As I ride the roads and byways through Scenic 98 Coastal, I get a nice, warm feeling when I see a family stopped along the side of the road fishing next to a creek, pond, river, or in a boat in the bay. A great bonding experience occurs when families fish together.

Last week, I received a phone call from Anthony Ricciardone, one of the owners of Admiral Shellfish Oyster Company, asking if we could help promote the inaugural Hooked on Fairhope Fishing Tournament for kids, taking place at the Fairhope Pier on Saturday, June 13. 

The vision of the organizers is to ensure every kid has access to a meaningful outdoor experience through a fun, inclusive, and well-organized event. As Anthony and his friends put their collective heads together, they wanted the event to reflect the area where participants live and to benefit organizations that help children build stronger, more enriched lives.

The result is a fishing tournament supported by several local businesses (and friends) who decided that funds raised would benefit two very worthwhile organizations: Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Gulf Coast. If you are not familiar with these two organizations, know that both are having huge positive impacts on the lives of local children.

Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation (FEEF) was founded in 1996 by parents, educators, and community leaders. FEEF has grown into the largest supporter of public education in Fairhope and invests in programs that bring classrooms to life – like marine science labs, art installations, hands-on STEAM experiences, and teacher grants that spark student imagination and innovation.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Central Gulf Coast provides one-to-one mentoring opportunities in South Alabama and Mississippi. Each year, Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 600 children and impacts over 1800 individuals across nine counties. Its mission is simple but powerful: To create and support one-on-one relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Through the generosity of local individuals and “Corporate Bigs,” they are able to offer services for free. Click here for a recent article we published about BBBS and its President and CEO, Aimee Risser.   

As Anthony and his friends contemplated establishing a kids fishing tournament, they gathered support from businesses. Along with the City of Fairhope, FEEF, and BBBS of the Central Gulf Coast, the organizers began making calls for sponsor support. The team included Anthony, Brent Barkin of the Blind Tiger (located on the Fairhope Pier), and Joe Brown of Portside Advertising. 

All have a history of supporting good local causes, and have many business friends in the community. Through these relationships, they have attracted two title sponsors, First Horizon Bank and Volkswagen Kia of Daphne. Others who have joined the fun include Waterville USA’s John Turberville in Gulf Shores, Chick-fil-A, McCoy Outdoors in Mobile, and AltaPointe Health. Mobile Baykeeper volunteers will be on hand to help organize the fishing activities.

Entry fee to participate (kids up to 17 years old) is $12.50, and includes lunch provided by Chick-fil-A and a T-Shirt commemorating the event. A generous range of prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in several categories include passes to Waterville, $100 gift certificates to McCoy Outdoors, and prize packages from AltaPointe Health. A Grand Prize will be awarded: a season pass to Waterville USA to the angler with the most combined weight for one slot-sized Redfish and one slot-sized Speckled trout.

Since I had Anthony on the phone, I asked him about this year's oyster season. “With the drought, it was the best hit of Spring oysters we’ve ever had. Of the 1.2 to 1.5 oysters we planted, over 800,000 were harvested and sold. Over 10 million oysters raised by local farms throughout the area have been sold this Spring.”

He credits the good harvest to a lack of rain (until recently) and the lack of mud in the water since the Mobile Bay Ship Channel dredging project has been completed. 

“With recent legislation, Mobile Baykeepers has hopefully put an end to any future mud dumping going forward. There are better ways to deal with dredge material than just dumping it into our waters, as we’ve seen in other cities like Tampa, Charleston, and Savannah. It’s bad for fishing, tourism, and certainly bad for growing healthy, tasty oysters.

Hooked on Fairhope Fishing Tournament is a community-driven children’s fishing tournament that the group hopes to host annually. “Our mission is to introduce children to the joy of fishing while strengthening family bonds, encouraging mentorship, and fostering respect for our coastal environment.”

“Through a fun, inclusive, and well-organized event, we aim to build confidence, character, and life-long appreciation for the outdoors– connecting the next generation to the water, to one another, and to the traditions that make our region special.”

Well said and Good Luck to all! The Hooked on Fairhope Fishing Tournament will be held Saturday, June 13, for children ages 17 and under, and begins at daylight through 2 pm. Register today by going to Hookedonfairhope.com