Dauphin Island will once again lay claim to hosting the world’s largest fishing tournament when the 83rd annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo casts off July 14-17. The four-day event, organized by the Mobile Jaycees, has earned Guinness World Records recognition for its scale, but organizers say they are not resting on that title and are pushing for an even bigger turnout this year.
Rodeo officials have expanded several of the tournament’s most popular categories. The catch-and-release shark and speckled trout divisions will now include catch-and-release redfish, giving anglers another way to compete without having to bring a fish to the scales.
Richard Rutland, president of the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, said the change builds on last year’s success. “Last year’s live weigh-in was such a success, we decided we would open it up to everybody instead of just the jackpot participants,” Rutland said. “And the prize money is a lot better for the live weigh-in category thanks to Springhill Medical Center. First place gets $2,000, while second place gets $750 and $250 for third. The live weigh-in for redfish will be a mirror image of speckled trout with the same prize money.”
The weekend’s festivities begin Thursday, July 14, with the tournament’s signature Liar’s Contest at 6:30 p.m., when ticket holders take turns spinning their tallest fish tales in front of a panel of judges for bragging rights. Anglers can then start fishing at 5 a.m. Friday, with competition continuing through 5 p.m. Sunday. The weigh station will operate from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Red snapper will again be part of the rodeo’s category list, with the season open in Alabama state waters out to nine miles. Triggerfish, however, will not be included this year because that season remains closed until July 31.
Organizers say the rodeo typically draws more than 3,100 anglers competing across 30 categories for nearly $400,000 in cash and prizes. Over the past decade, the event has also donated more than $200,000 to marine research and scholarships benefiting the University of South Alabama’s Department of Marine Sciences, cementing its reputation as more than just a fishing contest.
Younger anglers get their own spotlight this weekend as well. The 58th annual Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament, sponsored by Exxon-Mobil, will be held Saturday, July 9, with a weigh station open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and fishing beginning at 5 a.m. The tournament is open to competitors 15 years old and younger. Every young angler who weighs in a fish will receive a pair of tickets to a Mobile BayBears game along with a hot dog, a bag of chips, a soft drink and ice cream. Proceeds from the youth tournament support the Mobile Jaycees’ annual Children’s Christmas Shopping Tour.
The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo’s awards ceremony will take place Monday, July 18, at The Grounds in Mobile starting at 6 p.m. Every angler in the Open Competition who weighs in a legal fish will be entered into a drawing for a 22-foot Contender boat complete with trailer and Yamaha outboard motor.
Beyond the Open Competition, anglers can enter several specialty jackpots. The Raymarine Big Game Jackpot pays cash for the largest tuna, dolphin fish, wahoo and swordfish, with a Cash Prize Division adding blue marlin to the mix and random drawings for a Raymarine electronics package and a boat lift. The Pronto Pawn King Mackerel Jackpot offers a top prize of up to $8,000 for first place based on entries, along with a chance to win an ATV. The Yamaha Speckled Trout Jackpot pays out for the top 10 finishers with a top prize of up to $6,000, plus a drawing for a Yamaha motor among anglers who weigh in a legal fish.
Boats entered in the Raymarine Big Game Jackpot, the Pronto Pawn King Mackerel Jackpot and the Guy Harvey Catch-and-Release Shark division must attend a mandatory captain’s meeting and sign-out, set for Thursday, July 14, at 5 p.m. at the rodeo site on Dauphin Island or at J&M Tackle in Orange Beach.
Tickets are available at Academy Sports and Outdoors locations in west Mobile and Foley, Quint’s Hardware & Sporting Goods, Souther-n-Bama Bait & Tackle, Greer’s Food Store, Sportsman’s Marine, Blue Water Ships Store, J&M Tackle, Pronto Pawn, Tackle This Shoot That, and at the rodeo site itself, or online at the tournament’s website. Prices range from $3 for the youth tournament up to $250 per boat for the Raymarine Big Game Jackpot.
Rodeo organizers have again partnered with the Dauphin Island Music Festival, which will provide free live music on the event’s main stage throughout the weekend. One notable change for this year: spectators will no longer be permitted to bring alcohol or coolers onto the rodeo grounds.
Elsewhere along the coast, Gulf Shores’ growing reputation as a beach volleyball destination continues to build, with the town having hosted the NCAA’s inaugural women’s collegiate beach volleyball tournament earlier this year. The Gulf Coast Region Volleyball Association will hold its Beach Series Grand Championships on Saturday, July 9, at West Main Public Beach, with brackets open to boys’ and girls’ teams ages 12 to 25 and potentially as many as 544 teams competing. Action is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Racquet sports fans in Mobile also have a summer opportunity, as registration is open through July 19 for U.S. Tennis Association league play, including Mixed Doubles leagues for players 18 and over and for players 40 and over. USTA programs in the area vary by age, gender and skill level, with singles, doubles and mixed doubles formats available throughout the year.