Booking a trip. Need suggestions.

I've just scheduled to go with my wife, mom, dad, and brother-in-law down to Orange Beach the second weekend of August. I'm determined to spend at least a day fishing. If I had it my way, the whole trip would be fishing, but I'm smart enough to know that a bed is more comfortable than a couch. I think one day is enough to keep my wife excited about it without over-doing it. What are our options? What kinds of price ranges are we looking at? And I mean everything from fishing from shore to deep-sea charter. I'm mostly just wanting to have fun. If all we catch is trash fish, at least we can grab pictures. If we can put something in the freezer, that's definitely a bonus. What kinds of things would two women who aren't terribly good at fishing find enjoyable? So far, it sounds like Pierless has a charter that would fit this well. Can someone please direct me towards more information on that?

I'm under the impression that we'll be staying in a beach house. I'm assuming that means "on the beach". Correct me if I'm wrong. It's family-owned and my wife has been doing all the talking. Would it be viable to catch my own bait? If I did this, would crappie poles be reliable? Or should I leave them at home? What about a cast net? Does anyone have any tips for where/how I should try using a cast net? Are there laws I should be aware of? Better yet, should I just leave everything but our 8' poles? Even if I choose to charter, I'd like to do some night fishing from shore or pier. What kinds of things should I be fishing for/with?

In other words, I have no clue what I'm doing. I just want to do some fishing. My budget is flexible, but certainly not limitless. I'll have a few people who aren't very patient nor strong in my group. I'll also have my dad who is very eager to fish and fill his freezer. He's also quite a good fisherman. Please help me out. I'm trying to figure out what the options are so that I can find the perfect balance between the girls, the boys, and the wallets. Thanks in advance, y'all!

Mid August is a tough time to catch a lot from the surf or pier that's good eating. I wouldn't have any expectations of filling a freezer with edible fish that time of year unless it was on an offshore charter. Some catching can be done but it is very slow. A PIER ONLY anuual license is $11 and pier access is $8 per day or $40 per week. A resident annual saltwater license to surf or pier fish is $22 and a nonresident is $47. Charter fees start at $65 per person for a 4 hour near shore party boat and go into the thousands for offshore trips of various duration and species. Your crappie poles won't be of much use in the pier or surf. Bass spinning tackle with 10#-12# test line will suffice for most fish caught off the pier or surf. A trip to J&M Tackle in Orange Beach would be a good place to start for you bait and tackle needs. Good luck!

An inshore charter might be something to consider also. Most of the captains run four, six and eight hour trips. Most like to fish early or late to beat some of the heat. Might be a little easier on members of your party that might not be up to an offshore trip. The chance of catching a mess of groceries is pretty good also.

Crappie poles won't be useless--probably larger than what I use, lol. Could catch some trout, flounder and kingcroakers with those right now. May even stumble on some slot reds.

If the family doesn't mind some night fishing, tossing cheap lures at ladyfish could be the time of their lives.