Dauphin Island will once again play host to the Mobile Rotary and Sunrise Rotary Tarpon Tournament this August, marking the 36th year for the event. Proceeds from the tournament benefit local Rotary community projects as well as the Rotary International Foundation.
Anglers will compete across several categories, including catch-and-release tarpon, red snapper if the season allows, blackfish, jack crevalle, speckled trout and catfish. The tournament also features a Trash Can Slam category that combines croaker, catfish and jack crevalle into a single competition.
A captains’ meeting is set for 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6, at Greer’s St. Louis Market in Mobile, where participants can register, pick up number cards and tournament rules, and collect sponsor gifts. The tournament itself will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8, out of Dauphin Island.
Organizers are also seeking sponsors ahead of this year’s event. Fish Board sponsorships, which place a sponsor’s name on the official fish board alongside tournament categories and winners, are available for $550, while general sponsorships that appear on the tournament banner cost $350.
Sponsors receive recognition during the event, an invitation to the captains’ meeting, a tournament boat entry valued at $150 that can be transferred to another participant, and a sponsor gift. Organizers said every dollar raised through the tournament goes toward supporting local Rotary projects and the Rotary International Foundation.