One neat thing about this event is you don’t need a big boat to participate, despite the “deep sea” designation-there are divisions for trout, reds, sheepshead, flounder and more, and even special “no motor” divisions for kayak/canoe anglers.īasic entry is just $50, and in addition, anglers can choose to participate in jackpot contests for the largest trout, king mackerel, red snapper or big game fish for added fees. This fishing tournament in Alabama offers close to $1 million in prizes including a random drawing from among all anglers who weigh any legal fish in any of the 30 tournament categories for a 22-foot offshore boat worth nearly $100,000.

The result is a high nutrient estuary loaded with shrimp, menhaden, mullet and other forage species, which produce impressive populations of fat, healthy gamefish both inshore and off, creating a great venue for some highly-competitive angling events. But the state also has an impressive coastal fishery for a wide variety of species both inshore and offshore and though saltwater tournaments are fewer in number, some of them are huge in terms of the number of participants, fishing quality and the impact on local communities.Īlabama’s coastline is part of the Gulf’s “fertile fisheries crescent,” an area between the mouth of Mobile Bay and Louisiana where nutrient-rich water flows in from rivers large and small, including the Mississippi River. The Mobile River system, which drains into Mobile Bay, is the third largest system in the nation by volume, draining parts of four states.

In bass-crazy Alabama, the vast majority of tournaments are aimed at largemouths, and there are hundreds of these events across the state every year. Fishing tournaments in Alabama are not only fun (and lucrative) for anglers, but also bring a lot of business to the communities where they take place as anglers make use of accommodations, restaurants, grocery stores, bars, gas stations, marinas, tackle shops and lots more.

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