State Rep. Craig Lipscomb (R-Gadsden) and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) recently discussed permitting policy for bass fishing tournaments in Alabama.
The Auburn University Bass Fishing Club recently cancelled an upcoming tournament on Lake Jordan “due to recent events and the Administrative Code implemented requiring a permit for marine events.”
Three boaters were killed in a crash at Smith Lake in April during a Major League Fishing tournament.
Lipscomb said during an interview on Monday on Lines & Tines with Spencer Graves that policies for permits for bass fishing tournaments were currently being reviewed by ALEA.
“I don’t know that there’s anyone who would be denied a permit. I think the question at hand is what is going to be the threshold that would trigger you having to get a permit? What that size tournament is going to be? I don’t know yet. I know the number 25 has been tossed around. I think that is probably a bit low in my opinion. I’d rather see that closer to 50, but I don’t get to make those decisions. At some point, we are going to find out from the Marine Police what they think is appropriate for them to manage. It’s really all about their staffing,” Lipscomb said. “Whether they should’ve been doing this permit application all along for the past 30 or 40 years or however long it’s been in place, yeah probably they should’ve. We wouldn’t be having this conversation today if that had been the case because people would know what’s what.”
Lipscomb said, “The accidents are still going to happen but just as far as the sake of filling out the permit if everybody would’ve been doing this all along for all of these years we wouldn’t be here talking about having to do permits because everyone would be used to it.”
“It is something that they are probably working on as we speak. I couldn’t tell you that it’s going to be done tomorrow or the next day but I know they’re actively working to get it done,” Lipscomb said.
Amanda Wasden, a spokeswoman for ALEA, told 1819 News on Wednesday, “The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Marine Patrol Division has not changed or revised its operating procedures with regard to the permitting of marine events. Both the law and regulation covering the requirement for a permit and the application process have been in place since 1994.”
“Marine events, which include fishing tournaments, are required to be permitted in the interest of public safety as tournament fishermen share the access points and public waters with other recreational boaters. This also allows ALEA to have a point of contact with the organization or individual responsible and allows our resources to be deployed where the need exists,” Wasden said. “The application process for the organizer of the event is simple and free, and is outlined on our public website at:
https://www.alea.gov/sites/default/files/inline-files/MarineEventApplicationFY2018.pdf In Fiscal Year 2025 (Oct. 1, 2024 – Sept. 30, 2025), ALEA’s Marine Patrol Division permitted 152 marine events of which 54 were fishing tournaments. Any denials were due to the organizer or host not submitting the application at least 15 days prior to the date of the event as stated on the application form.”
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