It’s finally cool enough to be completely comfortable in south Alabama, not only for anglers but also for the saltwater fish they pursue.
Recent reports from the Gulf State Park Pier at Gulf Shores indicate Spanish mackerel fishing is red hot, with dozens of the slim speedsters coming over the rails anytime a bait school wanders near the structure. The pier is said to be the longest pier on the gulf, extending 1540 feet from shore and putting anglers well outside the bar where gamefish regularly pass as they chase mullet, cigar minnows and other baitfish.
Spanish typically average 2 to 3 pounds, though 5 pounders are not uncommon. Their much larger cousins, king mackerel, are also being caught from the pier at present. Some of these fish exceed 15 pounds, occasionally more than 25. And redfish have also been biting steadily according to David Rainer, spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Both Spanish and kings come into Alabama waters in the spring following the migrating baitfish schools, and stay until mid-November most years, departing when the bait starts its travel back along the shore south and east to winter off south Florida.
The big advantage of the pier is that it puts anglers where the fish are without a boat, and it’s cheap—entry is $9 per day, good for all day. The pier is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. at this time of year, and some of the best fishing is often after dark when crowds are gone. Kids under 11 fish free with a paying adult. You don’t even need your own tackle—you can rent a suitable rod and reel at the concession for $10 for four hours, $20 for all day.
Spanish can usually be caught on fast-moving ¼-ounce plastic tailed or bucktail jigs or the metallic “Gotcha” plug, also moved at warp speed—they rarely hit a slow-moving artificial. The Gotcha has the advantage of being able to stand up to the teeth of Spanish, which quickly cut a plastic tail to ribbons. The lure is cast as far as possible, then worked back with a series of sharp twitches of the rod, with the tip held low as the reel is cranked steadily. The lure darts back and forth like an escaping baitfish.
Most anglers fish for Spanish with a 40-pound-test fluorocarbon leader a couple feet long, running to braided line of 15-pound test. The fluorocarbon prevents the very flexible braid from tangling with the treble hooks and is thick enough to prevent most cutoffs on the small teeth of the Spanish, while the non-stretch braid creates a very sharp, fish-attracting action as the rod is twitched.
Kings are sometimes caught on the same lure, or on a larger spoon like a Krockodile, but most anglers use a foot of number 6 dark wire as leader if they’re targeting kings. The larger mouth and sharp teeth of the kings often nip the lure off a fluorocarbon or mono leader.
Kings are more easily caught on live pinfish or finger mullet, and also with fresh-cut cigar minnows drifted with the current—most anglers use a number 6 treble in the bait’s nose, another hanging from the back on a short length of wire to prevent cutoffs.
Big redfish, over 20 pounds, also come and go at the pier—most anglers who want to tangle with them rely on a live pinfish, single-hooked through the back, and use 50-pound-test braid on medium heavy spinning gear. (Anglers can keep one red over 26 inches per day, a total of three from 16 to 26 inches per day, but most release the big ones to spawn.)
The action stays good so long as the bait hangs around, and the bait schools typically start moving south when water temperature drops to 68 degrees. As this is written, the water is 73 at the beach, which means several more weeks of prime action.
For details on Gulf State Park Pier visit https://www.alapark.com/parks/gulf-state-park/fishing-and-education-pier.
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November 03, 2019 at 03:21PM
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Looking for a new fishing hole? Catch the bite along Alabama’s Gulf Coast - AL.com
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