Alabama's Gulf Coast: What's Biting?

A Second Offshore Cobia Run in August on Alabama’s Gulf Coast with Captain Seth Wilson

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:32:00 GMT

Along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, the annual cobia run occurs toward the end of March. The cobia come from south Florida, migrating up Florida’s west coast around the Panhandle, and then move to the Alabama, the Mississippi and the Louisiana coasts to spend their summers around or near the mouth of the Mississippi River. In the fall, the cobia make a second, smaller run from west to east and back to south Florida. Now there’s a strong indication that the cobia make a second run from east to west in August.

The August Head Boat Report with Captain Butch Tucker

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:37:00 GMT

Captain Butch Tucker of “Zeke’s Lady” charter boat, docked at Zeke’s Landing Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, runs a 6-hour trip in the morning and a 4-hour trip in the afternoon, during the summer months. Even if you can’t charter a boat on your own, you can go out on a head boat like “Zeke’s Lady” with other anglers and catch plenty of fish.

Inshore August Fishing on Alabama’s Gulf Coast with Captain Dennis Treigle

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 10:32:00 GMT

During August, most of our fish will be caught from the bay area near Perdido Pass. In the early morning, we’ll be concentrating on speckled trout. Later in the morning, when the sun’s up, and the trout bite is over, we’ll be fishing for redfish and flounder. As the weather warms up even more in August, fishing for speckled trout becomes tough. So, anyone who wants to catch speckled trout needs to get up before daylight and be on the water as soon as the sun glows. After the redfish bite’s over, we move from dock to dock inside the bay until we find a dock holding redfish. Certain docks will hold large numbers of redfish. When you locate these docks, you can have a good time catching plenty of redfish. Not every dock will produce redfish. We’ll still be catching quite a few flounder around jetties in the Pass when we catch the right bait for them.

Captain Jeff Chambliss Fishes for Speckled Trout, Redfish and Flounder in July on Alabama’s Coast

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:10:00 GMT

In Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama, the weather’s never too rough to fish. With the number of back bays, canals, lagoons, coastal rivers and artificial reefs in the area, regardless of the weather conditions or the temperature, fish are always biting somewhere on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Captain Jeff Chambliss, who’s fished Perdido Bay and Perdido Pass for 18 years, fishes out of SanRoc Cay Marina in Orange Beach and specializes in catching speckled trout, redfish and the occasional flounder.

Catching a Box Full of Fish Near Shore with Captain Art Jones

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:16:00 GMT

Captain Art Jones of Orange Beach, Alabama, has operated the charter boat, “Dana-J,” docked at Outcast Marina in Orange Beach, since 1986. While many captains reach the dock early to get quickly to the offshore fishing grounds, the “Dana-J” is one of the last boats out and one of the first boats to return, always carrying a good box full of fish.

Finding and Catching Fish Offshore in July from Alabama Waters with Captain Peter Fill

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 10:49:00 GMT

Captain Peter Fill of the charter boat, “Yankee Star,” based out of Outcast Marina in Gulf Shores, Alabama, set the new state record for black grouper this past year. This month, Fill will tell us where he finds and catches fish offshore in July.

Fishing at Alabama’s Gulf Coast with Josh Hiller

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:40:00 GMT

Catching the Aggregate in June with Captain Butch Tucker

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 10:23:00 GMT

To catch enough fish for a fish fry this year, you’ll have to fish for the aggregate, made up of a total of 20-different species of varying sizes of saltwater fish, with only a certain number of each species. Captain Butch Tucker of Orange Beach, Alabama, a 38-year veteran of fishing the Gulf of Mexico, tell us how to catch the aggregate this summer.

Captain Brian Lynch Gears Up for the Red Snapper World Championship on Alabama’s Gulf Coast in June

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:43:00 GMT

Editor’s Note: Brian Lynch is the captain of the “Island Girl” charter boat out of Zeke’s Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama.

The Gulf Coast Mystery Lake

Mon, 19 May 2008 16:13:00 GMT

Kelly Reetz, the naturalist at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama, has plenty of information about Lake Shelby, as does Dave Armstrong, district fisheries supervisor for District V, which includes Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. One of the most-amazing bodies of water anywhere, Lake Shelby is the closest freshwater lake to salt water. Lake Shelby consists of three spring-fed lakes but also has had an intrusion of salt water throughout its history. When waves from hurricanes wash over the Alabama Gulf Coast, they often deposit speckled trout, redfish, white trout and flounder into the lake. When the storms subside, and the lake returns to its natural boundaries, Lake Shelby then will home good numbers of both freshwater and saltwater fish. “Lake Shelby is a part of the state park system,” Armstrong explains. “However, the Fisheries Section of Alabama’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has often helped stock Lake Shelby.”

May’s Inshore Fishing at the Mississippi Sound and in the Mobile Bay

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:49:00 GMT

Editor’s Note: Captain Scott Jordan of Dauphin Island, Alabama, guides on the Mississippi Sound and in the Mobile Bay. This month, Jordan will tell us where to find the best inshore fishing in May.

Tips for Landing Offshore Fish in May

Thu, 01 May 2008 13:27:00 GMT

Captain Don Walker of the charter boat "Lady D," docks at Sportsman Marina and Dry Dock in Orange Beach, Alabama, and has fished offshore on Alabama's Gulf Coast for most of his life.

Catching May Cobia

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:10:00 GMT

Captain Jeff Colley, Jr., of the “Killing Time,” based out of Zeke’s Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, has developed a technique for catching cobia that has resulted in his boat not spooking a single cobia during the 2007 cobia run. Colley and his fishermen boated 71 cobia in 2007 and tagged and released another 31 fish.

Reeling in April's Best Inshore Fishing

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 08:41:00 GMT

In April, some of the best inshore fishing on Alabama’s Gulf Coast occurs at the mouth of Mobile Bay under the guns of Fort Morgan and Fort Gaines. As a young boy, Erik Davis of Gulf Shores, Alabama, spent much of his childhood in his dad’s boat fishing these waters. Now, he’s fulfilling a lifelong dream of being a fishing guide, like his dad, Gary Davis of Foley, and guiding parties out of Fort Morgan. This month, Erik will tell us what to catch and how to catch them in this history-rich, extremely-fertile estuary area.

The King of Offshore Cobia

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:58:00 GMT

Captain Ben Fairey of the charter boat “Necessity,” based out of Orange Beach Marina, holds the Alabama state record for cobia with a fish that weighed 117 pounds and 7 ounces caught in 1995. He’s one of the most-relentless cobia fishermen on the Gulf of Mexico. Fairey prowls the beaches from Panama City, Florida, to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in search of the brown bombers that make their annual migration in the spring each year.

Gearing Up For A Mammoth March Close to Shore

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 11:28:00 GMT

Captain Jeff Chambliss fishes out of SanRoc Cay Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, for inshore pompano, speckled trout, redfish, flounder and sheepshead.

February's Fish-Catching Machine

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Sonny Alawine, captain of the “Summer Breeze,” based out of Zeke’s Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, has fished offshore from Orange Beach most of his life. The “Summer Breeze” has a long history of being a fish-catching machine.

Inshore Family Fishing Fun

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 08:25:00 GMT

Captain Kathy Broughton of Orange Beach, Alabama, an inshore charter boat fisherman since 1994, was once a typical suburban soccer mom and housewife living in Mountain Brook, Ala. “But ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to be a fishing guide,” says Broughton. “My father always had big boats. I’d go along with him, drive the boat and help rig the tackle. I’ve always enjoyed taking people fishing. I finally found a time and a place to live out my dream.”

January's Offshore Bounty of Redfish

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:48:00 GMT

January’s a great month to take a charter and fish for redfish. We’re catching and releasing a tremendous number of redfish this month. You can catch 20- to 30-pound redfish on just about any bait you put in the water. Triggerfish and vermillion snapper (beeliners), which are both delicious to eat, have also really been biting well. During this month, we’re still catching and releasing large numbers of big red snapper.

Hot Inshore Fishing for January

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 15:50:00 GMT

I’ve been fishing from Mobile Bay to the Pensacola Pass for the last 30 years. There are plenty of fish concentrated between those two openings to the Gulf of Mexico, including speckled trout, redfish, flounder, pompano, sheepshead, bluefish and ladyfish.

December is the Month to Come to the Beach and Fish Offshore

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:29:00 GMT

We’re catching plenty of triggerfish, vermillion snapper and red snapper, which we have to throw back because red snapper season is closed. Grouper, snapper and amberjack are really biting well in December. The vermillion snapper we’re catching weigh from 1- to 2-1/2-pounds each. At this time of year, we usually fish for a mixed bag of fish. Generally, we’ll fish for vermillion snapper, white snapper and triggerfish first, but we’ll also catch amberjack and grouper.

Redfish are On Fire During December

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:27:00 GMT

At this time of year, we’ll go inshore on calm days and targeting big, bull redfish. We fish both the Alabama and the Florida coastal waters. Right now, we’re finding big redfish running about 4 yards off the beaches that weigh from 15- to 35-pounds each.

Tuna Time in Alabama

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:43:00 GMT

Captain Johnny Greene of the charter boat, “Intimidator,” operating out of Orange Beach Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, fishes 12 months out of the year.

November Fishing is Heating Up Inshore

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:11:00 GMT

Rob Kritzmire, owner of Rob’s Inshore Fishing, operating out of Romar Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, says that November is one of the best fishing months on Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

October's Offshore Fishing with Butch Tucker

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 09:28:00 GMT

Butch Tucker, captain of the “Shady Lady” out of Zeke’s Landing Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama, fishes all winter with charter parties. This month, Tucker tells us what’s biting offshore and invites you to fish Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

Inshore Fishing in October with Gary Davis

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:57:00 GMT

At this time of year, the fish are moving out of the bays and into the mouths of the rivers. Dog River and Gillard’s Island (a spoilage area) are loaded with speckled trout, redfish and flounder. I fished there two days the first week in October with clients, and we caught flounder, black snapper (gray snapper), speckled trout and a good number of white trout.

Monster Fish off Alabama's Gulf Coast

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:16:00 GMT

Four-hundred-pound-plus blue marlin breach from the cobalt-blue waters off Alabama's Gulf Coast and dance on their tails while engaging in a sword fight in the sky. You'll find some of the best and most-exciting big-game fishing just off Alabama's Gulf Coast. Anglers can catch blue marlin, white marlin, wahoo, dolphin, blackfin and yellowfin tuna, king mackerel and giant sharks when they leave the ports of Orange Beach and Fort Morgan and head out to the deep-water rigs and the Continental Shelf. Fast boats plow the Gulf of Mexico to get sport fishermen out to where the game fish feed. If this summer proves as dry as the last couple of summers, that deep cobalt-blue water will move fish in closer to shore to feed. From Orange Beach, you'll only have a short run in a fast boat to the Continental Shelf and the deep-water rigs.

New Inshore Reefs and More Fish on Alabama’s Gulf Coast

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

"Right now, we're catching good numbers of speckled trout and redfish," reports Captain Gary Davis from Foley, Alabama. "I have a 9-1/2-pound speckled trout in my freezer, caught by one of my customers, waiting to be taken to a taxidermist. We usually catch plenty of good-sized specks, reds and flounder all the way into November down here. Inshore fishing along Alabama's Gulf Coast has always been excellent, but today it’s even better than in years past."