# Gulf Shores



## NGAFisherman (May 19, 2014)

We are headed to Gulf shores Alabama around the 20th of June.  Anyone know how the fishing from the beach might be?  I've never been there.  I do have minimal experience flat fishing, so if gulps is the trick I can handle it.  Or should I cast live shrimp?  How do you hook them?  I thought about maybe some cutbait too.  I don't care what we catch as long as my boy gets to catch something.


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## mauser64 (May 19, 2014)

Try down on the point at ft Morgan with some cut bait. There is a good bull red spot just off the beach there. Ladyfish and blues as well will hit spoons and jigs. Dig some sand fleas and use them for pompano, they love em.


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## spurrs and racks (May 20, 2014)

Get some bull minnows and go to the Gulf Shores Pier.

The finest flounder fishing in the entire gulf.


s&r


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## NGAFisherman (May 21, 2014)

I am thinking about trying the pier one day during the week.  Everything I've seen seems to say that its a good place to fish and the people are nice.


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## Geeman (May 22, 2014)

If you want to catch a lot of fish at gulf shores orange beach,contact T Roy Wise at www 4seasonsoutfitters .com. I have fished with him for last 4years and he is good. He mostly fishes inshore and flats but he will put you on the fish. He also has does something a little extra for the kids after each trip. Contact him if you want your kids to have a good time.


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## jfinch (May 23, 2014)

If you fish the beach look for cuts or breaks in the sand bar.  Fish will congregate there to catch a meal as it gets washed out.  Try to set your rods on either side of the cut not in the middle.  I usually use a pompano rig.  You can get them at Wal-Mart or the local tackle shops.  I replace the hooks with 1/0 circle hooks and add a pyramid sinker big enough to hold it, usually 3 oz is good.  For bait forget the frozen shrimp get fresh shrimp.  I peel the shells off them shrimp and break a medium shrimp into 2 pieces.  My experience is if I have good fresh bait that I would cook and eat myself I catch good fish like Pompano, Redfish, Trout, Flounder or Drum.  On frozen or not so fresh shrimp all I seem to catch is catfish, ladyfish, rays and small sharks.  You can also look for Sand Fleas aka Mole crabs in the surf.  They are supposed to make good bait.  I have struggled keeping them on a hook when I have been able to find them so I stick with fresh peeled shrimp.


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## NGAFisherman (May 23, 2014)

Thanks.  I never thought to look for that in a sandbar.  I also didn't realize you needed that big of a sinker.  I was going to look for an ounce or more.  I will try 3.  Thanks again.


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## Geffellz18 (May 24, 2014)

Jfinch has some good points. I would add that the weight of the sinker would be more dependent on the current. I typically stick with a 1oz unless it gets really rough, then swtich to a 2oz.. Never used a 3oz but it cant hurt. I use pompano rigs as well. Cheap and plentiful at walmart. I use the mustad brand with the chartuese floats cause they help keep the bait elevated off the ocean floor. They come in 2 and 3 hook. 

Most importantly, enjoy your trip. Its a beautiful area. If you have time, drive the coast back into Pensacola one day to visit the navel air museum on the base. Its free and VERY cool to see. Fort Barrancas is also a neat fort to visit right on the base. Overlooks pensacola pass and you can see across to Fort Pickens. Nice scenic views and photo ops!

Oh, and , eat at lamberts cafe in Foley, Al if you like some good downhome southern cooking. Its well worth the wait!!! You'll pass it on your way in/out of Gulf Shores.


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## The mtn man (May 27, 2014)

We stay near the Gulf shores pier, I found that using a bucktail jig of some sort, with a big float about 3 ft up, would catch ladyfish, blues, spanish mackeral, and a few other species off the beach. I just cast as far as I can, then agressivley retrieve it. Last summer we caught hundreds off the beach, I don't care what anybody says about ladyfish, they are fun to catch. my son, his friend and me had a blast!!!. As far as the pier, I saw them catching big reds, some sort of large colorful Jack, and kings off the end, then closer to the beach, you could catch all the spanish mackeral you wanted, then other assorted smaller pan size fish, my son hooked a huge tarpon middle ways down the pier, of course it stripped all his line out. We also hooked alot of sharks, trying to catch another tarpon. I'm going back in early July, I love that place. My wife and girls don't care for it much because of all the jellies in the surf.


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## NGAFisherman (May 28, 2014)

All these tips are awesome.  I can't wait for this vacation.  Been looking forward to it for some time.


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## How2fish (May 30, 2014)

The fresh shrimp is very good advice I prefer live shrimp everywhere not in the surf but for beach fishing they are the ticket. Also pompano jigs if you wade out some will produce. If you have a surf rod some cut mullet will work for reds ..good luck.


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## redneck_billcollector (Jun 1, 2014)

Pick you up a sandflea rake and let your boy go out and catch yall a mess of them, kids love doing it.  Put them on a pompano rig and fish the cuts in the bars in the surf at sunrise.....fun fish to catch and not many fish eat better than one too.  Reds in the surf will eat sandfleas as well, at times I can't catch pompano because of all the over the slot reds that keep hitting my lines.


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## NGAFisherman (Jun 2, 2014)

What do you look for to find the sand fleas?


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## fish hawk (Jun 2, 2014)

NGAFisherman said:


> What do you look for to find the sand fleas?




Once you catch on there easy to get.


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## Dawgfaninbama (Jun 6, 2014)

I was down there Memorial Day week. Fished the pier twice. Not much was going on on the pier. Saw several sharks be caught. One huge king mackerel. And my nephew and myself both caught one Spanish mackerel a piece. Saw one guy hook a cobia but let people talk him into it being a shark before he got it up to see. He was getting out his knife to cut the line and the cobia surfaced shot under the pier and broke his line on a pylon. I did catch a remora also. Funny looking rascal. Great experience for my first pier trip though!!


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## Dawgfaninbama (Jun 6, 2014)

Here is my Spanish


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## NGAFisherman (Jun 9, 2014)

I want to try the pier, but I think I will be stuck the surf mostly.


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## The mtn man (Jun 10, 2014)

NGAFisherman said:


> I want to try the pier, but I think I will be stuck the surf mostly.



When are you going? I'm going the week after  july 4th, actually leaving the 5th.


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## NGAFisherman (Jun 11, 2014)

I'm going the week of June 22.  Did anyone else see the double red flag warning for sharks on Orange beach?  That is crazy!


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## The mtn man (Jun 18, 2014)

If you get time send a report when you get back, I will be going a couple weeks behind you.


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## NGAFisherman (Jun 18, 2014)

Definitely.  I hope to have a few pics to share also.


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## NGAFisherman (Jun 23, 2014)

I'm here now, and while I haven't done a lot of fishing yet, I have been watching others.  I have only seen a small shark and a stingray caught.  There aren't many crabs out on the beach at night and I haven't seen any sandfleas either.  I didn't buy a rake though, so that might be my problem.
I did buy some frozen squid and used it for bait last night, but had no bites.  A storm came in, so I don't know if that's usually bad or good.  I am going to keep trying and I'll post any updates.


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## NGAFisherman (Jun 27, 2014)

The fishing has been tough out here all week.  Wednesday morning me and another guy cut up a small fish that he caught and used it for cutbait.  He caught a 2 ft shark on it, but I had no luck.  Yesterday I bought some live shrimp, and that was a llittle better.  We were out at Dauphin Island for a while and my son caught a couple croakers.   I didn't catch any.  I tried fishing on the bottom and using a popping cork.  We were on the jetties, so I was watching other people and they didn't catch anything either.  Last night I moved down the beach a little and was able to finally catch something.   Six stinkin catfish and a little shark.  The catfish were even able to get my shrimp off my hook a lot too.  They blew through my shrimp quickly.

Basically it has just been a really tough week of fishing for everyone on the beach.  I've seen a couple rays caught and little sharks, but nothing major.


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## The mtn man (Jun 27, 2014)

So your not seeing the large schools of fish coming near the beach? Last year there were schools of lady fish, spanish mackeral, blues, and other species running down the beach. Now that was late July, I guess it could be a little early yet, not sure. I am going next weekend. Also there were alot of schools of spaniards around the pier last year. Keep me updated, I will let you know how my trip goes, also how is the beach, are there alot of jellies?


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## copperheadmike (Jun 27, 2014)

Ride down to where little lagoon comes into the gulf and fish the surf there. You ought to be able to catch ladyfish at least and probably some spanish, blues and who knows what else. I usually rip a mirrolure through there and do pretty well. Jigs ought to do well and I would assume live bait too. 

I will be heading down there July 16th, hope they are biting well then!


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## The mtn man (Jun 27, 2014)

copperheadmike said:


> Ride down to where little lagoon comes into the gulf and fish the surf there. You ought to be able to catch ladyfish at least and probably some spanish, blues and who knows what else. I usually rip a mirrolure through there and do pretty well. Jigs ought to do well and I would assume live bait too.
> 
> I will be heading down there July 16th, hope they are biting well then!



Mike, is that where the water flows into the beach down the street from the pier at the end of the point where the last houses are?


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## NGAFisherman (Jun 27, 2014)

There are schools of some fish, but I heard they were vegetarians.  I also see schools way out in the ocean, but you couldn't come close to reaching them with anything.  

As a side note, I have been able to keep my bait still with just one once of weight.  I used an egg sinker all week.


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## copperheadmike (Jun 27, 2014)

cklem said:


> Mike, is that where the water flows into the beach down the street from the pier at the end of the point where the last houses are?



Yessir, down west of the pier. You can catch some flounder and stuff back on the lagoon side too.


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## The mtn man (Jun 27, 2014)

copperheadmike said:


> Yessir, down west of the pier. You can catch some flounder and stuff back on the lagoon side too.



Is there anywhere to park their? Last time I was there it all looked like private property.


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## copperheadmike (Jun 27, 2014)

You bet, there is a parking area on the Northeast side of the bridge. Or at least there was last time I was there.


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## The mtn man (Jun 28, 2014)

Thanks Mike, I'll give that a try in 2 weeks, and report back.


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## copperheadmike (Jun 28, 2014)

Cklem, what dates are you going to be down there? I will be there the 16th-20th


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## The mtn man (Jun 29, 2014)

copperheadmike said:


> Cklem, what dates are you going to be down there? I will be there the 16th-20th



I will probably leave on the 5th, and stay through the following week.


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## WaltL1 (Jun 29, 2014)

I do real well at Gulf Shores on the beach using the old Krocodile spoons. And you might want to pick up some light wire or titanium leaders. The spanish will cut your line in a second.


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## copperheadmike (Jun 30, 2014)

Walt, how do you attach the wire to your main line, and how long do you make the leader? I know some will use swivels but was not sure if you could attach it directly using some special knot... Ive got 40lb braid as my main line and normally run a flouro leader but have to cut off my lures and redo them after a fish or two.


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## WaltL1 (Jun 30, 2014)

copperheadmike said:


> Walt, how do you attach the wire to your main line, and how long do you make the leader? I know some will use swivels but was not sure if you could attach it directly using some special knot... Ive got 40lb braid as my main line and normally run a flouro leader but have to cut off my lures and redo them after a fish or two.


I just buy the ones with a ring on one end end that you tie your line to and a snap on the other end that you snap on to the lure.
http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Sho.../1303070556354/?hvarAID=shopping_pricegrabber
Now sometimes if the fish are being finicky you might catch less (or none) because they can see the leader. But when they are hungry it doesn't seems to make a difference.
Heres the spoons I was talking about -
http://www.basspro.com/Luhr-Jensen-Krocodile-Spoons/product/8346/


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## copperheadmike (Jun 30, 2014)

Do you have a preference on size and color? I've never fished with spoons, fast retrieve or what?


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## WaltL1 (Jun 30, 2014)

copperheadmike said:


> Do you have a preference on size and color? I've never fished with spoons, fast retrieve or what?


Most of the time I just use the 1/2 or 3/4 oz size in chrome or the chrome with blue some in it. Don't know if other colors are better but I usually catch fish with that so I just stick with it. I would say about a medium retrieve. And it doesn't get much easier than using a spoon. Throw it out as far as you can and reel it in 
Those Krocodiles have a bend built into it so it wobbles and flashes when you reel it.


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## copperheadmike (Jun 30, 2014)

Thanks for the tip Walt, I will make sure and grab a few on the way down there!


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## WaltL1 (Jun 30, 2014)

copperheadmike said:


> Thanks for the tip Walt, I will make sure and grab a few on the way down there!


Good Luck!
By the way remember about that titanium leader. If you are using it and not catching anything, take it off and see if it makes a difference.


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## The mtn man (Jul 1, 2014)

Walt, I have used a 50lb fluro leader, it is usually good for about 6 fish, I have used steel leader, like you say, sometimes that means less bites, but great if there really hungry. I will have to find some of those spoons this week, thanks.


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## Bpruitt (Jul 1, 2014)

I like the inside of little lagoon pass if the tide is coming in early in the day for wading. New penny gulps on a jig head or free lined live shrimp. There is trout,reds,flounder and large croakers right there together.


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## copperheadmike (Jul 7, 2014)

Went and stocked up on plugs, jigs, and spoons yesterday. Spooled some fresh line on some rods, starting to get a bit excited... Anyone have any updates for the fishing in the area?


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## TurkeyKiller12 (Jul 8, 2014)

Will these spoons work well fishing from the beach? I plan on fishing early morning. I've got my stuff together ready to head that way in a few days, hoping to finally catch a saltwater fish. You guys make it seem easy but I can't catch one out of the ocean to save my life. Anybody got any tips on a good bait/tackle shop around gulf shores that is honest and good to deal with? I need to pick up some leaders and a couple of other things. Thanks for all the help.


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## copperheadmike (Jul 8, 2014)

What dates will you be down there TurkeyKiller? I will be down the 16-20 and wouldn't mind finding someone to fish with. I am no expert but have been getting better at it over the years. Pretty good at catching ladyfish at least...


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## TurkeyKiller12 (Jul 8, 2014)

copperhead, Pm sent!


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## Headsortails (Jul 8, 2014)

Many use too long a wire leader. No more than 2" and usually less is all that is needed.


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## TurkeyKiller12 (Jul 8, 2014)

When fishing the spoon or a bucktail jig should there be an egg weight above the swivel or do you fish these without added weight?


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## WaltL1 (Jul 9, 2014)

TurkeyKiller12 said:


> Will these spoons work well fishing from the beach? I plan on fishing early morning. I've got my stuff together ready to head that way in a few days, hoping to finally catch a saltwater fish. You guys make it seem easy but I can't catch one out of the ocean to save my life. Anybody got any tips on a good bait/tackle shop around gulf shores that is honest and good to deal with? I need to pick up some leaders and a couple of other things. Thanks for all the help.


That's where I use the spoons a lot, fishing from the beach. I usually wade out up to at least my waist so I can cast to deeper water.
I don't use any extra weight on spoons or jigs.


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## JRM1 (Jul 10, 2014)

Will be down in Gulf Shores 19-26 of july, Have a group of 6(3 Adults and 3 kids, 9,14 and 17 ) who want to do some fishing, thinking inshore for flounder etc. Any suggestions on who to use?
Thanks


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## TurkeyKiller12 (Jul 10, 2014)

WaltL1 said:


> That's where I use the spoons a lot, fishing from the beach. I usually wade out up to at least my waist so I can cast to deeper water.
> I don't use any extra weight on spoons or jigs.



Thank you for the help. I'll post pictures if I have any luck.


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## The mtn man (Jul 10, 2014)

Just got back, noone catching anything on the beach or the pier, there was a bait ball that looked to cover a couple square miles off the beach, there didn't seem to be anything feeding on them, I fished the lagoon above the bridge that is under construction, I caught live bait with cast net, I caught reds, mangrove snapper, trout and croakers, not much for size only caught a few keepers, but caught a good many smaller fish, mostly reds about 10-12inches, action seemed to pick up around dusk through the night, I didn't fish too late though. Thse of you who havn't left yet, I would check the beach and the pier, if it is dead, definatly go fish the lagoon. I did catch one trout over 20" was a good fight.


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## TurkeyKiller12 (Jul 10, 2014)

cklem said:


> Just got back, noone catching anything on the beach or the pier, there was a bait ball that looked to cover a couple square miles off the beach, there didn't seem to be anything feeding on them, I fished the lagoon above the bridge that is under construction, I caught live bait with cast net, I caught reds, mangrove snapper, trout and croakers, not much for size only caught a few keepers, but caught a good many smaller fish, mostly reds about 10-12inches, action seemed to pick up around dusk through the night, I didn't fish too late though. Thse of you who havn't left yet, I would check the beach and the pier, if it is dead, definatly go fish the lagoon. I did catch one trout over 20" was a good fight.



Thank you for the report.


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## The mtn man (Jul 10, 2014)

TurkeyKiller12 said:


> Thank you for the report.



I wouldn't rule out the end of the pier though, just because it was dead this week it could be on tomorrow with all the bait in the area. Just some advice, if your gonna go for big fish off the end of the pier, get one of those bait nets that you tie on the end of your line at the pier store, catch some bait off the pier and have some big fish tackle to fish at the end of the pier, you never know what you might hook in to, most common species I seen are jack kraval ( not sure if I spelled that right), big reds, kings, and tarpon.


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## copperheadmike (Jul 11, 2014)

Yeah, thanks for the report. Spoke with an inshore captain that I have used down there and he said the past few days have been dead but before that they were getting a lot of real nice specks. Hopefully things will pick up... Thanks again Cklem.


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## The mtn man (Jul 11, 2014)

No problem


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## LifeHunter (Aug 5, 2014)

Going to Gulf Shores late Aug. for the first . We will be fishing on the pier. Since we have never fished there can maybe someone tell us what to expect this time of year on what might be biting?
Thanks,
Kenny


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