The fishing begins today in the 74th annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. Weather and Gulf of Mexico fishing conditions are expected to be excellent. We'll be looking for a record event with lots of fun and lots of the old records falling.
Speaking of fun, yesterday's Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo Cellular South Liars Contest must have been a real hoot to see. Read on for the story in today's Mobile Register.
Disaster relief
DAUPHIN ISLAND -- Although many people don't see much humor in Hurricane Katrina, Sam Schjott of Bayou La Batre does, and the fishing tale he wove from the experience enabled him to win the Cellular South Liars Contest Thursday night in a prelude to the 74th annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.
Schjott said he didn't evacuate despite the fact that Katrina was blowing 180 miles per hour at one point and piled up a 20-foot-plus storm surge.
"I caught a good speckled trout off my porch right in the middle of it," Schjott said. Unfortunately, the porch was all that left of his home after the storm.
After the Bush-Clinton Relief Fund was set up, former presidents Bush and Clinton came to the Alabama coast for a visit.
Bush 41 went to Dauphin Island, but the Bayou got Clinton, Schjott complained. "They wanted to hold a press conference at our family crab shop," he said. "Then they told me they weren't ready and they wanted me to take Bill fishing."
Schjott wasn't impressed by Clinton's fishing ability, although the former president did manage to catch an oyster fish.
"Bill said that fish looks like Hillary," Schjott said.
When they got back, Clinton started visiting in the crowd, kissing babies and mommas.
Then, all of a sudden, a very large woman emerged in the crowd.
"I mean she was big," Schjott said. "She was about three Little Debbie cakes from 500 pounds. She started to make her way to Bill when she started to get dizzy and she passed out. What happened was the Secret Service guys shot her with a tranquilizer gun. Read more