Organizers of the 89th Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo confirmed the tournament will go on as planned, even as forecasters watched an area of disturbed weather in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the event.
Rodeo officials said Monday, July 11 that a tropical disturbance sitting in the northern Gulf had only a low chance of strengthening into a tropical depression or storm. Still, heavy rain and strong thunderstorms were expected along the Gulf Coast during the week leading into the tournament.
Monitoring Hourly
“We are closely keeping an eye on the weather building this week leading up to the 89th Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo and will continue to do so hourly,” officials said in a statement, adding that contingencies were in place for all events surrounding what organizers call the largest fishing tournament in the world. Angler and patron safety, they said, remained the top concern.
The rodeo was set to run July 15–17 on Dauphin Island, with the traditional Liars’ Contest kicking off coverage Thursday, July 14.
One neighboring event did bend to the forecast: the Blue Marlin Grand Championship, originally slated to begin July 14, was pushed back to Thursday, July 21.