Fish will fly April 22-24 during Flora-Bama’s 37th Mullet Toss

Fish will fly April 22-24 during Flora-Bama’s 37th Mullet Toss
By Fran Thompson
Flora-Bama’s April 22-24 Mullet Toss weekend, which has rightfully been billed as the Gulf Coast’s Greatest Beach Party, returns to the beautiful quartz crystal beach behind that famed roadhouse for the 37th time beginning with the kids’ toss at 10 a.m. each day.
Adult tossers start at noon, with the finals set for 4 p.m. each day.
The $15 per toss fee includes a t-shirt (Proceeds go to local charities).
Cover charge to Flora-Bama begins at 9 a.m. each day from Friday through Sunday. Entry is $10 per day for 21 and up and $15 for 13-20 year olds, with 12 & under admitted free.
The party is open to all ages until 6 p.m., at which point the event is for those 21 and up. Membership cards are good for entry during Mullet Toss. Cards are available online or at the door for $45 and are good for the entire event and the rest of the year. it is cash only for bar sales on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with plenty of ATM’s available.
Tens of thousands of folks from throughout the nation & all walks of life will descend upon the Lounge On The Line for the three day frenzy of food, fun and frivolity. And the event has grown into one of the busiest weekends on the Alabama-Florida Gulf Coast and raises well over $25,000 for local schools and charities every year.
The attraction is not necessarily watching folks throwing a mullet, a mystical fish possessing a gizzard, out of a 10-foot circle, from Perdido Key, Florida towards Orange Beach, Alabama.
The attraction is the party itself, which is part frat reunion, part excuse to take a road trip to what some (including Playboy magazine) say is the best beach bar in the world.
But it is a legitimate competition. Overall winners earn bragging rights, trophies, and gift certificates to local establishments. And trophies are awarded 3-deep in 19 total age categories, male & female, for each day of toss.
Other Mullet Toss events include a Mr. Mullet Hot Body Contest at 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday in the inside tent, and the Miss Mullet Toss bikini contest at 3 p.m. on Friday & Saturday.
Music will be continuous on three stages throughout the weekend (see pages 28-29) and include the Big Earl Show on Friday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m..
The four eateries on the Flora-Bama campus – the Flora-Bama Yacht Club, Flora-Bama Ole River Grill and the original Flora-Bama Lounge and Oyster Bar – will feature tacos, shrimp, oysters, bama burgers and crawfish.
There is no charge for parking and lots will be manned by local non-profits. But parking is severely limited. Take a taxi, a shuttle or call Uber or Lyft.
Although actually tossing a mullet is an afterthought to most attendees, the competition does attract serious competition, and there are strict rules for tossers.
Contestants must select a mullet from the water bucket themselves. No gloves, no sand coating and no loading up a mullet with ballast before flinging is allowed.
All competitors must retrieve their own fish and return it to the water bucket. Stepping out of the circle before tossing or tossing the fish out of bounds are other no-nos. Tossers have only one chance to qualify for the finals each day.
Those who can manage a throw of more than 100 ft. have a good chance of placing.
Tossing techniques are as varied as the contestants themselves. For most, the best strategy is to fold the fish and pretend like you are trying to gun down a runner at the plate from center field.
Longtime competitor Wes Durham said at a past Toss that he likes to give his fish a pre-flight sip of beer. “Food for flight,’’ he called it.
Many Mullet Toss patrons will make condo and hotel reservations for 2023 while in town this year.
“They could come here on July 4th or Memorial Day or Labor Day. But they decide that something we created was going to be their weekend to have a party, and they come back every year,’’ said Flora-Bama co-owner Pat McClellan. “It’s a tradition for a lot of people, and they respect that tradition and respect each other.
“We have less problems with crowds at the Mullet Toss than during the major holiday weekends,’’ he added.
The Interstate Mullet Toss has been written up in the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and the New York Times. It’s been covered by all three network morning shows.
It was also featured in Sports Illustrated, but McClellan’s attempt to get the record toss listed in the Guiness Book of World Records was rejected.
For more info, visit florabama.com or facebook.