Feature Story

By Alyson Sheppard

Staff writer

One cooler of aluminum cans, check. One cooler of ice for fish, check. Sunglasses, a change of clothes and a ticket to the oldest and arguably the most prestigious saltwater fishing rodeo in the country, check, check check.

The Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo (A.D.S.F.R.) celebrates its 75th annual Dauphin Island tournament July 20-22 and its 50th annual Roy Martin Young Angler’s (under 15-years-old) Tournament July 14.

“This is THE tournament of the year,” angler Mike Ward, who has fished the A.D.S.F.R. for 38 years, said.

Each year, fishermen from all over the country come to Mobile to try to catch the largest fish in almost 40 categories, including “most unusual.” Unlike other tournaments in the area where anglers only have one day to catch, in the A.D.S.F.R., fisherman can stay out for three days and two nights straight. Ward said this is what draws so much competition and makes winning so impressive.

“All of the hardcore fishermen love this tournament the most,” he said. “I hope I never have to miss one. If I do, I’d have to be in the hospital. And they’d probably bring me a prize anyways because I’m just that good.”

This year’s prizes are the largest ever, topping out at $400,000. Donated prizes include everything from a 23-foot long Contender boat to a hot dog, vastly different prizes than what the first winners received – batteries.

In 1928, a group of Mobile fishermen and businessmen came up with the idea for the first fishing tournament in America to be called a rodeo. The original competition was the following year at Fort Gaines Pier, and 260 people participated.

Viewed as a huge success, the A.D.S.F.R. continued, administered by interested individuals alone. In 1948, the Mobile Junior Chamber of Commerce (now the Mobile Jaycees) took over leadership.

Now based in Dauphin Island, the inshore and offshore competition is expected to draw 3,300 participants and 100,000 spectators, depending on weather and gas prices. It is still run solely by volunteers.

Frank Barragan, a former president and current assistant judge, has been involved with the rodeo since 1984.

“Ours is the grandfather of all tournaments,” he said. “It’s history. It’s a privilege – an honor to be around to see the seventy-fifth.”

He says that each year, the leadership gets better and younger, bringing in new ideas to keep the rodeo strong. Over the years, he’s watched the rodeo change as the administration attempts to keep up with more restrictive fishing regulations in the Gulf. He thinks the change has always been for the best.

“Conservation is part of tradition,” he said. “We have to respond because history is what we’re all about.”

Last month, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council passed more restrictive limits on red snapper and it continues to argue against what it sees as overfishing in the area.

“We try to maintain that balance between conservation and preserving our tournament,” the current president of A.D.S.F.R., Ricky Brooks, said. “We’re always on the pulse of the anglers and the conservationists; it gets hard.”

After every tournament, the A.D.S.F.R. administration meets with the fishermen, Dr. Bob Shipp, head of Marine Sciences at the University of South Alabama (U.S.A.) and member of the Gulf council, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to discuss how the year went and what should be changed for next year. With this input, they adjust catch and release lengths. Last year, anglers complained about the large number of Tarpon, the official fish of Alabama, being caught. So this year, they made Tarpon catch-and-release for anything less than 78 inches.

According to Brooks, the A.D.S.F.R. has the highest catch-and-release lengths in Alabama. But angler Ward does not believe changing the minimum lengths affects the fishermen much.

“Minimum lengths don’t hurt us,” he said. “They just help conservation. See, people are breaking records every year here, so if you can’t make the minimum lengths, you don’t have a chance of winning anyways.”

Also changed this year, Spanish mackerel was removed from the list of jackpot fish and Warsaw grouper was taken off of all categories to relieve pressure on the species. Dr. Ship and the Sea Lab are also encouraging anglers to catch red fish and Lane snapper to be used for research.

The rodeo donates to the Department of Marine Sciences at U.S.A. and gives two annual scholarships for graduate-level marine research. All profits from the Young Anglers competition are donated to the Mobile Jaycees for children’s charity. Last year, 1,000 children participated.

Tickets to the rodeo are $40, available at the Rodeo Headquarters on Dauphin Island on the night of July 19 only. Tickets to the Young Anglers Tournament are $3, available at numerous fishing and boating stores along the coast.

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