Flora-Bama Family Fishing Rodeo starts May 31

Flora-Bama Family Fishing Rodeo starts May 31
No boat required for this annual “everyman’’ tourney

No boat is required for the Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo. Now in its 6th year this family fun rodeo is promoted as an ‘everyman’ tournament with prizes galore, three deep, in over 28 categories from game fish to pin fish to blue crabs.
Registration is $25 for kids under 13 and $50 for adults with all kids entered automatically going into drawing for a 14’ boat, trailer and motor. A portion of proceeds go to Operation ReConnect, a non-profit re-uniting returning combat vets and their families with a beach vacation upon retuern from deployment. Tickets may be purchased online at fishflorabama.com.
The Mario Mena Band kicks off festivities on Thursday, May 30 at 5 p.m. at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club. A captain’s meeting follows at 6 p.m .for competitive cash categories in Red Snapper, Speckled Trout, King Mackerel and the offshore Grand Slam of Tuna, Mahi-Mahi, Wahoo, & Swordfish. An additional competitive category is a Trash Can Slam of Lady Fish, Bluefish, and Gaff Top Sail Catfish in both adult and junior divisions.
The public invited to the dog-friendly beaches at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club and Ole River Grill for a crawfish boil by Rouses and weigh-ins from noon til 7 p.m. on May 31 and June 1. Featured live music includes Sam Glass at 11 a.m. and Mel Knapp at 3 p.m. on Friday, and Mason Henderson at 11 a.m. and Tony Brook at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Rouses will host a crawfish eating ontest at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Awards ceremony to be held at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club on June 2 from 3-5 p.m., with music from Ryan Dyer at 6 p.m.
Tourney sponsors include Simmons Battery, Saunders Marine Center, Legendary Marine, Blaze Grills, Penn Rods and Reels, Bufkin Air Designs, Kesco, Tito’s Vodka, Heritage Electric, Engel Coolers, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Mojo Sportswear, No Bitchin’ Just Fishin’, The Gulf Shores Zoo, Polish Boutique, Rouses Grocery Store, iHeartMEDIA, Great Days Outdoors, Baldwin Beach Express Toll Bridge, Hicks, & Norchill Coolers.
Operation ReConnect is a non-profit geared to provide returning veterans and families a relaxing complimentary week long beach vacation to reconnect with their families. For more information on this non-profit organization you can go to operationreconnect.org.
Pictured: Fishing fun at the 2018 rodeo.