The 74th Annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo takes place this weekend. For many it's been one of life's staples for years. For some it's been that way for decades.
For Purvis Wildberger and his family the Annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo has been a part of life since the year the tournament started in 1929.
Purvis Wildberger has fished in every Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo and he'll be out this weekend chasing tarponWithout fail, Purvis Wildberger has fished every Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. When No. 74 starts Friday at Dauphin Island, the 85-year-old from Mobile plans to be in the boat with his son, Billy, chasing the elusive tarpon, the fish that started it all.
"Me and my daddy (Leon) went on the first one and I have not missed one yet," Wildberger said Thursday, the day after repairs were completed to the inboard engine of the boat he and his son built by hand in 1978. "I don't fish as hard as I did. But I go and give it a little effort. Billy still fishes pretty good."
Although the Wildbergers might hook a few other species along the way, landing a "silver king" has always been the goal.
"I've always fished for tarpon," the elder Wildberger said.
The $5 rodeo ticket at the inaugural tournament in 1929 covered the tournament, sleeping quarters and special prizes.
"There weren't many people when we started," Purvis said. "L.G. Adams was there. We went by boat to the island. They had the tournament at Billy Goat Hole. They had barracks down there, but we didn't waste any time sleeping. We were fishing."
The rest came after the tournament had ended and the champions crowned. "I don't remember many Mondays," Purvis said.
The tarpon fishing was relatively simple back then, he said.
"We pulled No. 6 Pflueger spoons," he said. "We'd pull them all day, never stop. We were pulling along the beach. I don't know how many tarpon there were back then. I think there's more now. We'd hook up with about one a day. You didn't get that many strikes. You'd better get him when you had a chance.
"Back in that day, you didn't have these circle hooks. You had just the regular hooks, and they could throw those things a country mile. They'd come out of the water and you'd see your spoon go flying out. And we'd go, 'Aww, not again.'" Read more