Capt. Eddie Berthelot Jr., who operates Spots and Specks Charters out of Grand Isle and Golden Meadow, said he fished several times with Fontenot for his television show.
“He was a high-spirited guy who was exciting to be around,” Berthelot said. “He loved to learn, and teach people about fishing. One of the biggest things we did together with lots of other captains was the Wounded Warriors Rodeo in Cocodrie.
“He spearheaded the organization of it down there, and I helped him out the last five years or so.”
A memorial service will be held at Living Word Church, 1916 LA-311 in Schriever this Friday, Dec. 1. Visitation will start at 9 and the service will start at 11. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Wounded War Heroes, 2152 Highway 1, Raceland, La. 70394.
Keep on castin’, Tony.
