Dauphin Island in December

How is the fishing on Dauphin Island during the first part of December? I have some time off and I would like to come down and camp out and fish. I hope to catch something, too!
I originally planned to go to the Pascagoula, MS, and I still might go there. I was wondering if Dauphin Island would be better fishing. I posted about Pascagoula here: http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com/f27/december-good-time-fish-11276/

Would Dauphin Island be better?

edit: I did a search on the Alabama thread and found some information. Still wondering if they bite there in December.

Usually it depends on the weather.
Not so much how cold or warm it is, but how hard the wind blows and from which direction.
A combination of rough, muddy and cold water is usually not conducive to good catches.

Neither is dredging, and the east end of Dauphin Island is slated for a MAJOR beach dredging operation beginning this fall.
http://www.restoredauphinisland.com/...rt-in-october/

Otherwise, IF you can find hard structure (rocks) near fairly clear, deep water and good bait (live shrimp) there can be speckled trout and redfish to be had along with sheepshead and black drum.
Along the sandy shorelines you should be able to find red and black drum or all sizes mixed in with whiting, ground mullet, croaker and maybe even white trout.

Spent many a year fishing dauphin island in the winter. Before Katrina, it was standard fare to hit the surf towards the west end and catch bull reds and whiting early morning. Before the pier was land locked, flounder would ease in the shallows and you could literally see them bury up. A jig in their face coup de gracy that dummy. I imagine the same occurs in gulf shores. Nevertheless, whiting are there in numbers when its cold. Sheep head too.

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Originally Posted by dasarge1953

Spent many a year fishing dauphin island in the winter. Before Katrina, it was standard fare to hit the surf towards the west end and catch bull reds and whiting early morning. Before the pier was land locked, flounder would ease in the shallows and you could literally see them bury up. A jig in their face coup de gracy that dummy. I imagine the same occurs in gulf shores. Nevertheless, whiting are there in numbers when its cold. Sheep head too.

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Thanks. That makes me feel good.

Dauphin Island has four main public (semi-public) access areas (from east to west):
Fort Gaines
Fort Gaines will likely be inaccessible this winter as the dredging operation gets underway :-(
Isle Dauphine Club (golf course)
Dauphin Island Pier
DI West End Beach
The West End Beach is now open 24/7 (till late spring) for fishing access.

http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=4348&stc=1

#R how do you think the renourishment will affect pelican bay and the west end? I am making a 6 day trip down thanksgiving week.was going to spend three days in gulf shores and 3 on the island.

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Originally Posted by gnomepunter

#R how do you think the renourishment will affect pelican bay and the west end? I am making a 6 day trip down thanksgiving week.was going to spend three days in gulf shores and 3 on the island.

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IMO, definitely not the west end, and most likely not Pelican Bay near the golf course. The sand placement on the east end is relatively small project (as far as beach nourishment projects go) and it should not have an impact outside the immediate vicinity of the active sand placement area.

That's great.now if only dauphin island bbq would hurry up and rebuild.lol.

+1 on DI BBQ ;-)

Carl: short term, yes. Long term, not so sure.
Littoral drift would likely push the sand off the east end project area into Pelican Bay filling troughs and holes along the beach and extending the spit in front of the golf course toward the west.
I see in a few years this deep 'hole' off the golf course could become a lagoon.
Much like in this picto from several hundred years ago showed that area...
https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net...b4&oe=56CDAD91

Coincidentally the east end of Pelican Spit will likely erode at an increasing rate over the coming years (the current rate is about 1/4 mile per year) and incorporate sand training in from the east as the 'golf course lagoon' becomes more and more isolated over the next 4-6 years.
But all it will likely take is one major tropical event to radically alter this geology and timetable...

sknhgy

... to revisit your original post, December weather should be relatively mild between cold air outbreaks.
After a front when the Gulf is calm I usually fish the beaches for whiting and drum.
When the wind is from the south I may be focused more on the Sound side for sheepshead and 'ground mullet'.
Generally it is much more comfortable to spend your fishing time with the wind at your back instead of in your face ;-)

Hope this helps!

Just a point of reference and timeline statement here. If you have fished the groins behind the Sea Lab and Coast Guard base recently then you know how far it is between the last groin to the west and the actual beach...
Summer of 1985 found me taking Marine Biology classes at the Sea Lab. It was a mere 20-25 yard wade out to the 2 westernmost jetties!!! ALL OF THE OTHERS were still functioning and just at waters edge.
Of course there was still a cut in front of the pier between there and Sand Island. The hardest question to answer was what kind of fish did you want to catch....flounder, specks or whites, reds, Spanish, etc.
Those were the days!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pier#r

sknhgy

... to revisit your original post, December weather should be relatively mild between cold air outbreaks.
After a front when the Gulf is calm I usually fish the beaches for whiting and drum.
When the wind is from the south I may be focused more on the Sound side for sheepshead and 'ground mullet'.
Generally it is much more comfortable to spend your fishing time with the wind at your back instead of in your face ;-)

Hope this helps!

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Yes. This helps. I'm coming down in early December. You say you fish the beaches for whiting and drum. How do you do that? What kind of rod and rigging and bait do you use? Do you just stand on the beach and cast out as far as you can? What's the "South Side?" How do you fish for sheepshead and ground mullet?
Sorry for the newbie questions but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Last year I brought down my big catfishing rod and the locals teased me about my "broomstick." :o
I'm already getting excited.

EDIT. I found this site and it explains a lot. Any other tips would be appreciated!
http://www.landbigfish.com/articles/default.cfm?ID=630