After a scaled-back 2020 tournament shaped by pandemic restrictions, the Mobile Jaycees say the 88th annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo will return to Dauphin Island this month with every event and attraction back on the schedule.
Last year’s rodeo went on despite the COVID-19 pandemic, but organizers had to cut popular attractions such as the Liar’s Contest, live music and sponsor tents to keep the event within capacity limits and social distancing guidelines. This year, with Alabama’s statewide state of emergency ending July 6, organizers say the tournament is positioned to be one of the first major events in Mobile County to return to a fully normal routine.
“After a year of COVID, we are back full blast,” said Mark Schambeau, vice president of publicity for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. “We will have 100 percent of everything that people love.”
Schambeau said the Jaycees worked closely with Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier and the town’s safety officials throughout the past year to track guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state of Alabama before deciding to bring back the full slate of activities.
“As things slowly began releasing, we would all monitor what the CDC and the state of Alabama was saying,” Schambeau said. “It helped us to make a decision. We couldn’t be happier for the way things turned out.”
Guinness World Records has recognized the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo as the largest fishing tournament in the world. The event typically draws more than 3,000 anglers competing for at least $400,000 in cash and prizes, all organized by a volunteer crew from the Mobile Jaycees.
“One of the things I like most is that the world’s largest fishing tournament is put on by a bunch of volunteers,” Schambeau said. “We are just a bunch of guys and girls. It is always a cool thing to talk about.”
Fishing for the main tournament begins at 5 a.m. on Friday, July 16. The weigh station will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on both the first and second days of competition, then from 10 a.m. until the traditional closing cannon blast at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 18.
Every angler in the Open Competition who weighs in a legal fish from any of the 30 categories will be entered into two separate prize drawings, one for a 25-foot Contender boat with a Yamaha motor and trailer package, and another for a Seakeeper 1 stabilizer unit. Anglers can also buy into several optional cash jackpots tied to specific species and categories.
The entertainment lineup opens Thursday, July 15 at 6 p.m. with the Liar’s Contest, presented by HUK fishing apparel, in which ticket holders compete to tell the tallest fish tale. This year the event carries new significance: organizers are renaming it the Captain T-Bone Liar’s Contest in honor of John “Captain T-Bone” Thompson, a multiyear winner of the contest who died last year. His wife, Nancy, and son, Laine, both past winners themselves, will serve as special judges.
Live music returns to the rodeo grounds after being absent in 2020. This year’s shows follow a “Reelin’ in the Years” theme, with each night of the tournament tied to a different decade. Thursday is 1970s night, with the band Yellowhammer — featuring former Major League Baseball all-star Jake Peavy — performing on the Joe Bullard Chevrolet stage following the Liar’s Contest. On Friday at 7:30 p.m., The Molly Ringwalds take the stage with 1980s hits, and on Saturday at 5 p.m., Mustache, The Band closes out the run with a set of 1990s country favorites. JESCO Construction and HUK are sponsoring the concert series.
Spectators who want to watch the catches come in will have a new vantage point this year, with a live fish tank built at the rodeo site at 531 Lemoyne Drive. As in past years, anglers must agree to let each fish be briefly examined for research purposes by the University of South Alabama’s Department of Marine Science. Proceeds from the tournament have funded more than $400,000 in graduate-level scholarships for the department over the years.
The rodeo’s fishing actually begins earlier in the week with the 63rd annual Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament on Saturday, July 10. That youth-only event, open to anglers 15 and younger, runs from a 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weigh station, and every young angler who weighs in a fish receives a hot dog, chips, a soft drink and ice cream.
“The mission of the Jaycees is to help grow the community,” Schambeau said. “Each year, the Jaycees have the Children’s Christmas Shopping Tour. The children get to buy a gift for someone else. It allows them to give back during the holidays. All proceeds from the Roy Martin tournament go into this program.”
Also returning this year is the Mobile Area Children’s Charity Expo, which debuted in 2019 but was canceled last year because of pandemic restrictions. The expo gives local nonprofits a platform to promote their work and raise funds during the rodeo weekend.
“We invite any charity that helps children or families in Mobile County,” Schambeau said. “This is to help give these organizations a platform to talk about what they do in the community, and perhaps do some fundraising.” Schambeau said most participating groups are registered 501(c) nonprofit organizations, and anyone interested in the expo can reach him by email at publicity@ADSFR.com.
Friday night will also include a U.S. Air Force Delayed Entry Program swearing-in ceremony, honoring recruits who have enlisted but not yet shipped out for basic training. “We always support the military, so we are thrilled to host the DEP swearing-in ceremony for the U.S. Air Force,” Schambeau said.
All spectator events at the rodeo are free to attend, though anglers must purchase tickets to compete. Tickets are available online at app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/88th-annual-adsfr, and a list of in-person ticket locations can be found at adsfr.com/about-tickets.