Coastal Fishing Connections - Alabama Report - 7/22/2018
- Captain Billy Howell
- Jul 23, 2018
- 18 min read
It was fun while it lasted...
For once, it was nice to not have to worry about how many days we would get to fish when they announced the 51 day federal for-hire and 47 day recreational seasons respectively. This past week, Alabama Marine Resources announced that effective Sunday night, July 22, the 2018 Gulf Red Snapper season would conclude. Originally slated to close at midnight on Sept 3, the Sunday closure represented a 19 day reduction in total number of days for 2018 season versus what was originally proposed under the new Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) Pilot program. At least they had the common courtesy to wait until after the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo.
According to Alabama Marine Resources, the quota of 984,291 pounds allotted by NOAA Fisheries was expected to be met by the end of this past weekend due to "great weather days, hard fishing and average weight of red snapper increasing above the previous 8 pound average."
I am uncertain of how they arrived with this number, but according to Alabama Marine Resources, only 36% of the red snapper fishermen reported their catch. Talking with other fishermen in the community, it's a well known fact that some people won't report their catch because they don't trust the government but this year more people than ever before actually did report their catch. It's hard to believe the accuracy of the 36% count, but there is no solid evidence to the contrary. It is said that several factors go into the estimate including; boats leaving the pass, number of trailers at the launch and number of licensed saltwater anglers. The issue is, not all saltwater registered anglers reef fish.
It's too early to tell whether the first year of the Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) program was a success or how it can be improved but we are offering some alternative solutions for discussion below. I am in complete agreement that the average weight has gone up this year. In my 5 years of fishing on the Gulf Coast, I've never seen so many big girls get slammed on the cleaning counter. More information on the closure can be found at Outdoor Alabama.
As the season closes early, the saga continues for recreational anglers. What can be done to make things better. In talking with several anglers over the past week, I have heard some ideas pitched that could possibly work. All of these proposals still require reporting through the snapper check app.
1. Have each angler or boat that fishes for reef fish purchase a permit annually with a specific I.D. number that must adhered to the port side of the center console and visible to law enforcement.
Pro's - you have a solid ballpark of how many boats will actually be fishing for red snapper and you know
how many days that vessel actually fished.
Con's - Some people are going buy the permit and not go, some people still won't report
2. Set a slot limit on red snapper similar to redfish 16 -26 or 28 inches with only 1 OVER slot fish allowed per person per trip and require a reef permit per boat.
Pro's - you keep the average weight of red snapper in the 8-10 lb range allowing for longer seasons, you the majority of your breeding fish in the big pond. Remember, one 28 inch red snapper lays more eggs than 217 17 inch red snapper. The displayed permit would also allow marine resources to properly identify how many potential boats would be targeting snapper AND other species when in season.
Con's - can't think of any negatives to this idea. I am open to suggestions.
3. Lower the bag limit to 1 red snapper per person to give more days to fish.
Pro's - the season would be longer and you could pick and choose your days. You could also catch that one fish then move on to other reef species.
Con's - Having a 1 fish red snapper bag limit would probably discourage some angler's from even making the effort to go out fishing for them because their vessel limits them to waters that aren't productive for other reef species.
4. Lower the bag limit on red snapper to 1 but open triggerfish and allow 1 per person per trip
Pro's - Allows for a variety of species to be caught and both can be caught by most all vessels that reef fish and provide a good mixed box of fish.
Con's - can't think of any negatives. I am open to suggestions.
This past week brought the dreaded weak tides, predominately west winds for the majority of the week that led to muddier waters. Into the weekend thousands of anglers gutted out tough conditions to bring home the lute and bragging rights. Congratulations to Cindy Sims, winner of the random drawing for the 22 foot Contender. At least there were a couple manageable days during the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. This upcoming week the winds will be switching to the south with strongest winds on Tuesday and Wednesday but calming later in the week. The weather should be great for those looking to spend time outdoors and on the water this coming week with highs in mid 80's and sunny skies the majority of the week.
Under things you don't see every day, Captain Mike Davis and his crew had a surprise battle with a stud cobia inside the bay in Orange Beach week before last. Capt. Mike share with us his account of the encounter. "Was targeting redfish and had just landed one after a 20 minute fight on light tackle; 12 lb line and a number 1 Eagle Claw hook. We hooked up again after 30 minutes. When the fish surfaced, we realized it was a cobia. Everyone was super excited. I knew it would be a while before we would catch such a big cobia on light tackle. 1 hour and 10 minutes later, we got him to the boat and I got his head and some of his body in my net. When I tried to lift him into the boat, my net bent in half and everything flopped back into the water. I Thought we had lost him, but as luck would have it he stayed on the line. Since my net was destroyed and all we had was a small hand held gaff. I got under him and pulled him into my 20 foot pathfinder center console boat with 3 adults on board, There was no place for us to put him so I threw my cast net on top of him to keep him from tearing up anything else. My 2 clients said we are exhausted and done; let's go clean our fish. What an awesome trip."
Blue fish, lady fish and mangrove snapper continue to be the hot bite in Orange Beach during the day time. For speckled trout, you will likely have to run to Perdido Key and Big Lagoon. I did see a couple guides whoj run trips out of Caribe Marina bring a couple 5 gallon buckets of speckled trout on Monday morning. Redfish have been on FIRE under the dock lights in Orange Beach!
From Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island, anglers are still having to work hard to get their limits of trout but there are still plenty to be had. The rivers and bay have pogies and mullet-o-plenty. Over the past week we have caught a mixture of catfish, speckled trout and redfish while fishing schools of bait on the eastern shore.
The Pier and the Surf had a tough week last week. You can read more information below as Capt. Collins and Matt Isbell share their week with you. As the thunder rolled, so did the tarpon. With the abundance of live bait, seeing the tarpon rolling and jumping daily outside Perdido Pass and along the beach was as common as the restroom after your morning cup of coffee.
For more information on this past weeks fishing and what to expect coming up, check out the guide reports below for the best of Orange Beach to the Mississippi sound!
Until next time, Get out there, keep those 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 coastalfishingconnections@gmail.com your answer to the question to get in the drawing held on Facebook live on Friday nights @coastalfishingconnections. 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 coastalfishingconnections@gmail.com
INSHORE REPORT
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 was off and on all week long with the tides and hot temps. Lots of keeper mangrove snapper and slot redfish all week, even some nice size white trout .
Not a lot of time spent in any areas just deep docks and bridges and moving a lot to find fish.
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 Garmeson had a nice surprise when he returned from iCast! The Ugly Mobile was wrapped and read for action and is pictured below.
Capt. Patric was on the redfish this week and had this to say. "Monday, I had returning customers booked for an inshore fishing trip. Good thing it was for inshore because the Gulf was covered up with lightning and thunderstorms. We fished Mobile Bay around the gas rigs to see what we could catch. This is a safe bet for me since I had not been on the water for just over a week. We used slip cork rigs set about 1’ above the bottom with live shrimp for bait. My guests landed black drum, bull reds, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish, sharks, and speckled trout. Some of our action was fast paced and other times it was like watching paint dry waiting on a bite.
Tuesday, I opted to fish from the Mobile Causeway area with my crew from Oklahoma. Father, mother and daughter were all avid anglers and were very easy to teach the saltwater basics. The day started perfectly with the second cast producing a 2# speckled trout then it took a different direction. The daughter hooked not 1 not 2 but 3 big fish, I suspect were Jacks and all gave us the big fat middle finger and left us with broken hooks, straightened hooks and a broken line. She later lost a for sure bull red due to a piling near by. This is very frustrating as a captain for my folks to lose fish. We later found an every cast bite catching speckled trout and magnum white trout using both live and vudu shrimp rigged under slip corks and popping corks.
Wednesday, my group met me at Weeks Bay and we targeted redfish first. Our first stop yielded a couple of short reds on live shrimp with our second stop being far more productive. Landing several really nice slot reds and puppy drum with many more hook ups that ultimately fell victim to barnacle covered pilings. We later switched gears toward speckled trout and had a blast catching specks and whites on vudu shrimp rigged under popping corks with 30” of fluorocarbon leader. On the way in we found a really nice triple tail under a log but unfortunately pulled off the hook before landing.
Thursday, I had a duo from Oklahoma and we covered some water. Our main focus was to locate big/nice sized speckled trout. We concentrated on the lower end of the bay and throughout Mississippi sound. We used a variety of live baits; shrimp, pogies and croakers. We also slung some soft plastics and topwater lures. Our best action ended up being our live pogies for trout and we landed bull reds on croakers. Zero desirable fish were landed on shrimp regardless of presentation.
Friday through Sunday was dedicated to participating in the Alabama Deep Sea Rodeo. My partners for this event is Father and son duo, Doug and Carson. We focused solely on big speckled trout so we used Big pogies and Big lures to try and capture a super sized speckled trout. We landed trout and redfish and one Flounder on pogies. We also landed one of our biggest trout on topwater at 9:30am and another Flounder on a live shrimp. The rodeo ended with my team and I having fished for Big speckled trout for 37 total hours and not landing a single fish large enough to land us on the board. It was very humbling to have put that many hours in and still fall short. Till next year!"
The upcoming week has big tidal movements with a full moon on Friday. This may cause some fish to feed heavier at night and limit the day time bites so be flexible with the species you are targeting and roll with the punches. Good, Bad Or Ugly it’s better than cleaning the garage :-)
Best of luck anglers, thanks for reading and remember it’s going Good, Bad or Ugly so get out and make it happen."
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 trout bite is still finicky but we are still catching fish. As in the previous weeks we are still having to cover a lot of ground to put together decent boxes of keepers though. Capitalizing on the bites you get is still extremely important. Live shrimp and Vudu's under popping corks as well as slip corks continue to be the ticket in most areas.
We have still been concentrating on the wrecks, artificial reefs and rigs from the middle part of the bay all the way to the lower end of the Bay on through the Mississippi Sound. There are also still some fish early in morning on the shallow flats. These fish were caught with Vudu shrimp and live shrimp under popping corks, Slick Lures, Rapala Skitter Walkers, Yum Mud Minnows, live shrimp on slip corks and free lined croakers.
The Tripletail bite continued to be good this past week when the weather was right. We were still catching fish in good numbers.
We also spent time this past week scouting for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo. We caught good fish in Little Lagoon, Theodore Industrial Canal and the Mobile River.
The nearshore snapper fishing continues to be good when the weather permits. Live or dead pogeys or live croakers have been doing it for us.
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 has been smashing the crappies in the Mobile Delta and and had this to say. " The heat was still rough this week, but the crappies still got to eat! I went back on the Alabama river friday morning, and found some slabs. I was trolling in 6-7 foot of water, but only fishing 4 foot deep. I was using jigs tip with minnows, and almost every fish I caught was over a pound. The Alabama river definitely produces some quality fish.
Saturday morning I took a couple on a guided on Tensaw Lake. The action was consistent all morning, we caught over hundred crappies, and they kept a few to take home.
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
Hello Beach Bums, Matt said “This past week was one of the tougher weeks so far this year for surf fishing. We were dealing with a neap tide, strong southwest wind, and muddy water for a large portion of the week. The days we were able to manage some fish, we were catching some pompano and a few trout.
One thing that has been productive throughout the tougher conditions has been whiting. They don’t seem to mind the dirty water conditions stirred up by the wind.
I would anticipate a better week this upcoming week with more normal tide changes, calmer surf conditions, and better winds. The most productive tactic this time of year is to use a Carolina rig with a live shrimp or piece of fresh dead shrimp close to the beach. This is the most effective way to pick up some big whiting and slot sized redfish. You also might luck up and hook a flounder or two.
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 is excited to share with us the happenings at the pier. Captain Collins said, "It's been a tough week in the pier world. Water temps and the wind directions have made it tough. The piers along the Gulf Coast are covered in Tarpon. They are all producing random mackerel but nothing to get really excited about. The inshore has been slow also except at night. The trout are there and can be talked into biting . Worst case scenario you go fishing, still beats working or holding the couch down. Its still sweltering out there so drink your water and Gator Aid." I asked Capt. Collins if there has been any success on the Sunday and Thursday shark nights and he had this to say. "They have brought many to the pier but rarely seal the deal. Most get off while they try to decide if they are long enough. The tiger sharks have moved in to eat the turtles, so the black tips and spinners have moved off."
Keep up with the latest Gulf State Pier information at GSPierfishing.com. or on Gulf Shores Pier Rats.
Offshore Report
Orange Beach, Alabama
Bent Outfitters Fishing - Captain Billy Howell
Facebook: @bentoutfittersfishing
Instagram: @bent_outfitters_fishing
Website: www.bentoutfittersfishing.com
Cell: 601-938-7161
Captain Billy says, "We had a light week this week and to be honest, after 12 trips in 7 days, at 46 years old, my body told me I needed a few down days to recover. Before I hit the down day, we had a great couple trips on Sunday and Monday morning. On Sunday morning we hosted a group from Mississippi and Louisiana for a quick red snapper run that turned into a cobia clash! We were running out and noticed balls of bait anywhere. We marked a couple of the schools then immediately shut the engines down to go check it out. My deckhand for the day, John Wilkerson, tossed a dead cigar minnow out into the school of bait, just a few seconds later he was hooked up to what he thought was a king and then it showed its head and it was one of 9 cobia hookups we had that day. We landed one legal cobia then moved on to catch our red snapper. After catching our limits, we stopped back at the same area and landed two more cobia and had a king smack it as it was being reeled in.
On Monday, I hosted a family that owns a restaurant in New Orleans. We caught limits of red snapper pretty quick and lost a 20 plus pounder within just a few feet of the boat. All of the bigger fish were caught on crazy fish and hardtails.
We headed in early and it was a good thing. There was a fast approaching storm with severe lightning, wind and heavy rain. This time of year, storms pop up and move in quickly. Just take the tragic situation that happened in Missouri with the duck boat this week where the storm blew up in 20 minutes and 11 people perished. I made it back to my dock at Sportsman's just in time to see and hear the lightning strike the ground. Dockhands were running for their life and I was struggling to get tied up and all the rods out of the boat. That was probably the worst lightning I've ever been close to while on the water. One thing to remember is if you ever have lightning in your area, especially if the rods start humming, get them down in the floor of the boat and get down there yourself.
Friday morning was our last opportunity to get out on the water, so we put together a 7 man fishing crew that included Coach Scott Berry, Fairhope High School Fishing Team coordinator, Jake Markris and his sons' Jacob and Lawson, Jeff Bledsoe and Mark, owner of Pier 31 in Gulf Shores. We only had 2 hours to fish so I could get back to the dock in time for work. It was a calm, cool overcast morning with light northwest winds. We spent more time getting to the fish than we did catching them but we made the most of the time we had. Jake's sons spent their time using sea striker jigs tipped with cigar minnows to bring their big red snapper up while the rest of the crew was fishing the same bait on double hook rigs on the bottom.
The conditions were ideal for slow drifting with little to no current. I saw the live bait rod / reel (Saltist 80 reel / Proteus XH 8 foot rod) sitting in the corner, so I took the opportunity to drop a live hardtail down to the bottom. Within 2 minutes, I hooked up to a beast that felt like I was bringing up a tire. Because I have to spend the majority of my time behind the wheel, I seldom get to fish any more so it was a nice reminder of what got me into offshore fishing. By the time all was said and done, I had finished the season the way I started, with friends on the boat and catching a monster sow snapper.
On Friday afternoon, we took my buddy John, his son John Henry and my buddy Jeff back out to look for cobia. While we never landed a keeper fish, we landed 5 and did see several 30-40 pounders in one area plus we had a 60 plus swim by the boat while we were red snapper fishing.
On Saturday morning I was back in Fairhope for a morning inshore trip. The conditions prevented us from fishing areas we wanted to fish for speckled trout and redfish so were restricted to Weeks Bay. All in all, we caught about 30 total fish and only kept 3 trout and 1 redfish. Hopefully this front will move on out of here and get everyone back on the water soon!
We will be on our family vacation this upcoming week and will be limited to next weekend to hit the water but will still be able to provide a report based on information from other captains that are out there.
Until then, keep those lines tight and 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.
Coastal Culinary Corner
I was scouring google and came across this recipe on the Food Network site for Spicy Cajun Seafood Stew. Somebody please try it soon and let me know how it tastes.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 ounces smoked andouille sausage, diced (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 bell peppers, red and/or green, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1- 8-ounce bottle clam juice
1- 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 pound firm white fish, such as halibut, grouper or black sea bass, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp (21 to 25 shrimp)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt
Cooked white rice, for serving
Preparation:
1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook the sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the sausage and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and the meat is well coated, about 2 minutes. Add the Cajun seasoning, garlic, peppers and onions and continue to cook until the vegetables are softened, 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, tomatoes and 4 cups water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and increase the heat to bring to a simmer.
2. Lower the heat slightly and simmer until the stew is thickened and the flavors are melded, about 30 minutes. Gently stir in the fish and shrimp. Cook, making sure the stew is not bubbling vigorously, stirring once or twice, until the shrimp and fish have just turned opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley. Season with salt and serve over rice.
Sponsor Spotlight
Bent Outfitters Fishing offers fun-filled family oriented fishing charters in the coastal waters of Alabama and on the Gulf of Mexico. Alabama is home to some of the most beautiful beaches, historical landmarks and best fishing in the Southern USA. Bent Outfitters Fishing Charters specializes in family friendly, bottom fishing year round on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico for Red Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack, Triggerfish, Cobia, King Mackerel, Spanish mackerel and Bonita as well as inshore charters on the coastal waters of Alabama.
This week we will be giving away a Bent Outfitters Fishing Comfort Color T-shirt, a Bent hat, 3 Fairhope Rattle corks, an egret baits prize pack and a $ 25.00 Academy gift card.
Weekly Giveaway
Read below and give feedback to get in the drawing for this week!
Congratulations to Matthew Seeds, winner of this weeks prize pack from H20 Junky.
This week's question. Which one of the above proposals would you support for resolving the red snapper season debacle.
Submit your answer via email to coastalfishingconnections@gmail.com
Like and Follow the 2 new social media accounts set up for the weekly report to get an extra entry into the drawing.
Facebook: @coastalfishingconnections
Instagram: @coastal_fishing_connections
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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