Once again fantastic fishing conditions are giving anglers all the fish they can handle off the coast of Dauphin Island. The 27th annual Sertoma/Pepsi Family Fishing Rodeo got off on a record setting pace yesterday as the first day of the tournament drew to a close.
Sertoma opener ends with flurry
DAUPHIN ISLAND -- The anglers in the 27th annual Sertoma/Pepsi Family Fishing Rodeo from a ho-hum Saturday afternoon into a fish-weighing frenzy as many boats lined up at the scales with only minutes left before the 6 p.m. deadline.
And the fish brought in to Dauphin Island Marina at the last minute were worth the wait.
Tyler Kennedy had a 26.09-pound red snapper, which crew mate Bill McRae had a 35.48-pound grouper.
The largest fish of the day was a 67.27-pound amberjack hooked by Michael Pierce.
This weekend the 27th annual Sertoma/Pepsi Family Fishing Rodeo will take place on Dauphin Island at Dauphin Island Marina.
Anglers will compete in 18 separate categories including flounder, red snapper, king and Spanish mackerel. Of special note to anglers are the jackpot payouts for particular categories:
With fishing all along the Alabama Gulf Coast as good as it has been this summer, one or more records are bound to fall. This is also the last hurrah for summer - the labor day weekend. Better get on out to Dauphin Island and enjoy a great weekend of fishing at the 27th annual Sertoma/Pepsi Family Fishing Rodeo.
If your vacation plans include fishing then you might possibly need a license.
License requirements vary greatly. Depending on where you're from, you may not need a license at all to fish on Dauphin Island. Outdoor Alabama has an excellent table of these requirements on their web site.
Your best bet for Kayak rentals on Dauphin Island is
Loose End Kayak Rentals. Call them at (251) 861-4301.
Mobile Area paddler Rob Nykvist has been out and around Dauphin Island in his kayak again recently.
Remember late last year when Sand Island, also known as Pelican Island, had grown to intersect the Dauphin Island Fishing Pier? We enjoyed the idea of building stairs from the end of the pier to the sand below. Well that no longer looks like it was such a good idea. Rob's photos clearly shows that Sand Island is now no easy walk from the Dauphin Island Fishing Pier.
One of the photos on Rob's site also offers a good view from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico of the Holiday Isle condo development in progress. The Dauphin Island Beach Club and The Inn at Dauphin Island are the condo buildings immediately to the left, or west, of the Holiday Isle construction site.