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Coming down to Gulf Shores in late December and want to take the family fishing. Are the lunar, tide or fishing calendars hocus pocus or worth considering when trying to select a date for a charter? I know fishing can always be hit and miss. But, if spending $$ for inshore or nearshore fishing, I'll take any guidance that'll put us closer to a better day.
Recommend any specific website?
Thanks in advance
In Late December I would be more concerned about the weather. Not a time of year when guides are very busy so you should not have trouble with availability within a day or two.
Best weather source, IMO is NOAA models. You want the GFS (Model Type) for NAMER (Model Area) then select 10m_wnd_precip for your surface parameters. Models are most accurate within 5 days, farther out that that they can be guesswork unless the fronts have become very regular.
Model Guidance
I'd look for a day like this Saturday is forecast to be with a mild south wind before a front hits. Depending on how cold it has been you may have to travel for the fish. Specks will be in the rivers and that will be your best target for a good day of fishing, if it has been really cold you may need to come up here to the Blakeley, but your guide should know that. Your guide should also tell you the best time of day, but with specks that is almost always as early as possible.
I guess I should have answered your question about the tides. If you are in an area where slack tide kills the current, which is most places, the bite usually dies when the current does.
Moons don't matter that much except at some times of year when the fish feed at night on/near a full moon and less during the day. In my experience that is more of a matter in the summer.
FWIW...my logs over the past few years show I've caught fish both when I was supposed to (according to the Solunar Charts) and when I wasn't supposed to...and vice versa. Bottom line...go when you can, you can always get lucky. Life is too short to NOT go fishing when you have the chance!