Alabama’s Bayou La Batre hosts kayak fishing tournament
Some people fish.
Others kayak.
Then there are those who combine the two.
Welcome to the Kayak Classic fishing tournament at Bayou La Batre.
The third annual event Aug. 6 attracted hundreds of fishing enthusiasts to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. And, as the name implies, they had to fish from a kayak.
Alabama’s Bayou La Batre hosts kayak fishing tournament from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
Action began at 6 a.m. at the Bayou La Batre city docks, as participants competed for 33 awards including master and junior angler titles. Live music, fresh food, cold spirits and even a kayak prize were part of the event.
“The purpose of the tournament is to raise awareness about our city, about Bayou La Batre and what it has to offer. It’s a beautiful little town that a lot of people can enjoy. The chief income of the city is from the fishing industry,” spokesman Lance Lamcool said.
Sponsors for the Kayak Classic included Alabama Power, Master Marine, Horizon Shipbuilding, Greer’s Market and the city of Bayou La Batre. Lamcool attributes that to the resilient nature of those who are connected to the area and to fishing.
“The Bayou La Batre Kayak Classic started back in 2014; the bayou was still affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We were trying to get our economy back together, and some of the grant money provided by the city was used to fund the first tournament,” Lamcool said. “Since 2014, we have doubled our sponsorship and have tripled the number of our fisherman in the tournament. Our people are connected to land and to water.”
This year’s master angler title went to Nathan Rich, with a 7.38-pound redfish. A total of $8,000 in prize money was awarded in several categories.
Dena Pigg, the local Alabama Power manager and past president of the Chamber of Commerce who started the tournament, expects it to attract more fishermen from all over the Southeast, reeling in even more tourist dollars for the area economy.
“We have a long history of fishing in Bayou La Batre. It has always drawn people from all over the area and the state,” Pigg said. “Kayaking is one of those newer sports that is growing at a high rate. When you combine those two wonderful activities, well, you just have a winner. Our bayou offers saltwater fishing you just can’t find anywhere else.”
For information about Bayou La Batre, visit http://www.bayoulabatreareachamber.org/. For information about the Kayak Classic, visit http://bayoulabatrekayakclassic.org.