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If I could plan a trip 5-7 days away, what weather conditions is best in the days prior to coming? What is the most accurate weather forecasting source for the area? What is it going to take for the water to clear up or is that predictable? Just want to try to plan a trip when the conditions are most favorable for a successful day of catching! Thanks in advance for your input!
I think most would favor a south east chop, but in my experience, looking at weather forecasts 7 days in advance is a recipe for frustration. I generally use the NOAA Marine forecast at Coastal Waters Forecast for Coastal waters from Pensacola FL to Pascagoula MS out 20 NM (GMZ650) but it is significantly wrong 1-2 days ahead of time quite often and a week out you may as well roll a dice.
If you have an opportunity to fish, then fish. I find the full moon less than helpful, but unless there is a named storm in the northern Gulf, a lighting storm and/or gale force winds in progress; it's fishing time!
The forecasts for a day is often bogus, a week out is almost a sure fail. IMHO
What's the old saying'? " You don't know unless you go,"
anytime for me would be good down that way, except for August....and that month isn't very good here either
I was really thinking about the water clarity. Is the south winds causing the water to stay so dirty? Or does wind have anything to do with it? It would seem to me that a few days of a north, ne, or nw wind would allow the water to clear up.
Not a 100% rule, but I typically find north wind to be bad for near shore fishing this time of year. It can reduce wave action and let the shallows settle, but "good water" comes from the south and east. A current from the west will eventually bring cruddy bay water over.
SE-S brings in the clear water.
As noted, SW can push muddy bay water over = bad.
Tuck there are several factors that can make our water dingy (@ the pier):
Wind and waves stir up sediment and they suspend in the water as long as it is agitated.
Once the wind settles below 10 knots or so (the threshold for whitecaps and wave building) the sediments begin to 'fall out' to the bottom and the water slowly clears.
Tidal and longshore currents if they are strong enough will also stir up sediment from the bottom or prevent sediment from falling out.
This includes days with a high fluctuation of high to low tide when dingy water inshore may be 'drug' out even beyond the end of the pier. Once the tide slackens or changes the water usually clears.
Biological factors such as algae blooms can fill the water with suspended 'goo'.
Also jellyfish blooms, sargassum invasions, etc can mess the water up. But they can abate just as quickly.
Hope this helps!
P.S. I'm not totally aboard with the west or SW wind being 'bad'. That is usually the case only when very fresh water is being expelled from Mobile Bay. An east wind can be just as bad (or worse) when a lot of fresh water migrates to the pier from Perdido Bay...
I agree David, SW is bad only when there is a lot of fresh muddy water coming out of Mobile Bay, as was the case for the entire late winter & spring this year. I think it probably contributed to the less than stellar results this spring.