Need advice!!!

So I plan on coming down to the gulf on the 3rd of June. I plan on doing quite a bit of surf fishing along with pier fishing. Does anyone here have any advice for a Mississippi newb such as me. Such as places on the beach that sort of stand out above the rest for fishing? Also what's bitting this time of year and what would the recomended tackle be for surf fishing? I have one more question as well.. when I was younger I fished on the old pier, then when it was knocked down I fished the wreckage, now are there any tips for fishing gulf shores pier?? That I think puts an end to the questions...except for where to go to find good eats at?

I'll answer the easy question, "good eats", DOC's Seafood on Canal Road in Orange Beach. Good fried shrimp/oysters.

use the search function in the upper right hand corner. everything you need to know is at your fingertips.

for what's biting and when.
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...r-pier-r-9236/

as for what to eat.
i really enjoy fiddlefish at sanroc cay.

have fun! i know you will.

Search (using the rectangular search box) for previous discussions on everything you asked about, like, "What's Biting, When" It's all there, how to read the surf and ALL tips for fishing the Gulf Shores Pier. Good Reading!

We will be there for 6 days so definitely will give it a shot, thanks for the pely👍

+1 on Doc's. Cobalt in orange beach is good if you're in the mood for a tad fancier but still good. I always hit the Flora Bama for oysters just because I always have.

Not a local (so defer to them) but I have surf fished there pretty steadily since the late 90s or so. It's all in the search results but I give a +1 to the medium sized rods/reels; +1 to using live shrimp especially if fishing with kids or non-fishers; have some soft shrimp baits and live minnows or soft minnow lures (for flounder); I'm partial to Gulp! baits as well as Fishbites; we usually Carolina rig live and "until very recently live" shrimp but have had success with fish finder and other common surf rigs; target any cuts in the sandbars, the trough close to shore; also where it drops from the sandbar on the deep side. With kids we would usually toss their baits out there to get them in the water, and I would 'prospect' all the areas around a cut or hole as well as distance and water column...sometimes that's necessary, sometimes it's overkill if the fish are there and really active.

I've fished all up and down there over the years but in the last 10 or so have mainly been down the peninsula within a few miles east of the fort, over in Bon Secour bay, and a few times in the lagoon or the lagoon pass into the gulf. When fishing lagoon I've always had better success at night but probably because I was always fishing dock lights. Don't know about pier as I'm primarily in the surf or the bay.

Didn't mean to write so much but was down a couple weeks ago and already itching to get back in June.

So is there a way to avoid the pesky bottom dwelling saltwater cats?

I like to have a medium/ medium light reel on a 8'-10' medium action surf rod. 10-14 lb test. Like fishgeek said live shrimp are always a good choice. or 1/3 peeled fresh shrimp and a sliver of orange fish bite works. Get several different size egg weights in case the water is rough. A little extra weight will get you further out too :).

Also fresh cut ladyfish or mullet for some drum may work
Good Luck!

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

So is there a way to avoid the pesky bottom dwelling saltwater cats?

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If the surf is calm you can suspend them under a cork to keep them off the bottom. If the bite is slow that's not a bad idea either. Or maybe try some kind of dropper rig so the bait is higher in the water column. But I've also gotten a good number of flounder in the surf at times and I'm assuming they were on the bottom when they hit my shrimp. I've found (don't know if this applies all the time) that if the 'good' fish are around and really active and I'm using live shrimp (or fresh dead...or even fishbites) that they aggressively hit the bait pretty quick, before the catfish can.

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

So is there a way to avoid the pesky bottom dwelling saltwater cats?

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Do
not use squid! Or frozen bait shrimp, only live or fresh shrimp.

Another question for the experienced salt fisherman here, how do I go about catching the pompano and flounder successfully?

Use fresh, dead shrimp and the search feature.

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

So is there a way to avoid the pesky bottom dwelling saltwater cats?

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Fish with jigs or other artificials. Otherwise use fresh dead shrimp and sandfleas but you will still catch them if the water is dirty.

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

Another question for the experienced salt fisherman here, how do I go about catching the pompano and flounder successfully?

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... from pier or surf?

I guess which ever one is better at orange beach??

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

Another question for the experienced salt fisherman here, how do I go about catching the pompano and flounder successfully?

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I asked that same, exact question s couple of years back. I was advised to use the Search feature. My catch rate has improved steadily since then. Good Luck!

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

I guess which ever one is better at orange beach??

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OK, the only gulf pier in OBch is Four Seasons (private), so I'm gonna assume surf...

Your best bet would be to concentrate on the beaches east of Perdido Pass, park at either at Alabama Point East or Orange Beach park and look for washouts or 'gullies' that come up close to the shoreline.

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.2765.../data=!3m1!1e3


They will be the darker colored water or where the surf is NOT breaking.
Stay AWAY FROM THE SWIMMING AREAS.
Can you identify those in this picture?
http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=6200&stc=1



Cast your shrimp/Fishbites onto those dropoffs to target pompano.
Vary the distance until you locate a school...

Cast and retrieve by bouncing off the bottom a 1/2 ounce leadhead jig with 3" Gulp shrimp to target flounder...

Hope this helps!

Thank you all this has been very helpful in gaining knowledge. I appreciate everyone's input. I like hearing all the tips on how someone else does things to see if they will work for me, and if they don't I will modify them to work. Any insight on surf fishing is wonderful

Pier#r so are the dark spots in this picture the troughs I read about? http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=6201&stc=1

West Pass, 3/4 oz Cordell spoon or Brown/Gold mirror lure on a short wire leader on the falling tides or sunrise/sunset. Blues, reds and specs. Flounder on redhead jigs with white 3" gulp shrimp. Pompano rigs with small pieces of PEELED fresh dead shrimp.

option#2 - the wall at Perdido pass. Same as above, but live shrimp drifted with current for flounder.

option #3 - Alabama Point. Cross over the Perdido bridge, turn left into the parking area and hike out the boardwalk to the surf. Gets crowded quick - so make it a early AM trip.

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

Pier#r so are the dark spots in this picture the troughs I read about? http://www.gulfshorespierfishing.com...tid=6201&stc=1

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Yes.
A change in water depth of just a foot or two makes for dramatic 'structure' on an otherwise monotonous beach.

If I wind up at the pier, where is the best place to target what fish??

Spanish mackerel, ladyfish & blue runners with a Looney jig or Bubble rig about half way past the bathrooms and the end.

Whiting and pompano (maybe) small pieces of fresh dead shrimp on bottom rigs just off the beach where the water starts to get deep (dropoff ;-)

I swear I learn more here than google, how often are the people on this site fishing there?

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

If I wind up at the pier, where is the best place to target what fish??

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I'd divide the pier into 3 zones. Understand that the fish are unaware of these zones and sometimes cross the line. King Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel, Bull Redfish, Jack Crevalle - these are fish you'll encounter on/around/in the vicinity of the octi (the extreme south end of the pier). Just south of the bathrooms toward the octi, you can catch bluefish, spanish, ladyfish, redfish, sailcats and hardtails. From the surf to the bathrooms, you can catch pompano, slot reds, flounder, speckled trout, whiting, black drum. Again -- that's only a generalization, since (for instance) hardtails or bluefish can be caught anywhere from almost right up on the beach to the octi. I left out sheepshead, since they're mostly caught by sight-fishing almost exclusively while fishing straight down next to the pilings all along the pier.

It's a good question! You should target species and rig specifically for what you want to catch and improve your odds by fishing in the right water for them. If you are after king mackerel, for instance, you'll want to stay pretty near the octi, since they move in from deeper water and rarely make it to the surf. I've seen people fish, unsuccessfully, for kings from the area north of the bathrooms. It's just not a good strategy, from my perspective. A really good strategy is to pay attention to the daily reports and to also visit the archived reports from years past. They contain a treasure-trove of information regarding different species of fish, where on the pier they were (generally) caught and what bait the successful fishermen were using.
I rig three ways this time of year. I have one outfit to fish the surf for whiting/pompano. Another is rigged for spanish mackerel. The other is rigged for king mackerel. If nothing's happening where I am, I'll sometimes go to a different part of the pier to see what's going on there.

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

I swear I learn more here than google, how often are the people on this site fishing there?

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I think that a better question is - "How long have people been fishing here?" Several people on this site are like me - "Since we were kids" (and we're no longer kids!).

What an excellent synopsis; thanks, even though we aren't pier fishers.

Been pier fishing since 1982, some years more than others.
Others on this site have are much older than I (48-ish) and started soon after getting out diapers. :)

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Originally Posted by bodebum

What an excellent synopsis; thanks, even though we aren't pier fishers.

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Yeah, you fish out in the same territory that I do. Apparently, the hardheads down our way haven't gotten the memo that they are supposed to be farther out.

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Originally Posted by CarlF

Been pier fishing since 1982, some years more than others.
Others on this site have are much older than I (48-ish) and started soon after getting out diapers. :)

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Yeah, that's me - older. It's obvious that you've put in some pier time with your advanced skill set, CarlF. When I started pier fishing in Gulf Shores there was Youngs-By-The-Sea and Ashwander's (adjacent to Young's on the west side). Young's was great for spanish and occasional kings and we used the early version of the "Gotcha" plug called a "Jerk-Jigger". It was back then that I learned how to catch sand fleas to use for redfish bait and to peel fresh-dead shrimp for pompano. That earliest memory came from the early to mid 60s, I think. What was remarkable about this was that it was a girl about my age (10-12 at the time) who showed me a couple of those techniques/baits that I still use today. Apparently her dad had taught her well.

Like Sirius - I arrive at the pier well armed and ready for any opportunity. I start as far south as I can go, but keep a constant watch over my shoulder. The wife usually stops somewhere between the bathrooms and the octi - so we cover more water. The best plan is to stay alert - watch what's going on - and be ready to move if necessary. I'm old - and wore out, I sling jigs and bubbles until it hurts - and then snobble or free line bait to give the shoulder a rest.
Nothing more relaxing than watching a rod tip in the skinny water.....

So...I have a snap swivel tied on every one of my rods...easy to switch. But I have a FLOUROCARBON leader on every rig. Gotcha's , looney's and plugs.

fishing for Spanish mackerel, which set up are you more successful with?

Gotachas, bubble rigs, looneys worked for me last few days. Yesterday they seemed picky and mainly hit green/chart straws.

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Originally Posted by Flyniron

fishing for Spanish mackerel, which set up are you more successful with?

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It changes by day, all depends on where they are in the water column, if they are at the top, bubble rigs will wear them out, deeper then the gotchas and looney jigs come into play, and water clarity plays a part as well, just need to come prepared and figure out what they want on any given day