We're headed to Orange Beach first week of August. I'd like to fish while there but I have no saltwater experience besides bottom fishing a few times on a party boat. Any recommendations for getting started are appreciated.
Do y'all like fishing from the pier, the beach, the bay, or all of the above? Is there a rod and reel that can handle all of the above effectively (without costing much since we live inland)? Is any of my bass stuff worth taking? Any tips on how and what to catch? Thanks.
Get up and be on the beach at sun up and wade out with a 7' spinning rod and some flashy spoons...I did this and wore out the lady fish, caught a large speckled trout, had a cpl big runs that got off etc etc...you never know what you will catch...the lady fish are trash fish, but are fun as all get out...during the day, i used a cpl rods with double drop rigs and either shirmp or sand fleas and caught some pompono and other fish as well..
7 ft medium sized spinning rod with either a spoon or frozen shrimp at the fishing area on the west side of Alabama Point bridge.
Good size mangrove snappers there and man they’re good eatingOriginally Posted by lablazin
Thanks, guys. Really just looking to catch whatever bites but I wouldn't mind having something for the table. Is it worth trying the pier? If so, is the 7' medium spinning outfit suitable?
Go to Gulf shores pier fishing forum. There is a lot of good info on that website and the locals who fish the pier daily are very friendly and willing to help in any way possible. Also J & M tackle on canal road will have anything you will need to target any species that you want to fish for. Just tell em what you are trying to catch and they will point you in the right direction. And they won’t sell you anything that you don’t need. Very good ppl to do business with. And as others have said a med action spinning set up with 8 lb line will work in the surf. I’ve been spoiled a few times by something out there but most of the fish you catch surf fishing or for me anyway is 15 lb or less. Fresh dead shrimp on a Carolina rig with the lightest egg weight you can get by with is a hard bait to beat. Live shrimp is even better. But spoons, jerk baits, and top waters work pretty good also.
Yes there is always someone out there with either a net or gaffe if you hook into ole big.
I fished the Atlantic side from a pier with a Mitchell 300, 7' medium Ugly Stik, and 10# mono many years ago. Most other guys were using pretty much the same thing. Fish weren't big and we could just crank them up to us. Blues and Spanish macks. Off the beach, same set-up for flounder and whiting. I had 13' surf rods to launch stuff past the breakers, but it really isn't necessary. Hell, I get stuff on an 8wt fly rod out of the surf when I get out there.
double
Thanks, guys.
The whitting can be easily caught on the beach with a pompano rig and I wouldn't go without some "fish strips" cut into small 1/2" pieces. I've easily caught 50-100 whitting in a short time and two on at a time would be fair game on the setup you want to use.
Guys on the pier use a small piece of red plastic tubing, same kind they put on glasses frame to keep them floating, with a trebble hook. They would fish it like a jerkbait and I saw them caught fish better than other lures. I asked one guy if he used a regular jerkbait or yo-yoing a rattle trap, he said yes but this little 10 cents rig works better
don't want to hijack the thread, but do you have to have a fishing license if out of state and over 65 yrs old?
Think what would happen in this country if the many stopped fearing the few.
2015 RT 178 w/70hp Yamaha.
Yes, unless you are pier fishing where the license is covered in the fee or you are fishing a charter boat.
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