Coastal Alabama Fishing Report - 6/4/2018
- Captain Billy Howell
- Jun 4, 2018
- 14 min read
The Wreck(en)em Day Finally Arrived
We moved to the Coastal Alabama area 5 years ago next month. During that 5 year period, we have come to love the area for it's laid back culture, beautiful sunsets and amazing outdoor options. For me personally, it's the fishing. It didn't take long to learn the iconic nature of the Gulf Red Snapper. After having my rod bow to the first one in the October season of 2013, I couldn't wait until what I thought would be a long season the next year since they were so plentiful. Obsession turned to anticipation of the announcement of the 2014 season. As a newbie, I didn't realize they were so elusive and endangered, nor did I know about all the factors that played a part into determining the seasons each year. I just assumed it always opened June 1 and we would get all summer to fish for them. When the announcement finally came that NOAA was giving us a 9 day season, I literally felt like I had been gut punched. As my heart sank into my stomach, anger brewed and bitterness boiled. I had just spent thousands of dollars on a boat, tackle and gear, only to find out that I would probably only get to fish a couple days during a 9 day stretch thanks to our bipolar weather and seas.
Thanks to our strong Alabama marine resources leadership, political influence and passionate anglers, we have come a long way in the past few years. If we want this good fortune to continue, we have to prove that we can be accountable and report our catches through the Outdoor Alabama Snapper Check app. It's easy to do and you get a confirmation that you can screenshot and show to marine resources should you get boarded or checked.
Weekend seasons work out perfect for the recreational angler because you don't have to take off work to go fishing AND you have plenty of opportunity to pick a different weekend if the weather and seas don't cooperate.
Now to the good stuff. While Alberto ruined many anglers memorial day plans for a day chasing reef donkeys and triggerfish, by weeks end the water was gorgeous. Earlier in the week the Gulf waters stayed a choppy and looked like chocolate milk nearshore for a few days and the king and spanish bite slowed down. Since the tropical storm stayed further to our east, we really didn't have the rain or storm surge we were concerned about. The inshore bite remained magical from Perdido Key to the Mississippi Sound, with some lunkers being caught and released. From what I hear the water in the Mississippi Sound was not as clear as it had been in previous weeks, making it harder to site cast for tripletail. The seas calmed just enough by Friday, just in time for hundreds of boats to head out to go snappin'.
The seas weren't flat, but they were definitely manageable, while underway. If you were one of the boats heading out, you would probably agree that the worst part was just fighting through the sloppiness of boat wakes. On the first trip, I had the good fortune of taking some buddies on a grocery run. We all caught good fish but fellow guide buddy, Captain Erik Nelson, Finatics Fishing Charters landed this 21.4 lb sow on his first drop.
If you didn't have some type fishing tournament or rodeo ticket this weekend, you missed the opportunity to support worthy causes and win some prizes. Never fear though, we are in the tournament season and have a YUGE kids tournament coming up in about 3 weeks, the Elaine Rowe Memorial Tournament.
On Saturday, we were fortunate to be able to assist in a 16 boat, inshore trip out of the Grand Hotel, better known as "the Hotel," put together by Captain Kevin Olmstead of Point Clear Fishing Adventures. It's hard enough putting together small group trips this time of year, but Capt. Kevin Olmstead (KO) has years of experience organizing successful large group trips out of "The Hotel." The Newtron group had a great day on the water with 16 local guides. Capt. Olmstead's boat ended up winning the "best boat" category, as they caught the most total fish, over 30 speckled trout and about 15 catfish.
The upcoming week should bring calmer seas and cooler temps as a cool front moves through. Highs in the upper 80's and lows in the 70's and seas around a foot after Monday through Thursday will make that morning run almost perfect. If you are heading out this week, keep those hooks baited, lines tight and rods bent!
These reports require a collaborative effort from all the contributors, so please click their link and follow their social media accounts. Look for the column header that says weekly drawing, email bentoutfittersfishing@gmail.com your answer to the question to get in the drawing held on Facebook live on Friday nights @bentoutfittersfishing. Also, subscribe on our website at www.bentoutfittersfishing.com to receive these reports as they come out. Please leave comments at the bottom of the blog after reading and let us know if you find the information interesting and helpful. If you would like to get local fishing news or a tournament announcement in the blog, email bentoutfittersfishing@gmail.com
INSHORE REPORT
Orange Beach / Perdido Key / Gulf Shores - Wolf Bay - ICW
Tails and Scales Fishing Charters - Captain Taylor Fisher
Instagram: @tail_scalescharters
Cell: 251-550-9301
Captain Taylor said, "I spent the week catching speckled trout on the flats around Orange Beach using popping corks with live shrimp, jigs with Matrix Shad, Mirrolure and Yozuri jerk baits.
He said they also found a decent spanish bite while trolling around inshore reefs.
Captain Taylor has been fishing the Orange Beach / Gulf Shores area from over 10 years, runs his guided fishing trips out of Caribe Marina and always shows his customers a great time.
Orange Beach / Perdido Key / Gulf Shores - Wolf Bay - ICW
Liquid Force Charters - Captain Dusty Hayes
Facebook: @liquidforceinshorecharters
Instagram: @capt.dustin
Cell: 678-897-0167
Captain Dusty says, "the inshore bite in Orange Beach this past week has been hot. After dealing with sub-tropical storm Alberto, the trout bite has been great day and night. Areas of 2-4 foot of water are full of trout and ladyfish. Most of the bigger fish caught are on hard baits such as Matrix Mullet and Unfair Lures Stick Minno.
Dock lights are a good way to go after trout and it's gaining popularity are making it a little more difficult to some nights, because you are competing with other boats. Black drum and redfish are thick in the intracoastal waterway as well! 15 lb leader and live shrimp is a good way to cover lots of species inshore. Good Luck!"
Captain Dusty has been offering guided fishing trips for several years in Coastal Alabama out of Orange Beach and Gulf Shores and is sure to offer a great time on the water and catch fish!
Eastern Shore - Mobile Bay - Dauphin Island
Ugly Fishing - Captain Patric Garmeson
Facebook: @ugly.fishing
Instagram: @ugly_fishing
Website: www.uglyfishing.com
Cell: 251-747-1554
Captain Patric says, "May is one of the better months for speckled trout fishing in and around Mobile Bay. This year was no exception. From May 1st - 31st, my clients caught thousands of speckled trout with some real trophies mixed in. This past week we did 90% of our damage in water 10’ deep and deeper, using slip corks and free-lined baits. Our best action seemed to be from daylight til high tide, which was around noon each day this week. My tactic while fishing for speckled trout, regardless of water depth is to fish fast. Couple casts in primo locations with good baits should produce in a matter of a few seconds, then cover a few other areas with a few more casts if no bites. IMO waiting on the bite can drastically decrease the amount of fish that you could likely catch in a day. On the flip side, waiting on a bite could throw you a big fish or two.
The only other effective trout catching tactic was throwing popping corks and either live or vudu shrimp. We threw popping corks on shallow water on both sides of bay with equal success. We never found a jam up bite but we found enough keepers to keep my clients excited. The up coming week has lighter tide movement which should favor well for those areas that normally have strong tide movements like Dauphin Island Bridge, mouth of Bay and other pass like areas. Fish in these areas while tides are light so you can present your baits as natural as possible.
Captain Patric Garmeson is very mobile running trips from Dauphin Island to Gulf Shores. Captain Patric has years of experience fishing our local waters and is sure to provide you and your family with a fun-filled, fish catching experience on the water.
Mobile Bay - Dauphin Island – Fort Morgan
Irish Wake Fishing - Captain Jay O’Brien
Facebook: @ IrishWake Fishing
Instagram: @Irish Wake Fishing
Website: www.irishwakefishing.com
Phone: 251-272-4285
Captain JayO says, "the fishing around Mobile Bay is still great! I fished just about the entire length of the Bay this past week, over various trips. I found fish at just about every stop just like previous weeks. I had a couple of doubles and all day trips this past week, and the bite was equally good in both the mornings and afternoons. Live shrimp and Vudu's under popping corks, as well as slip corks continue to be the ticket in most areas. Fish are still showing up at Middle Bay Lighthouse and Gaillard Island, as well as various other spots on both the western and eastern shores along the middle section of the Bay.
These fish were caught with Vudu shrimp and live shrimp under popping corks, Slick Lures, Rapala Skitter Walkers and shrimp on slip corks. On the lower end of the Bay the CCA Reefs, the Shoals, the Rigs and the other artificial reefs continue to produce. Live shrimp, mullet imitations like The Slick Lure, and grubs like the Yum Mud Minnow were the baits we used.
My trip Sunday Morning was interesting. The wind was screaming out of the west, and I was pretty confident it was going to be a tough day. My crew was just happy to get out on the water, so off we went. We found an area that afforded a little protection and proceeded to whack on trout for a good two hours. The moral of the story is, you don’t know until you go. So get out there and go when you have the chance, no matter how bad of a day you might think it’s going to be! The fishing continues to be as good as I have seen it in a while.
Get out there and take advantage of it or hire your favorite captain to take you out!
Captain JayO is very mobile running trips from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan. Captain JayO has years of experience fishing our local waters and is sure to provide you and your family with a fun-filled, fish catching experience on the water. Irish Wake Fishing’s motto is Trophies, Groceries and Good Times!
Irish Wake Fishing would also like to thank their sponsors Islamorada Boatworks, Cajun Custom Rods and Smith Optics.
Mobile Delta
Dippi Outdoors - Dip McMillan
Email: alkeenmcmillan87@gmail.com
Phone: 251-747-9261
Dip says, "the crappies were on fire Tuesday morning back on Tensaw Lake. They were in the same depth as well 5-7 ft, suspended. My first 10 fish were 12-14 inches, and that's pretty impressive for that area. I knew it was going to be good morning.
My hand tie jigs with the pink head, were their main target. Around mid morning, it started to rain lightly and I couldn't keep 8 poles in the water. The limit came fast. June 3, the river changed tremendously since Tuesday. As of today Tensaw Lake is flooded. This morning, I went on the south end around cliffs landing and found some clear water, but the crappies weren't hungry at all. I could see them on my fish finder, but no action. I fished about 3 hours and only had 5 keepers. Hopefully this coming weekend will be a lot better.
Thank you Dip for that outstanding report! If you like to crappie fish and want to to the where and how, contact Dip to go have some fun in the delta catching some crappies!
Surfside
Orange Beach - Gulf Shores – Fort Morgan
Bama Beach Bum Fishing - Matthew Isbell
Facebook: @bamabeachbumfishing
Instagram: @bamabeachbum_fishing
Cell: 334-391-5913
Bama Beach Bum Fishing, Matt Isbell says, "Seaweed! If you are trying to surf fish along the Alabama Gulf Coast you have probably noticed there are many areas that have become quite difficult to fish! The fish are still there and can be caught, if you are willing to clean green slime off your lines constantly. Redfish, pompano, and whiting are still biting despite the inconvenience. You can move around and find areas that are clear and have a much better opportunity to keep baits in the water. Pompano are still biting steady and you can still have some good days if you find the right area.
Lady fish schools have moved in and can provide some awesome light tackle action! The presence of lady fish has brought in other predators with more teeth. Mixed in the schools of lady fish are schools of bluefish feeding on the lady fish and smaller baitfish that is plentiful for the lady fish in the warmer water.
Bluefish remains an underrated fish for table fare, I just grilled some tonight and it is delicious! Plus, it would be a challenging task to find a harder fighting inshore fish pound for pound than bluefish! Be sure to bleed them immediately and ice them down quickly.
If you enjoy land based shark fishing, now is a good time to catch some smaller species of sharks such as Atlantic Sharpnose, Blacknose, and Blacktips. They are moving in and feeding on the lady fish and bluefish schools. There is a lot of action happening in the surf and it is best to get out their early to capitalize!
Matthew Isbell is the one and only, Bama Beach bum and has been guiding visitors to fish catching experiences in the surf. Not only does he offer guided surf fishing trips, but he also does a lot of instructional videos to help people catch more fish in the surf. His Youtube channel currently has over 2800 subscribers. Click on his link above for more information on how to book a trip with him.
The Pier Review
Captain David Collins
Captain Collins says, "This week has been a tough week for fishing, with the leftovers from the storm; rain and wind. It hasn't been ideal unless you are a snapper fisherman. Gulf Shores Pier produced a few reds and fewer kings, jack crevalle, spanish mackerel. There are still enough sharks lurking around in the mud to steal their fish. Things WILL get better!"
Captain Collins' tech tip of the week is regarding a tackle box idea. "Buy an Engel cooler / dry box of any size and depending on how much tackle you want to carry; put your plastic tackle boxes in there. In my humble opinion, they are the best tackle box available because you can get any size and configure them as needed.
Until next week, hang loose!
Keep up with the latest Gulf State Pier information at GSPierfishing.com.
Offshore Report
Orange Beach, Alabama
Reel Kill Fishing Charters - Captain Bryars Bishop
Facebook: @reelkillcharters
Instagram: @reel_kill_charters
Website: www.reelkillcharters.com
Cell: 251-714-6008
Captain Bryars says, "Snapper season is finally here. Many fish were brought in this weekend and there are many more to be caught. Capt. Bryars ran 3 trips this weekend and came in with limits of nice fish each time. Saturday morning we had the snapper up on the top, catching them on poppers. I still have a few morning trips available and some afternoons, so give me a call and let's go fishing.
Capt. Bryars has years of experience fishing the Alabama Gulf coast and guides out of Caribe Marina in Orange Beach, Alabama. His trips always brings in a boat load of fish and he shows his clients a great time on the water.
Bent Outfitters Fishing - Captain Billy Howell
Facebook: @bentoutfittersfishing
Instagram: @bent_outfitters_fishing
Website: www.bentoutfittersfishing.com
Cell: 601-938-7161
Like a 5 year old anticipating Christmas, my last few months have been spent anticipating opening day of red snapper season and it did not disappoint. We were on the water for 5 trips this week and all of them were Friday and Saturday. On Friday, some family, friends and I headed out on grocery run. We left the dock at 6:15 a.m. and were back with approximately 180 lbs of red snapper by 10:30 a.m. The largest we landed that morning was 21.4 lbs and second largest was almost 20. Not a bad average for a morning fishing with 6 people on the boat using 2 hook bottom rigs, cut pogies, live Ly's and cigar minnow. We also caught a few red snapper on a 4 oz, pink and white SPRO jig. All of our fish over the weekend were caught within 20 miles of shore in about 105 foot of water.
The second trip didn't disappoint. We caught several big red snapper and some average size. The 13 year old young lady on the trip put the most and the biggest fish in the box.
On Saturday, we had an inshore trip in the morning in Fairhope and an offshore trip in the afternoon in Orange Beach. The west wind picked up by the afternoon making conditions miserable for travel but tolerable to fish. We ended up with a really nice box of fish, including a couple 4 lb mangrove snapper in the once again, with the biggest fish weighing in at 20.2 lbs. The mangroves were caught using cigar minnows. The cobia we caught was about 4 inches too short.
We are looking forward to the cooler temperatures and seas laying down. We still have a few openings, so book your trip today! If you fish from your own vessel, keep those rods bent!
Captain Billy has been fishing the coastal waters of Alabama for several years now and provides a fun-filled, family fishing experience for your family. Captain Billy runs his offshore trips from Caribe Marina in Orange Beach and inshore trips pretty much any where from the eastern shore of Mobile Bay to Orange Beach.
Upcoming Tournaments
Below you will find a mostly complete list of upcoming tournaments put together and posted by Saltwater Finaddicts . Give it a look over and make your tournament plans today.
The Rowe family says, "Join us on June 24th for the 2nd Annual-Elaine Rowe-Kids Day Out Tournament. We will have raffle prizes, food, drinks, and more! Get those babies outdoors for a fun filled day!" More information can be found by clicking on the image above. This tournament had over 200 participants last year.
Coastal Culinary Corner
This week is all about keeping things simple but offering you something tasty and delicious. In honor of opening weekend of red snapper season, we are going to give a simple method for grilled snapper throats. Larger throats have more meat and may even be able to feed more than one person, depending on the size fish. We prefer them grilled, but you can bake, broil or fry them.
Grilled Red Snapper Throats
Ingredients
Red Snapper Throats
Olive Oil
Butter
Tony Chachere's
Garlic Salt
Preparation of the throats and Instructions for cooking:
1. Take the red snapper throats and use meat scissors to cut the fins
2. Take red snapper throats and break them down the middle so they lie down on the grill. (they will look like bats)
3. Coat the scales side with olive oil so when you lie this part down it doesn't stick to the grill.
4. Sprinkle Tony's and a little garlic salt on the meat portion
5. Baste with Melted butter
6. Place the snapper throats directly to the grill and let them cook on low - medium heat until you can stick a fork easily through the meat. Flip it over briefly to sear but basically do not over cook. Take them off when the meat is moist!
7. Enjoy!
Sponsor Spotlight
In this weeks sponsor spotlight, we are featuring Daiwa. Daiwa's first reel rolled off the line in 1955. Today they are one of the largest and most influential tackle companies in the world today. "From the very beginning, Daiwa's emphasis has been upon innovation and quality. The result is a long list of product features, design and materials that have become standards for the fishing tackle industry. It is a long-standing record of innovation, the type of innovation that has left a visible mark on the majority of tackle manufactured today, innovation that continues to advance the sport of fishing."
As mentioned in of the previous blogs, my first bait caster was a Daiwa. We currently use Daiwa rod and reels for all of our inshore gear and several daiwa products for offshore; including one of my favorites, the saltiga narrow 2 speed jigging reel like the one pictured above. Most of our jigging rods are Daiwa and our bent butt rods are all Daiwa. The saltist 2 speed, narrow, jigging reel is a powerhouse for bringing in big red snapper. Their rods are light and manageable and sensitive enough to feel bites when just bottom fishing, but have the backbone you need to work big fish.
Daiwa makes the best gear for the money We will be converting to Saltist reels for all of our light tackle and medium tackle spinners and Saltiga for all conventionals.
Weekly Giveaway
This week, we will give away another Bent Outfitters Fishing UPF 50, long sleeve, Performance Shirt, a hat and an Matrix Shad prize pack. What year did Daiwa roll its first reel off the assembly line? Email us your answer to get in this weeks drawing!
Summary
Regardless of the forecasts, the avid anglers and boating enthusiasts will find a way to get their fix. Just a friendly reminder; have all your safety gear up to date, be safe and courteous and but most of all keep those rods bent!
If you are planning a vacation to the area and want to take advantage of great fishing, cruise the bay or islands, there are plenty of options for you. Special thanks to all the contributors for this report. We look forward to keeping you informed each week of what's happening on the water.
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