Here's why the north/central Gulf Coast rules: Put a Gulfport, Mississippi, woman in a bikini on a cooler with a 30-pound red snapper while fishing out of Orange Beach, Alabama, and you might just come out on top out of more than 500 photos entered in a worldwide contest.

That was just the luck for Briana Locklear Scott, who hails from Gulfport, but says she stays in Orange Beach so much it's her "second home."

Locklear Scott entered her photo in the Yeti & Jose Wejebe Ultimate Saltwater Fish Photo Contest, a worldwide photo contest sponsored by Yeti Coolers and Jose Wejebe.

The picture shows her standing on a Yeti Cooler, holding the snapper in one hand and a Shimano Terez Rod with an Accurate Boss 870 Reel in the other. To complete the "branding" for the shot, she's wearing Costa del Mar sunglasses and of the products in the picture are sponsors of Jose Wejebe's Spanish Fly Saltwater Fishing TV show.

We'll let Locklear Scott tell the rest of the story of how the prize-winning photo came to be:

"The contest was for the entire month of July. I had heard about the contest before our last snapper trip of the season (July 2, 2011) ... so the goal was to get a great photo on the trip. The rules stated that if you included Yeti or Jose Wejebe in the photo you would get extra points.

"The 30-pound red snapper was caught 60 miles southwest of Orange Beach, Alabama. So I jumped on top of the Yeti cooler on our boat and took the photo. The campaign started from there and I posted about the contest on my Facebook page. The votes started rolling in. It was a very long month.

"I knew I had the most "likes" but was unsure if Jose Wejebe would choose my photo out of the top 5. Then they did not announce the winner until August 8. As far as feedback, I have been e-mailed by several of the other contestants in the top 5 and congratulated for the win. My friends that voted for me were as excited as I was."

Locklear Scott said her friend, Ken Cooper of OBA, promoted the contest on his Facebook page as well as his website. What does she get for all this work, other than the recognition? A 45-quart "one of a kind" Spanish Fly Yeti Cooler, filled with fishing "swag." Lockdear Scott said she can't wait.

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Sometimes humorous, sometimes provocative, Fodder is a recurring online Press-Register feature that spotlights water cooler discussion topics of regional or national interest.