In 2020, the Eastern Shore Fly Fishers of Alabama hosted a first of its kind fly fishing only tournament in the Mobile Bay area and surrounding waters. The tournament format was Catch-Tag-Photo-Release (CTPR) targeting the Atlantic Tripletail only. Participants used dart tagging kits and the Fishing Chaos app to log and submit their catches.
The tournament was a joint project with the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Lab. The purpose was to tag and release a significant quantity of fish for research. The funds raised also went to ESFF and GCRL conservation and educational outreach programs.
The popularity and success of the event has exploded since that first year. In fact, there is a limit for registration of teams participating and that limit is usually reached many months before the tournament is held. In 2022, the Eastern Shore club was awarded the Gulf Coast Council’s “Conservation Excellence Award” for their efforts in promoting tripletail research.
The 5th annual Tripletail Classic will take place on Saturday, July 29, 2024. Location will once again be the Weeks Bay Reserve Tonsmeire Resource Center in Fairhope, AL. And while registration for the tournament itself is already full, there is much more to this event than the fishing. Sponsors and conservation organizations will also be on hand during the day leading up to the awards banquet that evening.
The FFI Gulf Coast Council will again be participating in the “Conservation Causeway” at the Tripletail Classic. The Causeway was created as an outreach opportunity for organizations from south Alabama and the Gulf region with an environmental stewardship mission to connect with the recreational fishing and boating community in the area. With over 150 folks in attendance, this is a great opportunity to share our involvement in conservation issues.
For more on the Tripletail Classic, go to www.easternshoreflyfishers.com/tripletail-classic.
