Coastal Fishing Connections - Alabama Report - 7/22/2018
- Captain Billy Howell
- Jul 30, 2018
- 16 min read
Time to Triple up!
For the past month and a half, all the focus for the offshore has been on red snapper and getting as many trips in as possible. Luckily, starting this week, amberjack and triggerfish season open back up. See flyer below for more information on the targeted opening and closure dates for those species. In speaking with Clifford of Alabama Marine Resources Division, we discussed how long the season will remain open versus what is published on the flyer. Clifford's best guestimate was, "it could be 3 days or it could be 30, but they don't expect it to remain open through the stated closure dates." NOAA and NMFS are still gathering information on estimated catches for the year and haven't completed their calculations. Go get 'em wile you can boys and girls!
Inshore, rising water temperatures and the full moon slowed down the speckled trout bite. Many guides have turned their focus to targeting redfish and tripletail. Starting next week, we hit the dog days of August, where sweltering heat and humidity will be as constant as the sun setting on the horizon. Guess what though, the fish are still biting.
In case you haven't noticed, the tarpon aka Silverking (Alabama's state fish) have been thick off our Alabama coastline. I have been amazed at all the monster tarpon caught from the pier, boats and kayaks.
We posed a question last week with 4 options and in follow up, the majority of respondents supported option 2: putting a slot limit on red snapper of 16-28 inches with one over 28 inches allowed per person, in addition to a requirement that each vessel targets reef species, have a visible permit on the boat. Thank you for all the feedback.
I caught up with Jake Markris of Fairhope Fishing Company, LLC this past week to talk about tripletail fishing. For those who don't know Jake, Jake was raised and now resides in Fairhope, Alabama and knows Mobile Bay as well or better than most. In describing triple tail fishing he refers to it as his "second love," behind his beautiful bride Shai. Learn more about tripletail fishing from Jake's submission below.
How To Catch A Tripletail aka Blackfish
by Jake Markris
"Tripletail are a tropical fish that migrate into Mobile Bay during the spring and summer months to spawn. They are typically found around any type of structure such as buoys, channel markers, oil rigs and floating debris. They aren't picky eaters, so they will hit most anything. Popular baits are shrimp, pogies, croakers, bull minnows and even artificial lures and flies.
When rigging, consider the structure you will be fishing. I use a Shimano Calcutta 400, spooled with 65lb braid and a 40lb flourocarbon leader and 2/0 Owner hook. I rig a bobber stopper or slip cork rig so I can fish different depths. The fish may be close to the top or down on the bottom, so you must be very thorough when fishing a piece of structure.
If you see one in open water away from structure, a medium sized spinning outfit will be sufficient. My preference is the Quantum PT 4000 series reel spooled with 12lb test. Open water fish are typically easier to catch, especially if they are attached to some type of floating structure. Free floaters are a bit more skittish and casting is very critical. Make sure to get the bait out in front of where they are headed. Casting too close can send them deep and out of sight.
The fish typically migrate in during the spring and peak during late summer. Bag limits are three per person with an 18" minimum length."
With knowledge comes responsibility, but the fun kind!
Jake and his buddy Kevin Olmstead of Point Clear Fishing Adventures had an opportunity to host J Paul Jackson operations manager for Excel boats and the production crew from OakenElk for some fishing and promotional filming on Mobile Bay for Excel boats with a goal to get J Paul his first tripletail.
Originally they were to be fishing out of the newest Excel bay boat but it wasn't ready, so they went in the 20' 3" Bay Pro. Kevin and Jake hosted the group on Monday and Tuesday hammering the speckled trout and other species.
They even put J Paul on his first Tripletail. In addition to capturing amazing footage on the bay, they also spent some time following shrimp boats around and catching summer bulldogs of the bay, jack crevalle.
Moving right along!
For the majority of this summer we have had great weather and very few days that were impossible to fish. To this point we have held off having to deal with any additional named storms since Alberto. Let's hope that trend continues. This week expect highs in the upper 80's with rain chances each day above 50%. Winds will range from West to SE throughout the week with seas that are up and down.
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 great in Orange Beach this week with lots of trout in the day and night time. The docks and bridges are holding redfish and mangrove snapper as wel The mangroves are getting bigger as the summer goes on. Big jack crevalle are in the bay area and will eat a big topwater bait like a zara spook early in the A.M.
The tarpon bite is insane right off our beaches and the whole Gulf Coast right now and we successfully landed and released our first one this week!
Captain Dusty offers guided fishing trips 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 tells us, "Rodeo hangover week was in full force. Monday, I took off to do absolutely nothing. Tuesday, we fished from Mobile River all the way down to Fowl River. My guys were good for fishing for whatever so we spent most of our time in Mobile Bay looking for redfish. The most consistent tactic for locating redfish is finding the birds working along the shorelines of the bay. Once I locate the birds, then I set my guests up with popping cork rigs using live, dead or artifiical shrimp. We ended up landing a nice mess of puppy drum with redfish mixed in throughout the morning. Once we made our way back to Mobile River, we managed to land a gorgeous trophy speckled trout and a super sized jack crevalle to round out the day.
Wednesday, we fished the Eastern Shore of Mobile Bay and located nice slot redfish and speckled trout along the dock pilings. We found mullet jumping and stopped to fish that area with plenty of success. Wednesday afternoon I had a group from Texas and we put a Texas sized beat down on the some slot reds in the Mobile Tensaw Delta. We landed these fish on popping cork rigs with live shrimp. All fish were caught in 3 foot of water or less.
Thursday, we had repeat clients from Kentucky who were pretty much interested in anything that pulled hard. We worked around shrimp boats and gas rigs most of the morning which yielded jack crevalle, sharks and bull reds along with some spanish mackerel, bluefish and various other fish.
Friday through Sunday, I spent every day around the causeway area. We focused on redfish and puppy drum and whatever else would bite to provide plenty of action. As a bonus, my son Cooper and I dropped some crab traps. When we came back on Sunday to check them, they were stuffed full of giant blue crabs.
Before...
After...
This upcoming week we will see slower tides and post full moon conditions with a high chance of rain nearly every day. Spend your time wisely on areas that seem fishy and don't waste time on areas that seem dead. Just because you caught fish there in the past doesn't mean they are there now."
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 continues to be difficult once we get into the heat of the day during these dog days of summer. Capitalizing on the early bites you get seems to be the ticket. 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 outstanding this past week when the weather was right. We are catching several fish on most days.
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 spent some time on the delta and shared his experience with us. Dip says, "Well the full moon has really slowed the crappie bite down this week. They are definitely feeding at night, and with the huge willow fly hatch this week on the Tensaw, they got plenty to eat! I went Monday and just couldn't find a consistent bite at all!
Well I got back on the river this morning, and those crappies weren't biting at all again, but the willow flies were thick. I couldn't resist watching those bull breams attack those flies, so I definitely had to catch a few.
Thank you Dip for that outstanding report! If you like to freshwater 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
Matthew was busy this past week and had this to say. "We had a great week in the surf! Pompano are still hanging around. If you are patient you can still pick up your limit in a morning or afternoon. It’s not a fast and furious process, but not much beats a calm, clear water day in July on the beach and slinging up a few pompano for dinner. They can be caught right now on fresh dead shrimp and Fishbites in either the shrimp or sand flea flavor.
There are some big trout cruising that you can see within 10 feet from the beach. They have been picky on what they will eat, but one bait they can’t seem to pass up is a live whiting. A fishing buddy of mine, Scott Kennedy with Whistlin’ Waters Outdoors, discovered this on a fishing trip together this past week. I believe they are so close to the beach because that is where the whiting are hanging. I know a lot of pier fisherman have mentioned seeing a bunch of trout that wouldn’t eat. Try very light leader with a live whiting to entice a bite.
Early mornings and late evenings there are plenty of bluefish to be found. If you are looking for a good fight they will certainly provide that! Use a heavier leader to help offset break offs. Bluefish are probably the most underrated fish in our area providing a great fight and good table fare.
I haven’t seen a bull red in the surf in a while but still we are catching some in the 15-17” range. They aren’t liking pompano rigs with shrimp and Fishbites. I’ve had to change to live baits such as bull minnows and shrimp on a Carolina rig to pick them up.
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 spent time down at the pier this week and had this to say. "The Gulf Shores pier lost another king mackerel assassin this week. Congratulations to Noah for killing another shark from the pier. The kings are still pretty sparse as well as the spanish. The tarpon are still pretty thick and they are a good time. Live LY's and swim baits will get you bit. The flat fish (flounder) are there if someonee would just fish for them. The speckled trout are in the lights at night time but are pretty snobby by now, even though they are still hungry.
The honest secret of being sucessful this time of year is to Keep casting. Y'all go fishing!!! It's still better that holding down a couch. Fish on! Fall is coming, water temps will drop and it WILL become magical. October is the best month to fish, or so I've heard."
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 really light week, with inshore trips last Sunday and Monday morning, a vacation in between and a trolling trip on Friday morning, then off to my cousins farm in Mississippi to do some creek wading for green trout. This past weekend we had strong west winds to contend with so we couldn't fish in Mobile Bay. Calling an audible, we chose to launch in Weeks Bay and fish the rivers and the west side of the bay. With the falling tide, we fished the grass lines around the river mouths, the docks and the grass lines around the bay using live shrimp under a Fairhope Rattle. The bite was very sporadic, but we did manage to put a nice box of fish together on Sunday and would have had a 2 man limit of redfish had one not dove under the trim tab before we could get him netted.
Monday morning, the winds were supposed to lay down to make fishing the bay a little easier. In the voice of Dick Vitale, "NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND." Captain Patrick Hill with Bayside Charters and I both left the dock around the same time. Patrick headed out into the bay but returned shortly letting me know it was too rough. The fishing on Monday morning was a little slow, but we still managed to put a good box of fish together.
After returning from 3 day family vacation we ran a morning trolling trip out of Orange Beach. As smooth as things were, the bait activity on the surface wasn't what it had been the previous week. We still managed to find several nice balls of bait and birds diving to the southwest. After trolling for about an hour and not catching alot, we decided to go play with cobia. The playground was full of kindergartners. We met 9 new ones and sent them on their way to grow up.
Not local related, but once a year, we meet at the deer camp on my cousins' farm to wade the Lobutcha Creek to fish for bass. Typically, our catch for the day is dinner at night. This year, I had a new toy to try out, but I was hesitant because the creek is narrow and until recently I have always used a bait casting set up due to better control. My new toy is the Daiwa Ballistic 2500, I rigged it on a 7 foot Daiwa Procyon rod spooled it with 20 lb braid, a 12lb fluorocarbon leader and tied on a chartreuse and white double blade H&H. Let me just say, my worries were proved to be unfounded as the reel cast so smooth and combined with the flexibility of the rod I was able to make precision casts. The action when the fish were on the retrieve was nothing short of fantastic. The ballistic is so light that my wrists never got tired. With the new mag sealed bearings, these reels can be used in both freshwater and saltwater. I can't WAIT to use this set up for speckled trout!
We only have a couple booked trips this week but we plan to get out for amberjack and triggerfish once it opens again. Until next week, 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.
Fort Morgan and Dauphin Island, Alabama
Southern Drawl Charters - Captain Michael Pittman
Facebook: @southerndrawlcharters
Website: www.southerndrawlcharters.com
Cell: 251-599-8610
Captain Michael Pittman will be giving us a report this week on the happenings and their adventures offshore out of Dauphin Island. Capt. Michael said, "Now that red snapper season has wound down, we are hitting the trolling gear pretty hard. The spanish mackerel bite has been pretty consistent, with us averaging around 25 per trip. The king mackerel has started to turn up and we have even caught a few jack crevalle.
I would like to thank all of his customers for a great season with plenty of action for everyone! I am looking forward to triggerfish and amberjack coming back in this week."
Captain Michael Pittman was raised on a farm in Grand Bay, Alabama. His grandparents bought a house on Dauphin island in 1992 and from that point on the Gulf of Mexico became an addiction for him. Salt water fishing is a disease you can’t shake. They target nearly every species and have a motto of "We kill fish." His goal is for every group of people that walk off my boats not only remember a great fishing trip. but to make lifelong friendships.
Upcoming Tournaments
Saltwater Finaddicts Inshore Championship is coming up on August 25th and 26th so make your plans today. This year they will have more sponsors and prizes than ever before as their group has grown to almost 10,000 members. Bent Outfitters Fishing is donating an inshore trip for this tournament.
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
In trying to decide what recipe might peak peoples' interest we came across a post on Saltwater Finaddicts by Melinda Ellis. Admit it, over the years, there have been many fish you we were always curious about how they would taste when cooked but have never tried them because people said they were gross. Starting this week we will start featuring some of the nuisance group species or just unusual eats. This weeks recipe is for pan seared Bonita. I know, I know, you're thinking NEVER! Too bloody and it's NOT a tuna!
Pan Seared Bonita
Fish Prepration:
Bleed fish on ice for 8-12 hours
Remove Filet and clean by removing skin, bones and bloodline
Wash Filets thoroughly
How to cook:
1. Generously season both sides of the filet with salt, pepper, Mrs. Dash or seasoning of your choice.
2. Heat a 1/4 cup of Olive Oil to med or high heat in a frying pan (Oil should be hot for a quick sear)
3. Sear each side of the filet for a few minutes each. (Filet can be seared more of less, depending on your preference.
How to Serve:
Slice and serve with soy sauce for dipping!
Like many that read these reports, Melinda has a passion for fishing (fresh and saltwater), hunting and experimenting with new things, food and flavors in the kitchen. Like most everyone else, Melinda and her family have always used bonita as bait, but the last time they did, Melinda thought, "Wow, the meat looks great and I started to research how I could prepare it. At that point, I decided the next time we caught one, I was going to try it.
Sunday, we caught a nice size one, used one side for bait and brought the other side home to cook. It was delicious and I will definitely eat it again. Next time, we will try to smoke one and make some smoked dip like tuna dip."
Thank you Melinda for sharing this with us!
Sponsor Spotlight
The weeks' sponsor and weekly prize pack is courtesy of Captain Joey Landreneau of PureFlats.com better known as the makers of the "Slick Lure," and now the "Lil Slick." A little about the slick...
"The Slick is a soft plastic, slow-sinking jerk bait designed to fish shallow saltwater flats, bays, marsh habitat and freshwater lakes. The Slick is a single hook weedless lure, capable of long casts (even in windy conditions) with a jerky slow sinking presentation. One can fish rock piles, skip docks and floating grass mats or target deeper creek bottoms. The Slick is hand injected in the USA using "top-shelf" plastic with premium custom swim bait hooks. The slick has surpassed expectations in terms of "fishability" and fish will eat this lure."
For those who have never used this lure, you've definitely been missing out. We started using this lure about 3 years ago after a my fishing companion who works at Bass Pro Shops, Jeff Vadakin, had encountered Captain Bobby Abruscato of A-Team Fishing Adventures while at work. Capt. Bobby was raving over the lure, so guess what, I went to McCoy's over in Mobile and picked up my first pack. We were over in Dog River the first day I attempted to use them, and let's just say. The speckled trout didn't just nibble and peck at them....they ATE them, completely.
If you still have doubts, ask Captain Richard Rutland and Captain Bobby Abruscato what their go to lure is for the all the tournaments they win, like the ACFA sponsored "Battle of the Grubs."
Be sure to tune in to Coastal Fishing Connections Facebook Page for the live broadcast next Sunday night, August 5th at 8 p.m. as we will have Capt. Joey Landreneau on to talk more about the Slick lure and the newest addition to their offering, the "Lil Slick." We will be giving away 3 sample packs in next weeks drawing.
Weekly Giveaway
Read below and give feedback to get in the drawing for this week!
What is the newest product offering from PureFlats.com and how many are in a pack?
Congratulations to this past weeks winner of the prize pack from Bent Outfitters Fishing
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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