Coastal Fishing Connections Newsletter - 9/10/2018
- Coastal Fishing Connections
- Sep 10, 2018
- 13 min read
5 Game-Plans For Fall Fishing Success
For the average person "Happy Fall, Y'all" probably signals cooler temperatures and leaves changing to that gorgeous orangey-brown tinge before falling to the ground. For the avid angler on the Gulf Coast, that saying means much more. This week, we are fortunate to have local fishing guru, Chris Vecsey, provide an in-depth look into Fall fishing. Get your wheels in gear as he shares his top 5 ways to take advantage of the amazing adventures that await you on the water this time of year. When Chris isn't working at Sam's Bait and Tackle in Orange Beach, you will either find him fishing or at least thinking and talking about it. Enjoy the read and start planning your Fall adventure.
"September means a lot of changes. It’s a month of transition along the Gulf Coast. The slow departure of Summer gives way to Fall and with cooler average temperatures and lower humidity, come huge opportunities on the water. Cooling water temperatures create major bites inshore and offshore. As Temperature and barometric pressure fluctuates, we experience huge movements with various forage species; Menhaden, Mullet, Sardines, Shrimp, etc. The action can be amazing from the upper creeks to the open, blue waters beyond the shelf. All one needs to do to get “in on it” is spend time on the water.
There will be many things to target throughout the next two months, but here’s my five picks. Five game-plans that will put you on fish consistently throughout the fall transition:
Get Sandy!!!
September and October are definitely beach months. My favorite way to cover the beachfront is working the first troughs with artificial lures like topwaters, twitchbaits and swimbaits. A typical morning could see speckled trout, redfish, flounder, pompano, bluefish and several others. Good tide movement is critical, and while I prefer an incoming tide for working the shallow troughs, outgoing tides also produce a little wave action that doesn't hurt.
If you don’t like throwing lures and want to set lines, you’re in luck because dropping water temps will mean better numbers of redfish, pompano, whiting and black Drum. Shrimp and sand fleas will catch all the above, but a juicy piece of cut mullet is hard to beat for Bull Reds. Don’t overlook artificial options like Fish Bites as well. They are extremely durable and very productive.
Catch them in the “Mouths”
Creek and River mouths that is. Pretty much any and all sources of lower salinity water entering saltwater bays and waterways will be meet-n-greet hot spots for redfish, speckled trout and flounder. Pay special attention to these spots after rainy periods or passing fronts. Don’t be surprised if you earn some bonuses in the form of largemouth bass, mangrove snapper or jack crevalle. Various baitfish and shrimp imitating lures will work. For live baits, most will fill the well with shrimp although smaller baitfish like finger mullet and croakers will yield less bycatch.
Nearshore Run-N-Gun
I can’t speak for all anglers, but I know most fishermen hitting the water desire action above all things. The nearshore waters from just beyond the breakers to 10 miles will be hosting it’s share of action, and then some, for the next 6-8 weeks. Huge schools of sardines, menhaden, mullet, threadfin, anchovy and others will be abundant just offshore. Trolling this nearshore zone or “Running and Gunning” to feeding fish will score consistently, especially when high pressure and light North breezes flatten seas and provide excellent visibility. Look for birds diving, fish-busting, tidelines, slicks and other obvious signs. When the “easy button” isn’t there, watch the depth-finder for temperature breaks and large bait schools. Troll swimming plugs like Rapala X Raps, Yo Zuri Crystal Minnows and spoons to locate fish. Once feeding fish are found, it’s time to break out the light tackle and cast jigs, spoons, plugs and even flies into packs of fish. King and spanish Mackerel will be the main stars along with bonito (Little Tunny), jack crevalle, bluefish, ladyfish, cobia and bull reds. Occasionally, the action attracts bigger surprises like tarpon, mahi mahi and even sailfish. Working structures along the Trolling Corridor outside of Perdido Pass and the rigs off of Ft. Morgan will add even more options to the nearshore game-plan.
Natural Bottom Variety Pack
It would be an understatement to say we have awesome bottom fishing. Cooler weather only makes it that much more enjoyable. A lot of boats heading out to bottom fish take advantage of our numerous artificial reefs, but my favorite spots to hit are the ones nature put down. Another plus to fishing natural structures is the higher ratio of in-season catch to prohibited catch. Red Snapper and Gray Triggers are prohibited for the remainder of the year, but there are many other species to target and fishing rocky bottoms is a sure fire way to put vermillion, lane and mangrove snapper, scamp, red and gag Grouper, amberjack and cobia in the box. You can find plenty of these spots in the Trysler Grounds and Yellow Gravel areas, as well as just inside of the edge to the Southeast. Fish depths of 120-250 ft with live and dead baits along with vertical jigs.
Bills and ‘Hoos
Big game fishing isn’t just a rich man’s game. Fishing the Nipple, Elbow and 131 area to the Southeast of Perdido Pass produces billfish, wahoo, mahi and tuna within range of modest-sized vessels and the Fall bite here is something that’s highly anticipated every year. I love this kind of fishing and it’s not rocket science. Fish these areas along the 50 and 100 fathom lines with ballyhoo/lure combinations, various small to medium sized skirts and lipless plugs like YoZuri Bonitos and Halco tremblers. Any given outing can produce the fish of a lifetime and doing it from your boat will make it even more memorable.
The options extend beyond the above suggestions, but these are my five picks that will produce fish consistently for any angler in the coming two months. All it takes is time on the water.
Tight lines,
Chris Vecsey
Sam’s Bait and Tackle
251-981-4245
27122 Canal Rd
Orange Beach, Al 36561
News, Notes and More!
This past Tuesday night, Tropical Storm Gordon made landfall between Dauphin Island, AL and Pascagoula, MS with it's 70 mph winds, minimal storm surge and up to 8 inches of rain. Fortunately, it was mostly a big thunderstorm with sustained winds between 45-73 mph. When mother nature decides to entertain us with these visitors, we don't have much choice, so be prepared. Looking at the Atlantic and at the tropical waves coming off the coast of Africa, we may be on a roller coaster ride over the last couple months of hurricane season.
On Thursday night, ACFA had a great turnout for their monthly meeting at Moe's Original BBQ in Mobile and had 3 guest speakers and held their big end of summer tournament this past weekend.
Make plans to attend the annual CCA Fall Out Banquet at Five Rivers Delta Resource Center on Thursday, September 20th. There will be a Raffle, Silent Auction, Give-aways, and great food and drinks! Tickets are only $85 per couple and $65 for a single ticket. Both entry options include a 12 month CCA Alabama membership. Catering is by Georgia Roussos with Live Music by Cooper Trent! Tickets may be purchased from a local CCA member or by going online to CCAALABAMA.ORG. For questions or sponsorship email info@ccaalabama.org
This week, we get the calm after the storm. This week will be just what the docotor ordered, temperatures in the mid 80's, sporadic rain chances and manageable Gulf seas. Cooler temps, better water and a warming king and spanish mackerel bite are just around the corner.
For information on what's biting, what to use and other tips to catch more fish, check out the guide reports each week. We cover Orange Beach to the Mississippi Sound. Be sure and check out MeMe's kitchen below for a great new recipe. 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 your answer to coastalfishingconnections@gmail.com to get in the drawing held on Facebook live on Sunday nights @coastalfishingconnections at 8 p.m.
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.
MeMe's Coastal Delights by Melinda Ellis
"Making a delicious main dish is important in every meal, but adding a great tasting side dish can take an AVERAGE meal to an AWESOME meal.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of my family’s favorite side dishes. These go great with fried fish, bbq or any meal!"
"White” Potato Salad
Ingredients:
5 lbs small red potatoes
1 block of cream cheese (softened)
8 oz sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 small package of real bacon pieces
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire
1 teaspoon each garlic and onion powder
Salt/pepper to taste
Directions:
Halve potatoes and boil (skin on)
While potatoes are cooking, blend together all ingredients, except bacon, until smooth. Fold in bacon pieces.
Once potatoes are done, drain and mix everything together.
Served best at room temperature.
Sponsor Spotlight
This week, Coastal Fishing Connections is getting "LiTup" with LiTup Outdoors! Rather than go to work for someone else, local Coastal Alabama fishing guide of nearly 30 years, Tim String, started looking for something new to tackle. The three partners; a fishing guide, attorney and graphic designer: decided to pursue the awe inspiring American Dream. Their goal is to provide quality apparel with unique clean designs that the outdoor enthusiast can relate to.
Bringing new products to the market is always a challenge butLiTup plans to work feverishly to break the standard mold. Tim says, "You never know until you try something, but they believe. In short, LiTup Outdoors is trying to be innovative and bring some cool swag to the outdoor world. Hell, everyone enjoys getting LiTup in some way!! Visit their website at www.litupoutdoors.com to order your cool swag today!
Visit www.litupoutdoors.com and use PROMO CODE "friends" to get 20% off all orders this week!
Weekly Giveaway
This week, we will be giving away a LiTup Outdoors package that includes a shirt of your favorite design and a hat!
Read below and get in the drawing for this weeks' giveaway!
Email us your LiTup moment from the outdoors. All moments (stories) will be reviewed and a winner chosen and printed in next weeks blog.
Congratulations to the winner of the $ 25.00 Academy Gift Card.
Submit your answer via email to coastalfishingconnections@gmail.com
Like and Follow the 2 new social media accounts set up for the weekly report and share our report to get an extra entry into the drawing.
Coastal Alabama Fishing Reports
Mobile Delta
Dippi Outdoors - Dip McMillian
Email: alkeenmcmillan87@gmail.com
Phone: 251-747-9261
Dip says, "Due to the hurricane this past week, our Tensaw Delta is high and muddy. I went to the Upper Tensaw at Hubbards Landing on Wednesday afternoon, and both boat launches wer under water. The debris was flowing pretty good also down stream. Take heed, this makes running conditions very dangerous! Hopefully this week, with less rain and we can get back out there and chase a bream or crappie."
Thank you Dip. Hopefully the water will recede and fishing can start improving as temperatures cool down in the Delta.
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
Tropical Storm Gordon didn't slow Bama Beach Bum's roll too much. Matter of face he said, "Right now the surf fishing is giving me whiplash it’s changing so fast! Just the last couple days I’ve gone from good redfish bites to bluefish feeding frenzies to decent pompano bites.
The surf has settled from Tropical Storm Gordon, but it has disrupted the patterns we were seeing before the storm moved in. I have been moving around to different beaches more than usual trying to locate new areas where fish are likely to congregate. The bars, cuts, and holes that I was used to seeing have all shifted from the storm. The pompano we have been catching have been good sized keepers in the 16” to 17” range. This is nice to see as I would believe the pompano bite should continue to improve into the fall.
There are still redfish around, they have just stacked up in different areas opposed to being as spread out along the coast as they were before the storm moved in. I think we should still see a good redfish bite in the coming weeks. Just a theory, but we may see an improved trout bite in the surf with all the rainfall. Usually after large rain systems the trout push out of the bays and into the gulf along the beaches. Stay on your toes right now, things are changing fast!"
Matt Isbell of Bama Beach Bum Fishing offers fun-filled family surf fishing experiences while feeling the sand between your toes on the beaches between Fort Morgan and Orange Beach.
The Pier Review
Captain David Collins
Captain Collins says, "You can ALWAYS tell when there are mackerel to be caught at the Gulf State Park Pier...sharks get thick. I will give everyone a hint...the sharks are thick right now, just saying. Pick the days with the South and Southeast winds and go catch'n! The whiting are biting pretty good after the storm. The water doesn't look too bad either.
Y'all get an X-Rap or bubble rig tied on and try to keep from getting sharked!"
Keep up with the latest Gulf State Pier information at GSPierfishing.com. or on Alabama 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
Tropical Storm Gordon made the early week fishing impossible but laid the Gulf down nicely heading into the weekend for anglers to head offshore. In speaking with several anglers, the amberjack, grouper, vermillion and other species have been chewing since the storm. Looking at RipCharts over the weekend, blue water was pushed in closer than it's been in a while. This should be a precursor to some great Fall fishing! In speaking with Captain Bryars Bishop of Reel Kill Charters, they headed out Thursday and over the weekend and had success catching limits of vermillion snapper and had some epic battles with monster amberjack.
Unfortunately, we only got to hit the water once last week for an inshore trip, my birthday morning. We hammered speckled trout using live shrimp under Fairhope Rattle popping corks and feisty free-lined shrimp.
On Saturday, I missed a group trip friends but they had a great day, fishing some of the same areas in Mobile Bay. They caught both speckled trout and redfish using a variety of techniques.
Pictured below is a speckled trout caught using the Lil Slick, made by one of our recent sponsors, The Slick Lure.
Other things of interest was a speckled trout caught by fellow Captain, Shane Traylor. Wonder what happened to her tail?
INSHORE REPORT
Orange Beach / Perdido Key / Gulf Shores - Wolf Bay - ICW
The mangrove snapper bite is still solid around docks and concrete structures and more redfish are being caught each week. It won't be long until that fall trout bite will be on fire.
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, "Gordon came and went. Thankfully, the damage was minimal. The trout bite improved since before the storm. Ironically we have still been having better midday bites then early morning bites again this past week. Capitalizing on the bites you get continues to be important. Live shrimp and Vudu’s under popping corks and slip corks continue to be the ticket in most areas.
We have 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. We caught fish with Vudu shrimp and live shrimp under popping corks, Slick Lures, Rapala Skitter Walkers, Yum Mud Minnows and live shrimp on slip corks.
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.
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, "Gimme 3 fish or we are gone.... This time of year I have decided a way to put numbers and possibly quality in the boat. Regardless if I’m fishing for Spanish mackerel, speckled trout, redfish or sheepshead I want for my clients to pull 3 fish from an area with in a few casts to keep me in that area. So let’s say I pull up to a gas rig or grass flat (two totally different areas) I will have my clients cast in different directions to find a fish. If one gets a bite then I have at least one other client cast in the same area where the previous fish came. This sort of “guiding” can result in picking up 1 or more fish with in a cast or two. Well, if we can pick up 3 fish in less than 5 casts then we stick it out. If we can only drag two out of an area then it often doesn’t materialize.
In numerous situations 3 fish can often turn into 15, 20 or even 40 fish in one spot. So what did we catch this week. Redfish, speckled trout and Spanish mackerel were all on top of the list. Popping corks using pogies seem to be the absolute best bait for my crew this week when targeting redfish. Slip corked live shrimp and free-lined live shrimp did all of our damage on speckled trout. While catching speckled trout we are also catching some hammer size spanish mackerel. These fish will casually bite through 20lb flourocarbon and can cause a bit of frustration. While fighting a Spanish you should be very light handed to maximize your hook up to land ratio. Allow them to pull drag with ease and slowly bring them boat side and be quick with the net. Overall the inshore fishing is good and providing plenty of action.
Our dates are fishing up for the fall fishing and late September. Give me a call to discuss fishing options. 251-747-1554."
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.
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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