Go Fishing and Meet Legendary Coaches and Players at the 2013 SEC BeachFest on Alabama’s Gulf Coast
John E. Phillips 08.06.13
Three of the best bargains available during the SEC BeachFest of August 15-18 will be the fishing opportunities in which families can participate. The free kids’ pier fishing tournament will take place on Sunday, August 18, at the Gulf State Park Pier in GulfShores from 9:00 am to 11:00 am for children 15 years old and younger. They will have opportunities to win prizes for fish they catch, like speckled trout, redfish, flounder, sheepshead, spadefish, blue fish, king mackerel, Spanish mackerel, pompano and ground mullet. Anglers will help youngsters learn how to fish from the pier, and legendary SEC football players and coaches will sign autographs. Remember, six SEC football teams have been picked in coaches’ poll to make the top-12 teams in the nation for 2013.
The SEC BeachFest Fishing Challenge, sponsored by the Orange Beach Fishing Association and Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Alabama Tourism, on Saturday, August 17, will be a tournament costing $200 per angler at Zeke’s Marina in OrangeBeach from 7:00 to 11:00 am. SEC coaches and players will be on the boats with each contestant receiving two festival tickets, the possibility of winning one of over 200 prizes and free food and drinks provided by Wolf Bay Lodge. Fishing primarily will be for Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, bluefish and cobia, while trolling the front beaches, talking football and having fun.
You also can enjoy a tailgate party at the Challenge with a fishing twist. Take your family, business associates or five good friends to a tailgate party on the water by sponsoring a boat for $2,000. You’ll be entered in the tournament, can catch fish, will enjoy talking with an SEC legend on board about football and fishing and have a branded boat with signage, listing on the website and other marketing benefits, besides 5 VIP tickets to both concerts. These sponsored boats will hold one of the first tailgate parties of the 2013 football season.
Fishing and football do mix on Alabama’s GulfCoast. Plan to come down, go fishing with us, and enjoy all the sights and sounds of SEC BeachFest 2013. Go to http://secbeachfest.com/ to learn more.
For more information about GulfShores and Orange Beach, Alabama, visit www.orangebeach.com/fishing, the easy-to-access fishing-information pages complete with marina and charter captain listings. For any questions, call Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism’s vacation-planning specialists at 1-800-745-SAND (7263). For a list of cook-your-catch restaurants, go to www.orangebeach.com/dining-nightlife/restaurants.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
