Fellow Anglers and Rodeo Supporters,

On behalf of the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Advisors, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the 79th Annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.

Having started in 1929, the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo is the oldest saltwater fishing tournament in the world. In addition, we were recognized in 2011 by Guinness World RecordsŪ as the largest fishing tournament in the world. We would like to thank our anglers, spectators, sponsors, and volunteers for their support in making this possible!

This year the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo remains committed to the conservation of marine resources and giving back to the Mobile community. We will continue our tradition of funding multiple graduate level scholarships for the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of South Alabama. In recent years, the ADSFR has donated nearly $150,000 to the USA Department of Marine Sciences, with these funds being matched by the USA Foundation. This year, we look forward to giving back to the Mobile community by funding the Mobile Jaycee chapter's Christmas Shopping Tour. Through the proceeds of the Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament, this event affords local children an opportunity to purchase Christmas gifts for their friends and family.

At the request of USA's Department of Marine Sciences, Dr. Bob Shipp, Dr. Sean Powers, and the State of Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the ADSFR will continue to participate in stock assessments of Red Drum. For anglers interested in participating in this assessment, we are asking that you bring to the weigh station, one outside the "slot" Red Drum during the ADSFR. These fish will be turned over to USA's Department of Marine Sciences for research. Furthermore, each angler who turns in a Red Drum will have their name entered into a random drawing for special prizes which include, but are not limited to, an original painting courtesy of Yellowfin Gallery.

This year we have put together another outstanding awards package totaling nearly $400,000 in cash and prizes, featuring two boat, motor, and trailer packages. Through a random drawing of all anglers who weigh-in a legal fish during the ADSFR, we will give away a 21' Contender Boat, courtesy of Contender Boats and Gulf Shores Power Sports. In addition, we will give away a 17' Scout Boats 177 Sportfish, courtesy of Scout Boats and Paradise Marine Center, through a random drawing of all King Mackerel Jackpot entries. Once again, these boats will be outfitted with Yamaha outboard motors and Loadmaster aluminum trailers. The 21' Contender will feature a T-top courtesy of Eagle Towers. A hot tub provided by Spa & Tub Manufacturers and a Tag Heuer Aquaracer watch provided by Goldstein's Jewelers will be given away through separate random drawings of all Speckled Trout Jackpot entries. A Raymarine navigational unit and a Team Simco boat lift will be given away through separate random drawings of all Raymarine/Team Simco Big Game Jackpot entries. Our Master Angler will receive a Furuno 10" Color Chart Plotter/ Black Box Fish Finder courtesy of New World Electronics, a Cannon downrigger, and a stainless steel T-top deck grill courtesy of Island Towers. The Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament, open to anglers 15 years old and younger, will be held on July 14th. Each participant will receive a Ziegler hotdog, Golden Flake potato chips, a Coca-Cola, Blue Bell ice cream, and a certificate of participation when they weigh-in their fish. The Master Angler of the Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament will receive a $500.00 savings bond courtesy of the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. In addition, one lucky participant in the Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament will have an artificial reef deployed in their name courtesy of Reefmaker Artificial Reefs through a random drawing of all participants.

I would like to thank all the anglers, sponsors, and volunteers for their steadfast support of the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. Special thanks go to our boat and motor sponsors. These include: Contender Boats, Gulf Shores Power Sports, Paradise Marine, Scout Boats, Yamaha Motor Corp., Loadmaster Trailers, and Eagle Towers. I would also like to thank Goldstein's Jewelers and Spa & Tub Manufacturers for sponsoring the Speckled Trout Jackpot, Raymarine and Team Simco for sponsoring the Big Game Jackpot, Exxon/Mobil for sponsoring the Roy Martin Young Anglers Tournament, and Academy Sports and Outdoors, Furuno, New World Electronics, Raymarine, Coca-Cola, and Gulf Distributing for their continued support. We'd also like to thank our friends in the local media: Jeff Dute and the Press-Register, Wayne Gardner and Sean Sullivan from FM Talk 106.5, Comcast, WNSP, WZEW, WKSJ, WNTM, WALA, WPMI, and WKRG. Finally, I would like to thank the Mobile County Commission, the town of Dauphin Island, along with its town council, police department and mayor, Jeff Collier, and the Mobile Jaycees.

The Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Advisors, and I thank you for your participation in the 79th Annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. Good luck, safe fishing and we will see you at the weigh station.

Sincerely,

John Napper

President
79th Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo