The Padres clubhouse is full of fishermen, but Eddy Rodriguez may reign supreme

There's a competition in the Padres clubhouse, though it has more to do with flicking fly rods than swinging bats. Catcher Eddy Rodriguez and pitcher Andrew Cashner have both participated in fishing tournaments, but that hardly settles the debate about who's the best angler.

"Most accomplished? I'd probably say Eddy because he's fished in tournaments and stuff down there in the [Florida] Keys," pitcher Miles Mikolas said. "I'm more pure recreational, but I think head-to-head, I'd give him a run for his money."

When asked to respond, Rodriguez was pointedly diplomatic. "I don't doubt it," he said. "Fishing is a lot of luck."

When it comes to whether Mikolas or Cashner could take him on, Rodriguez sounded confident, though not Joe Namath confident. "Skill-wise, I don't know," Rodriguez said. "It would have to be something where we'd get on the water and do it. On my home territory, none of them have a shot."

Rodriguez was coy when asked about the biggest fish he's ever caught. "'Bout your size," he told this reporter. (The reporter in question stands around 5-feet-8 and tips the scales at 160 lbs when stuffed to the gills.)

Pitcher Johnny Barbato knows Rodriguez has caught some big fish, but he thinks Rodriguez's claim is a bit like a high school pitching prospect telling you his dad clocked his fastball in the triple digits: It's a bit of a stretch. "I doubt it," he said, shaking his head with a grin. "He's lying."

-- Nathan Humpherys / Contributor to MLB.com

This post is part of a Cactus League partnership between MLB.com and Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.