The 93rd annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo opened Friday morning on Dauphin Island with its traditional cannon blast at 5 a.m., signaling the start of one of the Gulf Coast’s longest-running fishing tournaments. Organizers said they expect a strong turnout for the weekend event, which draws anglers and families from across the region every July. “We’re just happy to be here for another great tournament,” said Cody Ward, the rodeo’s vice president of publicity. “We expect a great turnout. We’re excited!”
For many families, the rodeo has become an annual tradition passed down across generations. Twin sisters Allie and Emma Tarver have spent more than a decade attending with their grandfather, helping mark the tournament’s start and finish each year. Now 14 and approaching their 15th birthday, the sisters said the weekend is as much about family time as it is about fishing. “It gives us a time to hang out with our grandparents and our cousins, and it’s something we bond over,” Emma said, while Allie called it “an amazing experience because we get to do it every year.”
This year’s rodeo features 33 open categories and more than half a million dollars in prizes and cash giveaways, according to organizers. The tournament runs through the weekend and will close Sunday afternoon the same way it began, with another cannon blast on Dauphin Island.