Perdido Bay fishing

My family and I come down to Gulf Shores/OB every year. This year we rented a house (Papa Roy's) on Perdido Bay. I was wondering what type of fish might be available there. Any possibility of small shark (<4') perhaps? The owner is providing a couple kayaks so that will be an option. I also bought a rod off a German gentleman that I can't seem to find any info about. It's a Silstar 3300-240. He was apparently an avid angler until a heart attack put a stop to his fishing. I was a little suspect until he showed me pictures of him, the rod, some snapper, and a big red. When he told me i could have it for 5 bucks I took it figured worst case scenario it's a cheap life lesson. I was thinking of pairing it with a fin nor ofs9500 or a penn fierce 8000. Would that handle bull red/med shark (4-7')? We'll be down June 6th - 13th.Attachment 3758

Personally, I think the reel is overkill. I've caught many shark and bull reds from a stationary point with 5000 class reels. I've only seen one silstar rod and that was an entry class Rod. Any Rod medium to medium heavy should be just fine. Even though I've never fished from a kayak, I would suspect some shock would be taken up from your ability to move around on the water or have the fish pull you around. Just my 2 cents worth.

good fishing.....

Thanks fishntime. I was leaning towards those because they seem solid and in my price range. But I'll look into the 5000 class.

I might just use the kayak to take the bait out to deep water and fish from terra semi-firma. I imagine that hooking a big-ish shark might take you on more of a ride than you want in a little kayak! Still, like fishntime said - a medium-heavy rod should be fine for a medium-sized shark.

When you catch one - take pictures and share!

The OFS9500 or 8000 is an excellent choice for medium sharks from the beach or boat.
It would also be a good reel for larger fish from a boat nearshore or even offshore, decent for bottom fishing too.
Not reels for holding all day or casting a lot, too bulky for the yak too.

There are a multitude of smaller & much more versatile reels that will better meet your needs.

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Originally Posted by fshntime

Personally, I think the reel is overkill. I've caught many shark and bull reds from a stationary point with 5000 class reels. I've only seen one silstar rod and that was an entry class Rod. Any Rod medium to medium heavy should be just fine. Even though I've never fished from a kayak, I would suspect some shock would be taken up from your ability to move around on the water or have the fish pull you around. Just my 2 cents worth.

good fishing.....

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This could turn into a case where the shark was trolling with the fisherman at the back of the line.

I had both Silstar rods and reels. Very serviceable pieces, and for $5 it was a steal.

I looked at the rental info on your house. It has it's own pier with a fish attractant light. You can probably do very well with speckled trout and flounder off the dock. Go much lighter with tackle. A Penn Fierce 3000 model loaded with 10 lb test line and a 6 foot light to medium action rod would do great. You can probably catch white trout or croaker that are not large but taste great on the table. The trout come to the lights at night. I have done very well with live bait and artificial lures in this type setup. Floracarbon (sp) leaders often help and I use a very tiny swivel to attach to the main line and go with a two foot leader. A dip net is a good idea as I have caught some large trout doing this. I caught a 35 inch cobia last fall on a rod and reel set up like this. I was actually fishing for flounder with a jig and saw the cobia cruise by and threw in front of him. Keep your drag set light to handle the unexpected big fish as well as avoid tearing the hook out of a trout's mouth.

I can tell you that, when kayak fishing, you are reeling yourself to the fish, particularly larger fish. The thing to keep in mind while kayak fishing is that once you catch the fish, you have to do something with it in the rather small confines of the kayak. I have a Hobie Pro Angler, which is a pretty good sized kayak, and I use caution with toothy critters that might get loose in it with me. Sharks are generally brought up beside the kayak for a quick photo op, then they are cut loose. If you go out in the kayaks and hook something fairly big, be sure to not lose your bearings and find yourself dragged out farther than you are comfortable or able to paddle back.

Thanks guys great info. I should probably clarify a little. I will be bringing my other 5 rods all 6-7' med to med-heavy with nameless (I think one is a sea striker st50) reels spooled with 6-15lb mono. My reel question was specifically for targeting shark/bull red/anything big enough to take the bait. Also I'm a kayak novice so if I do fish out of it at all it will be with light tackle. I was more pointing it out in case someone wanted to chime in with some nearish reefs/wrecks/etc that I might be able to yak to. Also, where can one target shark in the 4-7' range? I'm assuming Perdido Bay is sharkless. Is Ft. Morgan the closest place? (I don't know enough about state fishing stuff to feel comfortable bouncing between FL and AL.

No land fishing for sharks permitted in GSSP [corrected thanks to ChileR], and no landing sharks on the pier, as you may already have read. Hence the yak attack. There were numerous sharks off the inlet at some migration points (use the search feature on the site.)



A recent article in SportFishing magazine on kayak fishermen in Hawai'i mentioned that they used spears rather than gaffs to kill tuna or other fish they wanted in the yak or to tow in. A shot into the brain, and often from the back so you could keep the fish pointed the right direction away from you. Their "spear" looked a lot like a flounder gig -- wood handle and a straight single point with no visible barbs. I don't think I'd want a shark in that position (that's just me), and of course there are length regulations for some shark species. I believe they said they are in 30 fathoms just a quarter mile from shore, and they actually catch marlin while chasing the mackeral scad (cigar minnow cousins) schools in the A.M.

Thanks. I'm not sure what, "off the inlet at some migration points" means. But I was aware of the shark ban in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach. That's why I was asking about the bay since the house I'm going to be in will be outside the city limits. I figured maybe some small bulls due to the brackish water. But I don't really know. I was going to go down Ft. Morgan rd and try to find some spots down there. Anyone have any suggestions?

There is not a Ban or Law prohibiting fishing for sharks from the beach in Orange Beach or Gulf Shores.
There is a law regulating any fishing from the beach that creates an unsafe condition or hazard to anyone in the water or on the beach.
The other part of the law prohibits any chumming or bloodbaiting from the beach or within 300 feet of the beach.
The law is written so loosely that type of fishing can be stopped simply by them deeming it unsafe.

It is really simple, be unobtrusive, stay away from busy beaches, fish mornings, evenings & at night.

Fort Morgan, everything on the Bay side South of the yellow bouy to the Point, and then about a half mile East of the Point gets you away from Dixie Bar and into more sharky water.
I fish/shark Ft.Morgan a lot, never been bothered.

The Gulf State Park is the one that has a ban on shark fishing and shark fishing gear on their beach/pier.
GSP regs and the DCNR law can be found here, http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...264/#post90551

Sorry, this link is somewhere on the site, but I could not find it either. ALERT: Rare Shark Event at Orange Beach

Gotcha. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by midwestexile

Sorry, this link is somewhere on the site, but I could not find it either. ALERT: Rare Shark Event at Orange Beach

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Unresearched piece of garbage journalism accompanied by incredibly ignorant quotes from city officials: local news at its best!

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Originally Posted by midwestexile

Sorry, this link is somewhere on the site, but I could not find it either. ALERT: Rare Shark Event at Orange Beach

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... and the map ;-)
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=3790&stc=1

Yeah, Pier#r - That's what I was thinking when I saw that article. People should be aware that whereever they wade/swim - they're sharing that water with sharks. The truth of the matter is, though, that only about FOUR species of sharks are killers and the rest of them are relatively harmless. It's still not a good idea to swim through a school of mullet during a feeding frenzy though.

I have caught sharks in Perdido Bay.

Pier#r, so what your map tells me is that there are sharks I could catch in Perdido Bay...

Do tell oldfisherman.

Sharks have been caught above the causeway on the Mobile & Blakely Rivers, so I am pretty sure they go into Perdido Bay....

I would recommend a Fin-Nor lt100 lethal over 9500of or 8000 Penn. Check Alan Hawks site for an in-depth review.

A serious fish whoop'in bit of kit, and a true bargain.

Are there sharks in Perdido Bay? Yes.
Are you likely to catch them in there? Anything can happen, but your odds are much better at the mouth of the Pass and elsewhere when shorebound or yakking.
What's in there? Most likely Bulls & Blacktips.
BTs will depend on temp, salinity and food.

If you want sharks, find a nice deserted stretch of beach in the early evening and yak baits out beyond the Bar.
Come back in and relax in your chair, have a nice cold beverage and be patient, odds are good you'll hook up when it gets dark.
Also, cast cut baits into the deep troughs, BT, Spinners and Bulls often feed in the surf.

G'luck!

Thanks Chile Relleno, you seem to be the shark guru on here. I'll take your advice. I'm only bringing one serious rod/reel combo. So do you think my best potion would be past the 2nd bar?

DrumBum, thanks for that. The extra line capacity was the only reason I preferred the 8000 over the 3000 - 5000 series others suggested.

Let me know how the fishing was when you get back, I'm staying in the same house two weeks later. We usually rent a house on little lagoon in Gulf Shores and this will be the first time we have stayed anywhere else. I've never fished down there in June either, usually April or October. I have fished the bay up around the Lillian Bridge and did well on Specks in a boat. We usually do real well around the dock lights in the lagoon so definitely give the dock light a try a few nights.

Good Luck
Scott

Will do goosepit.

I'll second the FN Lethal 100. It is an absolute tank. If you are looking for a big spinning reel for casting or short drops for bull Reds and sharks, this is an excellent option and well priced. This will pump out more drag than you could ever need from the beach, and have the line capacity to withstand just about any run you will encounter.

Two negatives - it's heavy and its big. Which means it's not for casting and holding all day, and it is a little more difficult for a lot of people to cast when compared to a smaller reel.

You guys have convinced me. Just ordered the lethal 100. Found one under 100 on ebay. Figure I'll put 300 yds of 50lb power pro with 150 yd 65lb mono top shot.

You want your braid heavier than your mono, you don't want to lose the expensive braid if the line breaks.
I would go 80/65 if primarily casting, or even 100/80 if yakking a lot.

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Originally Posted by Disgruntled3lf

You guys have convinced me. Just ordered the lethal 100. Found one under 100 on ebay. Figure I'll put 300 yds of 50lb power pro with 150 yd 65lb mono top shot.

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Post up what you think about it once it's in hand. Did you check out Alan Hawks review?

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Originally Posted by Disgruntled3lf

You guys have convinced me. Just ordered the lethal 100. Found one under 100 on ebay. Figure I'll put 300 yds of 50lb power pro with 150 yd 65lb mono top shot.

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Good choice, I doubt you will be disappointed. Hope you get to test it out on some big fish.